djsparkles
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2010
Posts: 79
|
Post by djsparkles on Jun 22, 2020 15:18:39 GMT -5
I know to use liquid soap for cleaning cycles, but I thought bleach was a no no? Borax is bleach, right? So many people are talking about using it with the soap I got confused. Which isn't hard to confuse me but yeah LOL
Can anyone explain the mechanics of this to me so I can sort it out in my crystallized little brain pan?
Thanks in advance!
|
|
islander
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 15
|
Post by islander on Jun 22, 2020 15:28:19 GMT -5
Borax is sodium borate or sodium tetraborate, a boron salt. It's used in detergents - it isn't a bleach. Bleach is normally sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide.
|
|
whyofquartz
spending too much on rocks
So, Africa is smaller than I expected...
Member since December 2019
Posts: 316
|
Post by whyofquartz on Jun 22, 2020 15:48:31 GMT -5
I know to use liquid soap for cleaning cycles, but I thought bleach was a no no? Borax is bleach, right? So many people are talking about using it with the soap I got confused. Which isn't hard to confuse me but yeah LOL Can anyone explain the mechanics of this to me so I can sort it out in my crystallized little brain pan? Thanks in advance! I think you are confusing Borax and Commet. borax is used by blacksmiths as flux for forge welding, don't want on oxidizing agents in there. Commet is that cleaning powder that turns blue when you get it wet and smells metallic
|
|
|
Post by woodman on Jun 22, 2020 15:56:15 GMT -5
I know to use liquid soap for cleaning cycles, but I thought bleach was a no no? Borax is bleach, right? So many people are talking about using it with the soap I got confused. Which isn't hard to confuse me but yeah LOL Can anyone explain the mechanics of this to me so I can sort it out in my crystallized little brain pan? Thanks in advance! I think you are confusing Borax and Commet. borax is used by blacksmiths as flux for forge welding, don't want on oxidizing agents in there. Commet is that cleaning powder that turns blue when you get it wet and smells metallic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
|
|
|
Post by HankRocks on Jun 22, 2020 16:16:42 GMT -5
I think you are confusing Borax and Commet. borax is used by blacksmiths as flux for forge welding, don't want on oxidizing agents in there. Commet is that cleaning powder that turns blue when you get it wet and smells metallic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax It's used for water softening, by reducing surface tension, making any soap more effective. In theory, it should make polish a bit more effective for the same reason. One warning, It will kill plants so be careful where you dump the borax and detergent water..
|
|
djsparkles
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2010
Posts: 79
|
Post by djsparkles on Jun 22, 2020 17:08:48 GMT -5
Thank you all! I'm a lot less confused now lol
|
|
|
Post by manofglass on Jun 22, 2020 17:27:42 GMT -5
Borax doesn’t kill all plants wish it did Where I am dumping the weeds are doing just fine
|
|
gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
|
Post by gatorflash1 on Jul 5, 2020 7:38:28 GMT -5
rocktumbler.com/book.shtmlDawn dishwashing liquid mixed with Borax is what I use in the last stages including burnishing. Dawn doesn't have the chemicals other soaps have and works great, IMHO.
|
|
chapslv
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2020
Posts: 56
|
Post by chapslv on Jul 5, 2020 13:36:49 GMT -5
Borax contains boron and sodium. If these build up in the soil over time, the levels can become toxic to most plants. A little bit is unlikely to harm plants (or weeds) and if you have high amounts of rainfall, it will likely wash out and not cause any problems (or benefit like killing weeds).
|
|
|
Post by HankRocks on Jul 5, 2020 15:59:15 GMT -5
Borax contains boron and sodium. If these build up in the soil over time, the levels can become toxic to most plants. A little bit is unlikely to harm plants (or weeds) and if you have high amounts of rainfall, it will likely wash out and not cause any problems (or benefit like killing weeds). I have been pouring it in my rock garden to keep the weeds out. Also had a Dewberry vine and an Althea that came up at the edge of the rock garden next to the house which was going to require moving rock to dig all the roots out. About 5 or 6 loads of the Borax/Soap water did the trick as both plants died and have not come back since last summer.
|
|
victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,958
|
Post by victor1941 on Jul 5, 2020 17:06:13 GMT -5
I had dumped borax washes near a boxwood hedge in my yard and much later noticed damage. The borax salt initially caused a light yellowing around the leaf margins and later browning that indicated salt toxicity like over fertilization.
|
|
|
Post by Toad on Jul 5, 2020 18:56:12 GMT -5
I use borax in all my tumbles from rough through polish to aid cleaning. All slurry gets dumped in 5-gallon pails. Last year’s pails sit in the garage until dried out. Then it gets pulverized and dumped in used flat rate boxes for disposal in the trash. My least favorite part of the hobby.
|
|