BORAX USES: A TUTORIAL

So you have got the remains of box of Borax that you bought for a project and you want to use the left overs? There are alot of things that you can do with the Borax and we have just give you a few of the more popular (and sometimes fun) ones.

Borax , or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral first discovered over 4000 years ago. It has no toxic fumes and is safe for the environment. Borax can irritate skin and should not be ingested.
In addition to being a great cleaner (Add one-half cup Borax, one-half teaspoon Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, and one teaspoon ammonia to two gallons warm water) and great deodorizer, the following are two great uses for the leftover Borax
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BORAX SLIME: (can be stored in a plastic baggie or air tight container)

INGREDIENTS:

• borax powder
• water
• 4 ounce (120 ml) glue (e.g., Elmer's white glue)
• teaspoon
• bowl
• jar or measuring cup
• food coloring (optional)
• measuring cup
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour the glue into the jar. If you have a big bottle of glue, you want 4 oz or 1/2 cup of glue.
2. Fill the empty glue bottle with water and stir it into the glue (or add 1/2 cup of water).
3. If desired, add food coloring. Otherwise, the slime will be an opaque white.
4. In a separate, mix one cup (240 ml) of water into the bowl and add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of borax powder.
5. Slowly stir the glue mixture into the bowl of borax solution.
6. Place the slime that forms into your hands and knead until it feels dry. (Don't worry about the excess water remaining in the bowl.)
7. The more the slime is played with, the firmer and less sticky it will become.
8. Have fun!
9. Store your slime in a zip-lock bag in the fridge (otherwise it will develop mold)

TO MAKE GLOW IN THE DARK SLIME: just add 1 tsp of glow-in-the-dark paint to the 50% glue and 50% water mixture. Stir together the glue, water and paint till it was well mixed. Then add the borax solution (water and borax). Also another good Youtube Video made by High School Students if you need a visual.

TIPS:

1. Use white glue, such as Elmer's brand. Most 'school glues' do not have the correct composition.
2. Don't eat the slime - it isn't especially toxic, but not good for you either!
3. Slime cleans up pretty easily. Remove dried slime after soaking with water.
4. There is a step-by-step video instructions if you would like to see this project in action plus a YouTube video of the slime showing what you will get if you use glue gel rather than white glue. Either type of glue works well.

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BORAX FLOAM: is like slime with polystyrene beads in it, that kids can mold into shapes. You can sculpt with it or use it to coat other objects. You can store it to reuse it or allow it to dry, if you want permanent creations.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp. borax
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup white glue (e.g., Elmer's)
• 1/4 cup water
• food coloring
• resealable plastic bag
• 1 1/3 c. polystyrene beads

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dissolve 2 tsp. borax completely in 1/2 cup (4 oz.) water. (2 tsp. of borax will produce a stiff product. If you want slimier, more flexible 'Floam', then try 1 tsp. borax instead.)
2. In a separate container, mix 1/4 cup (2 oz.) white glue and 1/4 cup (2 oz.) water. Stir in food coloring.
3. Pour the glue solution and the polystyrene beads into a plastic bag. Add borax solution and knead it until it's well mixed. Use 1 T. of the borax solution for a very fluid Floam, 3 T. for average Floam, and the entire amount for stiff Floam.
4. To keep your Floam, store it in a sealed bag in the refrigerator (discourages mold). Otherwise, you can allow it to dry into whatever shape you have chosen.

TIPS:

1. How it works: borax reacts to crosslink the polyvinyl acetate molecules in the glue. This forms a flexible polymer.
2. If you use a 4% solution of polyvinyl alcohol instead of glue, you will get a more transparent product that will hold shapes better.
3. Polystyrene beads can be found at craft stores (e.g., Michaeals, JoAnn Fabrics), usually as fillers for bean bags or dolls. You can grind Styrofoam™ cups using a cheese grater, if you can't find the beads or just have some extra cups laying around. I would suggest using a separate grater than the one you use for food.
   

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BORAX LAUNDRY SOAP: (can be stored in a tight container)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 cups Borax
• 8 cups Baking Soda
• 8 cups Washing Soda
• 8 cups Bar soap (grated)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub
2. Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load

TIPS:

1. This works out to about 10 cents per cup
2. I like the smell of DOVE, so that is a good "Bar Soap" to use..or use any of your favorite soap
3. Check out this link for other "Soap Recipes"

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Borax Powder can be found at the following retailers:

• Wal-Mart
• Target
• Kmart
• Kroger
• Dollar General
• Family Dollar
• ShopRite
• Walgreens
• Mejier
• Publix
• CVS
• Food Lion
• Rite-Aid
• Winn Dixie
• Wegmans
• Stop & Shop
• Giant Eagle
• And other local grocery stores in the laundry aisle ( usually they are up high or low on shelf, not at eye level)

soap and laundry soap pic courtesy of mygirlthursday