Borax -vs- Sodium Percarbonate?

If you're looking for a laundry powder additive with antifungal and antibacterial properties, how does Borax (sodium borate decahydrate) compare to products containing sodium percarbonate?

Reply to
Gas Bag
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I think the later would be better.

I would bet on Clorox. Certain powders may have better long lasting effect, but it might irritate.

greg

Reply to
GregS

I do not have answers. But I do have questions.

As I read about this chemical, I think potassium percarbonate may be useful for hydroponics. It seems like it could be useful for sterilizing growing media and containers. At the same time, instead of contaminating the containers with sodium, it could provide potassium as a plant nutrient.

Does anyone have comments on this.

Bill

Reply to
Salmon Egg

Gas Bag:

So far as antifungal properties goes, I'd put my money on Borax (which is not a carbonate at all). Borax is a sodium/boron/H2O compound that, like gypsum or lime, takes on various crystalline structures depending on the amount of water bound up inside of it. It is the Boron itself that is effective as an antifungal agent. This is why borates are commonly used as wood preservatives in the form of "Impel" or "Cobra" rods and the assortment of "Borocol" liquid based wood preservatives. Borate based Impel rods are commonly used in log homes to protect the logs from wood rot because of the very high solubility of borates in water. It is this high water solubility that allows borate based wood preservatives to permeate the entire log by diffusing through the moisture within the log. Even though it is only a small number of fungii that feed on wood, borates are effective against a wide variety of fungii, including the wood rot fungii. But, they are of almost no health concern to mammals, and borate based products are even allowed as food additives in some European countries.

So far as an antibacterial agent is concerned, I'd opt for bleach there. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite, or NaOCl. It's actually made from sea water, and is unstable enough that it gradually decomposes back into sea water, even when it's being stored in the jug. Thus, bleach gradually decomposes and gets weaker. In so doing, it releases lone Oxygen atoms, and it's these oxygen atoms that do all the work. They are highly reactive, and react with organic molecules that are generally less stable than inorganic molecules. It is through the same process of decompostion to form more stable compounds that ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) also have a "bleaching" action on colored fabrics, organic smells and hair colour. Since the released lone Oxygen atoms react with organic molecules, bleach is very effective at killing bacteria, viruses, molds and fungii, and breaking up organic molecules into smaller pieces thereby removing the colour and smell they produce.

I don't know anything about the sodium percarbonate you mentioned.

Hope this helps.

------------------------------------- ..in solidarity with the movement for change in Iran.

Reply to
Nestor Kelebay

Where we live, our towels tend to stink after a couple of days in the laundry hamper in summer, and it doesn't go away with washing. About every two months, we add about 1/4 cup bleach to the wash water. Mix in a bucket first. It's too little to harm the colors, but knocks out the fungi that cause the smell. The towels will then go several washings before fungi build up again.

DB

Reply to
Bill Penrose

I use sodium percarbonate to bleach - it's especially good for nappies, soaked overnight in a bucket they come up fresh, clean and white plus it's not too harsh on the material.

Reply to
Mrs Bonk

It's probably best I rephrase my original post. If I'm looking for a strictly non-bleaching laundry additive that has strong antifungal and antibacterial properties, which is the better of the following?

Borax (sodium borate decahydrate) or Products containing sodium percarbonate?

I know bleach is the best, but I'm looking for something that can be used with various coloured fabrics.

Reply to
Gas Bag

I am not really with you on this one dear, Sodium percarbonate IS a bleach, an oxygen one and it is safe to use on coloureds or at least, safer than chlorine type bleach. I have an antibacterial wash on my machine, I use it once a month.

Reply to
Mrs Bonk

How about we start again and you describe the problem that you are actually trying to solve?

Peroxide generators are just another form of non-chlorine bleach. Slightly less inclined to destroy fabrics but colours might or might not survive unscathed.

Regards, Martin Brown

Reply to
Martin Brown

I'm looking to add a laundry additive to my laundry washing load that has the most powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties available. I won't be washing just white fabrics (but a range of colours), so a non-chlorine, non-whitening additive is what's needed. I have used products containing sodium percarbonate, but have not tried Borax (sodium borate decahydrate). This is why I want to find out how they compare. The main point is I am trying to find out what specific chemical compounds are most effective, rather than off-the- shelf products, because I'm quite likely going to buy the active ingredients themselves (as this is much much more cost effective - this is a priority).

As an aside, I'v found that most laundry washing powders/detergents all "generally" do a good job at cleaning and removing stains.....but killing bacteria, and particularly fungus, is another matter entirely. Yes, I do hang all my clothes inside-out, and in the sun.

Reply to
Gas Bag

You will almost certainly not be able to buy pure chemicals of this type unless you are a registered business and if you could it would present handling difficulties at home.

What on earth are you doing wrong that fungus is such a problem?

Regards, Martin Brown

Reply to
Martin Brown

What about just using the hot water setting...for items where shrinkage is not an issue?

Reply to
Bonnie Jean

[...]

Borax is fungistatic and bateriostatic. I don't know if it kills them, but it keeps them from growing. At room temperature, one or two teaspoons of borax can be dissolved in a quart of water. If I use it to wash a surface with mildew and don't rinse it, the mildew won't return.

If I had fabric that I wanted to protect from fungi or bacteria, I'd wash it, then dip it in a bucket with borax and water before spinning and drying. Miners don't seem to have problems from exposure to borax, so I don't think a trace of it in fabric would caused skin irritation.

[...]

Sodium percarbonate is a powder containing sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide. Oxiclean is a brand name. I can get it much more cheaply in a store brand labeled something like "oxygen bleach" or "color-safe bleach." The cheaper stuff contains additives to help it work better at room temperature.

Bleach can kill spores. That would eliminate growth that originates in the fabric but wouldn't keep the fabric from being infected.

Reply to
J Burns

unless you are a registered business and if you could it would present handling difficulties at home. Rubbish! You can buy Sodium Percarbonate from brewing suppliers. You can buy Borax from your supermarket.

Reply to
OldNick

replying to Martin Brown, Back in Black wrote: You most certainly can but both Sodium Precarbonate and Borax from sprouts or Whole Foods. And this aside telling the original poster that they cannot do what they most certainly can, doesn?t answer the question at hand.

Reply to
Back in Black

replying to Gas Bag, Back in Black wrote: To do what you?re asking, I use 1/3 washing soda(sodium carbonate) and 2/3 sodium precarbonate. I was cautioned that this could bleach my clothes, and in small instances, I?ve noticed the clothes fade a bit. In heavily colored clothes I might change the ratio to less precarbonate and more carbonate. This makes clothes come out of the wash smelling clean and most stains just don?t stand a chance. (I use heavy precarbonate on white items) This has very rarely not worked, but, I?m wondering about adding Botax to this mixture. Anyway, I say use a bit of both, and let the sodium precarbonate so it?s hydrogen peroxide magic and the washing soda soften the water to help the precarbonate work more effectively.

Reply to
Back in Black

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