Is Borax safe for my unborn baby?
Borax is used for many things including cooking, cleaning, as an insecticide and much more. Often it is considered a safe alternative for cooking products, cleaning products and other products that have harmful toxins and chemicals. A pregnant woman should use borax with caution.
What is Borax?
Borax is a boron mineral compound that is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate or disodium tetraborate. Commercially sold borax is a white powdery substance that dissolves easily in water.
Uses
Borax is sold commercially in its white powdery form. It is used for laundry detergent, as a kitchen and bathroom cleaner, a deodorizer, a toilet cleaner, an insecticide, herbicide and pesticide.
Warnings
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, borax is toxic if ingested and should be kept out of reach of children. There are no warnings that pregnant women should not use borax.
Toxicity
According to the Pesticide Action Network, borax is acutely toxic as it is a borate compound. Simple exposure to boric acid poisoning is through inhalation, skin, eyes and ingestion.
Caution for Pregnant Women
Pregnant women who use borax or any borate compound products should use caution when handling the product. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet provided by 20 Mules Team Borax, personal precautions such as wearing eye, skin and respiratory protection is recommended.
Tags: borate compound, should borax, white powdery