Play Dough and Silly Putty - Where Does Borax Fit In?
posted Friday, 26 June 2009
I used to make home made play dough when my children were little. Of course, it was a lot more trouble than buying it already made. But I was always interested in art and making things with my hands. Making it myself was also much cheaper and it made a large amount. The recipe called for an ingredient that I had not heard of called Borax. I now know how common Borax is. You'll read about common household used for borax and a couple of recipes for borax used in silly putty and play dough.
When borax is added to a wash, it makes detergents even more effective. It's also alkaline, so it kills mold and fungus and softens water. Here are some uses:
TOILET...
Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight. Swish the bowl a few times with a toilet brush and flush the next day. It's great for getting rid of rust stains.
POTS AND PANS...
Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.
DISHWASHER...
If the machine is not smelling great, sprinkle borax in the bottom. Let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.
BASEBOARDS, COUNTERTOPS, AND WALLS...
Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spritz generously, wipe down with a damp cloth, and let air-dry.
CHINA...
Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and 1/2 cup borax; rinse well.
Now for the fun -
Do-It-Yourself "Goofy Putty"
Recipe by Steven Spangler
Ingredients:
- Elmer's White Glue (Do NOT substitute)
- 1 tablespoon of Borax
- Food coloring
- 1 cup of water
- Empty plastic soda bottle, with cap
- Zipper-lock bag (quart size)
Make the borax water:
Borax is a type of powdered soap that is available in many grocery stores. Add 1 tablespoon of Borax powder to 1 cup of water. Stir until most of the powder dissolves. Store the borax water in a jar or bottle, and label it "Borax & Water Mixture". You can keep it to make more batches... one cup of borax water will make many batches of putty.
Prepare the glue:
Measure 1 tablespoon of Elmer's Glue into a zipper-lock bag. Add 1 teaspoon of plain water to the bag and mix. The additional water makes the glue flow better. Add a drop of food coloring.
Make the putty:
Add just 1 tablespoon of borax water to the bag of watered-down glue. Seal the bag, and squeeze it between your fingers for 2 minutes, in order to thoroughly mix the liquids. The liquids will start to form a putty-like substance. When this has happened, remove the putty from the bag and continue to squeeze it.
Blubber Type Play Dough
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups glue
- 4 Tablespoons borax
- 4 cups water
So next time that you make silly putty or play dough with your child, don't worry about the mess. You have borax to clean up with.
Barbara Leynor
Certified Wellness Coach
P.S. Watch For Special Announcement The Beginning Of July
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