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My mother would occasionally buy a box of Boraxo. I can remember my grandparents had a 20 Mule Team plastic model that must have been some sort of promotional offer or something when you sent in the box top. No idea what ever happened to it.
 
Borax actually has some wonderful properties for wash day and general house cleaning. It was known and used going back to Victorian times as a more gentle builder when using soap (instead of sodium metasilicate or washing soda).

Borax being a mild base helps buffer wash water so soaps and detergents work better. It also helps neutralize urine and body odors on fabrics, this is why it long was recommended for diapers and other stinky laundry.

Borax releases small amounts of oxygen in water which gives a mild bleaching effect, but it also inhibits and kills mold and mildew.

Actually have several NOS boxes of Borateem the "Borax Bleacher" and "bleach substitute" that make antibacterial claims. As well it should since the stuff contains tribromsalan, a microbiocide, and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, along with borax.

You see there was a time when carbonic soap (which contained phenol) was the antibacterial thing. That got banned so in came hexachlorophene, it too was soon banned or restricted. Then came tribromsalan as the next big anti bacterial chemical found in all sorts of personal care and house cleaning products. It got boot as well.

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Tribromsalan

https://drugs.ncats.io/drug/6MCE3VTF0O
 
Couldn't sponsors afford to give Rosemary de Camp a measuring cup? Pouring handfuls of borax into her hands then chucking it into washer looks so cheap and common.

It also went against wash day practice even then when housewives (or anyone else) were strongly advised to measure out wash day products.

Then actor Ronald Reagan was pitch man for Boraxo, and other borax products.

 

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