What do you do with boric acid and borax, whether it’s separately or not?

Borax can be used as flux for gold and precious metals smelting.

I have used it in ceramic glaze formulation to reduce thermal expansion.

The only purpose I’ve found for Borax was for soaking soiled diapers in the pail prior to laundering them. When my MIL died someone told me I could preserve some of the flowers by submerging them in Borax. I did but it was not successful. Maybe I didn’t leave them long enough. Anyway. There ya go.

Borax and Boric Acid is used form soaking cloth in to retard fires !

Boric acid is without question the most effective remedy to cokroaches.

I make my own laundry detergent. Borax is one of the ingredients.

Very much appreciated.

@lucillelucillelucille I’m posting this link because of the word maybe in your post.
https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-decor/decorating-styles-techniques/how-to-preserve-flowers.htm
and https://tinyurl.com/yyg3cc9w
@snowberry, does borax expire, if so after how long and does it have special storing instructions?

What are the other ingriedients in your detergent?

@flo – I might try this sometime.

Borax is mined near the Mohave desert, and apparently other places around the world. It’s like salt. It can’t expire. This site explains the difference between borax and boric acid.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-borax-where-to-get-608509

This site tells where and how it’s mined.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32098-d2578456-Reviews-Borax_Visitor_Center-Boron_California.html

As for storage, don’t store borax where it will get wet, such as under a sink where leaks can occur. I did that and my box of borax turned into a rock. Being the cheapskate I am, I removed the box from around it, crushed it, and put it in a sealed jar. It worked just fine.

@snowberry So interesting. From 1st link:
”The European Union (EU), Canada, and Indonesia consider borax and boric acid exposure a potential health risk, primarily because people are exposed to it from many sources in their diet and from the environment. The concern is that overexposure to a chemical generally deemed safe could increase the risk of cancer and damage fertility. While the findings are somewhat contradictory, it’s advisable children and pregnant women limit their exposure to borax if possible.”