Borax dust on my plants!

GreenGurl

GreenGurl

Well-Known Member
I just acquired a killer short sale house with huge potential gains (superb bones). It was however, infested with the habits of at least three colonies of ants, thanks to the previous tenants not so clean lifestyle... So before breaking down to call an exterminator, I was trying the whole "borax in every inch of perimeter" method and that includes the room where my newly transplanted girls live.

Prior to the exterminator's arrival, I was instructed to vacuum up all the borax so as not to cause a reaction with the fixative interior spray they planned to apply. I stupidly used a shop vac (rather than the hepa filtered Eureka boss) and now I have a very fine dusting of borax in my newly set up grow room (with non air-tight tents)! :shock:

Question: does anyone know how I might treat my flowering babies to ensure there is no borax to be ingested by my patients, or will I need to toss the lot? The dusting is slight since the plants were in their tents, but still, I would prefer to err on the cautious side. I know that boric acid is used for many household purposes, has a high melting point, and is generally non-combustible, but boric acid is not borax...

What would you do, y'all? GG
 
lokie

lokie

Well-Known Member
[video=youtube;iBp9e842yK8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBp9e842yK8&feature=related[/video]

Ronald likes it, but I'm sure he was not smoking it.

Boric acid is an acute eye and respiratory tract irritant, which is quite toxic if ingested.

http://www.magicalchildhood.com/articles/borax.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/136160-borax-health-effects/


Here are some medical and U.S. government fact sheets about its toxicity:




Sorry dude it may be better for you to just say NO to this batch.

MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
http://www2.prosarcorp.com/msds_frame.asp?site_id=196&msds_id=685&lang=en
 
GreenGurl

GreenGurl

Well-Known Member
Thanks for your quick response and great links, Lokie! However, I'm reading elsewhere that neither borax nor boric acid is actually combustible; the only danger seems to be inhalation, which would be incredibly minor in the amounts that would remain on harvested flowers since they were in tents when the dust hit the air.

Still, I may decide to pitch the lot... I'll use the next couple of weeks to let my intuition guide me, as well as personal trials if I feel remotely secure with harvesting.

:-P
 
george xxx

george xxx

Active Member
Personally I'd would be more worried about ferts than borax. Borax is a relatively safe product been widely used for more years than either of us have been living. Ingestion requires a significant amount to be any problem. A simple spray of water will remove it a lot faster and easier than your attempts to flush ferts. Skip the bullshit hype they will have you believing its a major eye and lung irritant. Its one of the best products on the market for washing baby clothes and Boric Acid is also an eyewash. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
 
lokie

lokie

Well-Known Member
Sure, Do you think just a lil' bit of cyanide only tickles for a few min.

How much is too much? How much is acceptable?

The FDA says that a percentage of insect fragments and rodent filth are acceptable in food products.
Tell me which product contains these and I will not ingest it.

You have tipped your hand of greed. The only way you save face in this is to trash the tainted goods.

Tell the customer they are buying poison to smoke and see how they react?
 
L

Lululady

Member
Boric acid is recommended on this forum as the remedy for boron deficiency. So, if your plants get a boron deficiency and you have to treat it, do you have to pitch the plants? Boric acid is used as an eye wash.

Lime is also caustic if inhaled. So is lye, I believed used for pH up, and potash. Ammonia, one of the common forms of nitrogen in nutrients, is quite irritating when inhaled as well. Let's face it......... If you're worried about irritating your lungs, you shouldn't be smoking pot.

I agree with the poster who said to spray your plants off good. You should be able to remove most of it. I use Borax in my some of my laundry and sometimes on my floors, including on the floor in my grow room. It's a great product. I accidentally discovered that a pan of Borax mixed in water seems to attract (and kill) fungus gnats and doesn't get stuck in your hair every time you poke your head in the grow closet (like the yellow strips). On the plus side, bet your plants are bug-free!
 
Dice Clay

Dice Clay

Active Member
I happen to use Borax (boric acid) on a daily basis. I use it for goldsmithing work as a flux. Boric acid will not be broken down in the open air, so there is little danger of the plants absorbing it. You may blow the dust off of the leaves and if you are particularly concerned, you can use a diluted mixture of denatured alcohol. The alcohol acts as a solvent and the boric acid as a solute. The alcohol will evaporate off of the leaves not harming the plant.
 
Dice Clay

Dice Clay

Active Member
oh.. and I am much more concerned with rogue fiberglass fibers from my insulated exhaust getting on my buds than I would be about a little Borax on my leaves.. but like I said before I love borax and use it all the time.
 
L

Lululady

Member
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with the alcohol suggestion. While boric acid will react in ethanol to form water and a soluble salt, only the water evaporates off while the boron salt will be left behind. It's chemistry. Also, borax is not the same as boric acid. Commercial laundry borax is primarily a phosphate form of boron, not the acid. Though I think it might have some boric acid in it too, maybe to make the powder dissolve in water better or something???

The suggestion about blowing it off is very good. I'd try that first to get off as much as possible. Then spray any that is left with water. Put it in the shower or something.

That's interesting that you do goldsmithing, dice. You must either be a jeweler or a dentist. Or just have a really cool hobby.
 
Dice Clay

Dice Clay

Active Member
Lululady said:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with the alcohol suggestion. While boric acid will react in ethanol to form water and a soluble salt, only the water evaporates off while the boron salt will be left behind. It's chemistry. Also, borax is not the same as boric acid. Commercial laundry borax is primarily a phosphate form of boron, not the acid. Though I think it might have some boric acid in it too, maybe to make the powder dissolve in water better or something???That's interesting that you do goldsmithing, dice. You must either be a jeweler or a dentist. Or just have a really cool hobby.
Click to expand...

You have every right to disagree, but that does not mean that what you are saying is factually correct ;) Borax is absolutely boric acid, Like I said before I have been using this for almost 15 years now, and part of my masters education was chemistry as well... so like I said you have a right to your opinion, but I am just stating what I have learned chemistry wise, as well as practically after working intimately with this chemical for 15 years.

thanks :)
 
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