If you have searched for borax in the UK, you have probably seen two contradictory answers: borax is banned, and buy borax here. Both are partly true. Borax is not banned outright in the UK, but its sale to the general public is restricted. This guide explains what changed, who can still buy borax, and what home users should use instead.
The short answer
Borax (sodium tetraborate) is not sold to the general public in Great Britain as a household cleaning or laundry product. It can still be legally supplied for professional, industrial and laboratory use, for example to jewellers, ceramicists, restoration specialists, laboratories and manufacturers. For home cleaning, the legal alternative is borax substitute.
Why is borax restricted in the UK?
Around 2010, borates including borax were reclassified under EU chemical law as toxic for reproduction, category 1B, with the hazard statement H360FD (may damage fertility, may damage the unborn child). The classification is based mainly on high-dose animal studies. Under the REACH regulation, substances in this category may not be placed on the market for supply to the general public above set concentration limits.
The UK kept these rules after Brexit through GB CLP and UK REACH, so the position in England, Scotland and Wales is the same today. That is why supermarkets and high-street shops stopped selling boxes of borax and replaced them with borax substitute.
Who can still buy borax in the UK?
Borax remains an important industrial raw material and is widely used by:
- Jewellers and metalworkers, as a soldering and brazing flux
- Potters and enamellers, in glazes and frits
- Timber and building restoration professionals
- Laboratories, for borate buffer solutions
- Taxidermists and botanical preservers
- Manufacturers of glass, detergents, fire retardants and adhesives
Reputable suppliers sell borax as a technical raw material with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and clear labelling, and ask buyers to confirm professional use. That is how Borax Powder UK supplies it.
What about borax for slime, laundry or ants?
These are the uses the restriction was designed to stop. Borax should not be used for children’s slime, should not be added to food or cosmetics, and is no longer marketed for household laundry. For laundry and general cleaning, borax substitute (sodium sesquicarbonate, a carbonate and bicarbonate blend) does most of the same jobs: softening water, boosting detergent and lifting stains.
Is it legal to own borax?
Yes. The rules govern how borax is placed on the market and labelled, not possession. Professionals who use borax must handle it in line with the SDS: wear gloves and eye protection, avoid creating dust, keep it in the original labelled container and store it away from children and food.
How to tell genuine borax from substitute
- Genuine borax lists sodium tetraborate (decahydrate or pentahydrate), CAS 1303-96-4 or 12179-04-3, and carries the reproductive toxicity hazard pictogram.
- Borax substitute lists sodium sesquicarbonate, or sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, and carries no reproductive hazard warning.
Summary
Borax is restricted, not banned. Consumers in the UK should use borax substitute; trade and industrial users can still buy pure borax from specialist suppliers with full documentation.
Need borax for professional use? Our 99.9% pure borax powder is available in 900g and 3kg packs with SDS and free delivery to the UK. For home laundry and cleaning, choose our borax substitute.