How can one dissolve Borax crystals that have adhered to glass and metal?

[billgiannaris]

My daughter and I have had fun creating Borax crystal formations by dissolving Borax in warm water, inserting a sponge medium then allowing evaporation to crystallize the Borax to the formation.  However, both the glass vase and non-stick cooking pot that we used now have Borax crystals strongly adhered to the surface - to the point that they cannot be scraped away.  So far, we have tried soaking in vinegar to no effect.

I'm hoping there's an obvious solution that we can apply to simply dissolve the formed Borax crystals.

Thanks~

[gailtrav]

Did you try boiling water to dissolve them?

Also I recommend doing your science experiments in containers that are of little / no value... don't use the expensive cookware.

Gail

[Previous Community Member]

What was the type of non stick cookware used?  If it was teflon, I can't imagine the borax reacting with it so it should dissolve with water, low pH and heat in that order. 

If it was a different type of non-stick cookware, it sounds like the borax may have complexed with the metals in the cookware forming an insoluble compound.   If this was the case, the cookware is probably permanently damaged and the best you could do is grind the material off which would ruin the surface of the cookware but remove the borate complex.

[jmgohndr]

I don't have a good home remedy, but base will be much more effective than acid in removing/dissolving borax crystals.  In a lab/industrial setting I would would use an aqueous NaOH soln. I am not sure if an ammonia based solution will work as well.  Soaking at least overnight.   

[Trapper87]

I know this an old thread. You remove borax crystals by using hot water as hot as you can stand it and professional dawn dish soap. Thats what I use. Though I use it to remove borax crystals from the hair on the beaver feet key chains I make. If it will work for hair I think it would work for glass and metal. 

[Trapper87]

Hot running water as hot as you can stand it and dawn professional. I use this for removing borax crystals off the beaver feet as well as the pickling containers. 

I make keychains from the feet of animals I trap. I soak the feet in 70% iso alcohol for a week and then a week in a borax bath. Borax crystals form on the glass containers and on the hair of the feet. Gotta remove those crystals before I can dry them or clean the container. 

Using hot running water as hot as you can stand it and dawn professional dissolves the crystals and cleans the glass containers quite nicely. 

[MasterQuimico]

To dissolve and remove Borax crystals adhered to glass and metal surfaces, you can try soaking in hot water, using a vinegar solution, lemon juice, commercial lime scale removers, or a baking soda paste. Be patient and gentle during the process to avoid damaging the surfaces. If one method doesn't work, you can try another until the Borax crystals are successfully dissolved and removed.