21 March 2015

Where to Buy Lectric Soda and Borax


Every time I mention Cheapskates Washing Powder I am inundated with requests asking where you can buy Lectric Soda and borax.

The answer is simple, and Australia wide: Coles. In the cleaning aisle,

Now you will have to look for them, they're not popular products so they don't hold prime spot on the shelves but they are both there.

At my local Coles supermarket in Vermont South here in Melbourne you'll find them both on the top shelf. Washing soda is at the very end of the aisle on one side and the borax is on the top shelf about half way along on the opposite side.

I asked the manager of the store if they were available at all Coles stores and the answer was "yes".

I'm also often told that it is illegal for supermarkets to sell borax, that's why it's not stocked. It is not. As far as I can tell that is a story told as an excuse for not keeping it on the shelves.

The same goes for washing soda, or Lectric Soda (which is just a brand name). You can still get Lectric Soda powder, which is what we use for the laundry powder, although the crystals are no longer made.

So there you have it. If you can't find these two washing powder ingredients anywhere else, you'll definitely find them at Coles.

11 comments:

  1. Our Coles did not have borax this time but I found it in Bunnings,bigger container and was $7 I think.

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  2. Hi, i saw you on a current affair the other night, you are an inspiration! Just wondering if this washing powder is safe to use in a front loader? I have a fairly new one and would hate to ruin it!!! Thanks again for all your hard work!

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  3. Our Coles (Ballarat Central) often is out of stock of Borax. I have found that Bunnings does stock borax in a 1kg tub and it's $9.40. Which makes it a little more expensive than at Coles!

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  4. I tried to buy borax from my local Coles, couldn't find it after searching every aisle and ended up asking one of the staff members who told me that not only do they NOT sell it, but they won't order it in "if it's not an item we normally stock". I ended up having to buy it off eBay ... I think it was $8 for 2 kg but the shipping was $17! Still, it's a lot of borax and it'll all get used in lots of my MOO products!

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    1. That's horrible! I'd be going back and speaking to the manager and I'd be using the form on the Coles website to let them know. Ordering in can sometimes be an issue, simply because the store has a minimum order they must take AND that order then has to fit into the appropriate bay. Sometimes it isn't possible for them to fit it into the bay or sell enough of the product in a reasonable time frame and so they can't help - but in my experience, and from what the Manager at Vermont South told me last Friday, they can look up the nearest store that has it in stock for you and they should offer to do so. I would be very unhappy to be treated like that, and I would definitely let them know.

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    2. Would you believe it Cath, I went into the same Coles today to pick up some ammonia and just 2 shelves down was the borax, plain as day! I am SURE I looked there the other week and either I'm going blind or they have just got it in! So much for them saying they don't stock it! Anyway, it's nice to know I *can* pick it up from my local Coles now if need be, however, the one I bought on eBay turned out to be only a dollar or two more, if I'd bought the same amount at Coles, and I didn't have to lug the 2kg bag home! Will keep Coles in mind though for the future, "just in case". :)

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  5. Thank-you for the photo! I've couldn't for the life of me find borax at the supermarket, since I found your blog post with the photo I finally found the borax tucked away on the second from top shelf at Coles (in Boronia) and the Washing Soda on the opposite side near the bottom! Couldn't believe it's been there the whole time! gah! Well, I'm now super excited to try your laundry powder recipe from your book this weekend.

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  6. I would like to make slime and apparently I need washing powder with Borax in it , any suggestions!

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    1. You'll have to read the ingredients lists on the box but I'd suggest a cheaper detergent would be more likely to have borax in it.

      I used to use aquadhere, water, borax and food colouring to make slime when my kids were small. Another version is cornflour and water mixed to a paste with food colouring (this is the one we made at school as an activity).

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  7. The "smaller" Coles supermarkets (eg. Ringwood East) do not stock Borax.
    It appears Woolworths doesn't anywhere...
    Next I'll try a larger Coles!

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    Replies
    1. You can ask the manager at Coles to order it in for you and according to Coles he should. If for some reason he won't I suggest you go direct to Coles HO.

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