Borax

Our family tries to do what it can to be green and live healthy for ourselves and the environment. The two actually go so hand in hand. We really want to use as few chemicals as we can for the health of our children which is also less harmful for the environment.
I have seen many people talk about making their own cleaners, dishsoaps, laundry soaps, all types of personal and household cleaners. For many of the household cleaners - dishwasher soap I know for sure- people will tell you to use Borax.
Originally I followed their lead and bought the Borax and started using it in my dishwasher too. I was skeptical though after reading some of the articles. I had never heard of borax before so instead of rushing out and buying it, I decided to google it first to find out what exactly it was. Some articles said that you should make sure it is completely rinsed off whatever you use before you come in contact with it. So, if I were to use it in my dishwasher I want to make sure there is no trace left on it before I eat off the dish. This to me does not sound safe. It doesn't sound safe for me let alone my children's little bodies. I did; however, try it in my dishwasher for a couple weeks but I weakened it by using mostly baking soda and a little borax and then putting vinegar in the rinse aid part. The vinegar though somehow weakened the seal on the dishwasher and then leaked all over the floor... great...
Anyway, you really shouldn't even have borax in your house. Especially not in anyplace where the little ones can get their hands on it. Besides being an irritant and hormone disrupter, this stuff can kill rats. Do you really wanna take the chance using it as a cleaner around your kids?