Is Borax same as baking soda?

[chem geek]

No. Household baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is the same as Alkalinity Up so is used to raise TA. It is not the same as Borax.

Washing soda is sodium carbonate and is the same as most pH Up products and will raise both TA and pH. This is closer to Borax, but it raises TA more than Borax does.

The closest thing to Borax in terms of raising pH without raising TA very much would be lye aka caustic soda aka sodium hydroxide, but that is not readily available unless you make your own soap.

Richard