Wow, that sounds bad. I don't use it myself but sometimes my mother in law uses it on the floors and it is hard to breathe I feel. I had no idea it was that strong.
So what is Borax? Never heard of that.
I have noticed some times that it can be hard to make towels smell fresh even after they are washed. I have started to wash them on hot and that has done the trick so far, actually better than when I used this bleached based powder.