I had been using DIY dishwasher soap for a little while, but wasn't thrilled because I wasn't sure of borax on my dishes and because it was hard to get borax and super washing soda for a great price locally. Then I read this post by My Healthy Green Family on a borax free recipe. I was ecstatic! I tweaked the recipe and I am so pleased with the results! This new recipe is CHEAP, the ingredients are easy to find and it works crazy good. My dishwasher even became cleaner! I like to make my recipes as simple and inexpensive as I can, without compromising the end product's effectiveness. Some people like it a little fancier and might want to add essential oils or follow Free Range Mama's recipe for citrus vinegar. I use plain white vinegar in my rinse-aid compartment. I advise finding out if you have hard water or not. A few years ago, I read my dishwasher's manual. I discovered that I needed to fill both of the soap compartments if my water was within some limits for how hard or soft it was. A call to my water dept. revealed that I did indeed have hard water. So, I double the citric acid to compensate. I also need 2 tablespoons per load. Here is my recipe:
DIY EASY DISHWASHER SOAP
1 cup Baking Soda
2/3 cup Citric Acid (use 1/3 cup if you don't have hard water)
1/2 cup salt
Simply mix them all together in an airtight container, and it is ready to use. Again, I need 2 tablespoons per load, but if your water is soft, maybe you need one.
The only drawback has been that after about a day, it seems to want to clump. I think that the next time I get something with a pack of desiccant in it,I will throw the pack in. For now, I use a fork to break it up, and after that initial clumping, it seems good. Also, please note that I used plain old baking soda and plain old salt. I ordered my citric acid online. Amazon has good prices, as does http://www.bulkapothecary.com
I encourage you to try this! I actually get excited when I open my dishwasher and see everything glistening. Happy to wash dishes? This stuff must be miraculous!
p.s. I am on a DIY spree! I apologize for the abundance of DIY posts coming, but I find it really useful to save my recipes this way.
I love how you are making all these products for our use at home, and from simple, natural ingredients. At first the change was a bit jarring mentally, but now it seems only right and proper each time you find some new way to avoid all the chemical crap usually found in commercial products. Yay you!!!
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