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.
