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Learning to DIY: Dishwasher Detergent

So, I'm trying to learn to make my own cleaning supplies.  For the most part, it's usually a lot cheaper, and I know exactly what products I'm using.  It's a lot safer and it doesn't take much time once you've gotten your ingredients together.

I started this after I picked up the book, Clean & Simple: The Old Farmer's Almanac.  I had already been thinking about making my cleaning supplies from scratch, but this book gave me the encouragement I needed to actually do it.  Since then, I've found that the internet is a great resource for all things DIY as well, especially this blog.

One item we've had good success with is making our own dishwasher detergent.  I got the recipe off DIY Natural, and it's really working for us.  Basically, here is the recipe:

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Citric Acid 
(I found this in the bulk section of Central Market, but you can also get it online.)

Directions: Mix ingredients together.  Store in airtight container.  
(We didn't do that the first time, so moisture got in an made our soap one big clump.  This time we are using a freezer bag and a teaspoon of rice to help avoid the clumping.  I'd also recommend shaking your container on a daily basis.)

That's it!  
Use just one Tablespoon of detergent in your washer cup per load.



DIY Natural gives you the cost breakdown for their family.  They also mention that vinegar works as a rinse agent.  This is also working well for us, and the cost savings are huge for that one!
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Comments

  1. mommy2lijahAugust 9, 2011 at 8:00 AM

    I wonder if you could put that mix in ice cube trays and let it firm up to make detergent tabs like they sell in the supermarket? Neat project. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElizabethNovember 11, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    So two questions you didn't really speak to (I realize they might speak to these on the links you mentioned, but I kind of like to hear the feedback from the people I KNOW, too):

    1) do you find it is getting your dishes just as clean?

    2) what, if anything, is the smell? I already don't use traditional dishwasher detergents, partly because I can't tolerate the atrocious smell that they put out. However, the one I use (Melaleuca) does still have some amount of smell and if I could find something that didn't generate anything and would get my dishes as clean, it might be worth a try for me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AlishaNovember 12, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    It worked okay. It seemed to work just as well as the cheap liquid detergent from Costco. I didn't make it again after I ran out of this one, so I bought some Seventh Generation powder detergent. It's getting things a lot more clean now. I haven't noticed a smell (good or bad).

    ReplyDelete

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