The place we are currently living is the first home where we have had the luxury of a dishwasher. It didn’t even cross my mind until browsing Pinterest one day that I would save a lot of money, and waste, if I made my own detergent.
I didn’t follow the recipe I found on Pinterest. I was too lazy to search through all the millions of pins saved, instead I googled homemade dishwasher detergent and found this one. It was so simple, it really took under a minute to throw together. I also had all the ingredients on hand (from making laundry detergent and other projects), which is a huge plus in my book.
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup citric acid
I put all the ingredients into a quart sized mason jar, then shook it until it was all combined. It is very concentrated (also, it clumps a little, but that is normal), so you only use one tablespoon of this mix per load of dishes. Fill the rinse agent compartment with vinegar then turn your machine on!
I have used it several times already, and it really does work just as well (if not better!) as the expensive Cascade brand dish soap we had been getting (plus, we don’t have a huge plastic bottle to dispose of afterwards). It really saves you a lot of money if you make your own cleaner, be sure to check out the original source to see the cost breakdown.
Edited to add: After using this for some time I think this recipe needs the addition of a tablespoon or so of rice, like it suggests in the original recipe, to prevent it from solidifying.
Can’t wait to try this! Thanks
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I should try this! Because dishwasher soap is expensive! And, I don’t like how it makes my dishes smell/taste.
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Thanks Cedar, our dishwasher is not connected up yet (we moved house 3 weeks ago and I think we need a plumber to do it), but Carey is right the tablets are very expensive. I have tried lots of ‘eco’ products for clothes washing and although they have been less expensive to make or buy (in the case of soap nuts), I have found they didn’t work too well, and when you have a baby you need something strong enough to get out milk dribbles, spit up and then all manner of baby mush (carrot being probably the worst). I am now making one which seems to be working ok.
1 cup bicarbonate of soda
1 cup soda crystals
1 cup soap flakes (either shop bought pure soap flakes or a bar of pure soap grated, I have used both with equal success).
A few drops of essential oil (peppermint or lemon is pretty good), this isn’t essential, but most people find it odd to have laundry cleaned with no scent.
This tends to clump a bit as well, so it needs a good stir/shake. I use about 3 tablespoons per wash, so it lasts a while. I dont know about in America but here in the UK washing powder/tablets/gel is big business and can cost a fortune too.
V
xxx
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September 17th, 2011 at 7:24 am
I will have to try this. My last attempt at laundry soap yielded some less than satisfying results (pretty much the entire thing became rock hard, and I couldn’t scoop it). Thanks for sharing, I like the idea of using essential oils.
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We have very hard water where I live and I use a special dishwashing detergent to combat the buildup, but I wonder if a more ‘natural’ detergent might work? Maybe I will try this next week.
Thanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife
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September 17th, 2011 at 7:25 am
I hope this works out for you. So far I am quite happy with it’s cleaning abilities.
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Hi! Long time reader, first time commenter! I have tried a similar dish recipe in the past and it worked great until two weeks later I found it had all clumped together. I will try this one this time since I saw at the bottom the tip about adding a tsp rice. I will also try to shake it every time I use it. Thank you!
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September 17th, 2011 at 7:27 am
Hi Ashley, thanks for commenting! I had the same thing happen with laundry detergent I made in the past (I plan on trying a new recipe!), but I a glad you posted this, I will keep an eye on this detergent, and if it starts to harden a bit I think I too will try adding the rice.
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Hi Cedar, this is Matt from diyNatural.com – glad you like the recipe… Betsy and I love it! God bless.
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I have been using a similar concoction as a rinse aid in addition to the regular detergent. But I can’t wait to try this and see if it works as well on its own. I have had good results with the homemade laundry soap I make, so hopefully this will work with our hard water!
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Thanks can’t wait to try it!
If you are looking for a super easy cheap laundry detergent that doesn’t clump here’s one…
1/2 C Borax, 1/2 C Super washing soda, 1/3 bar Fels-Naptha laundry soap.
shop or shred soap and dissolve on stove in 6 cups of water. Once it’s dissolved, add the borax and washing soda until they dissolve. Then you add this to 1 quart of warm water in a 2 gallon bucket. stir well. then add cold water til you get to the 8qt line. Let sit overnight to thicken and then stir well when you use it. Use 1/2 c per load. I usually put it into old laundry soap bottles to make it easier to dole out. Just make sure you stir well before each use. Smells great, works great! I do splurge on the good fabric softener because I save so much on detergent.
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My rinse aid compartment is already full of jet dry. (and i just refilled it too). I’m assuming the vinegar is an essential part of the mix? Any ideas on how to get the jet dry out?
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