Yup!
A couple of weeks ago I had to pick something up at the health food store.� I was also out of dishwasher detergent, but had no desire to add a trip to a second store on top of the other errands I needed to run.� I could have bought a detergent at the health food store, but the eco-friendly dishwasher detergents they sell are cost prohibitive when compared to their cleaning capabilities.
So I googled how to make homemade, non-toxic, eco-friendly dishwasher detergent.
I love google.
I love making weird, random stuff.
This recipe was all over the place and took seconds to make.� I picked up the citric acid at the health food store but if you can’t find it, or don’t want to go through the trouble, you can always use 2 packets of sugar-free Lemonade KoolAid instead (no joke on the sugar-free or Lemonade–you do not want to melt sugar in your dishwasher or dye it red with fruit punch).
I used the essential oils I had on hand.� Lemon sounded like something dishwasher-y and tea tree oil has a long history as a natural antibacterial agent.� The bottle of vinegar is just that–a bottle of vinegar you squeeze into your dishwasher’s rinse aid dispenser before every wash.
I’ve been using it ever since, and it works great.� Now, I will say right now that I am one of those people who cleans off all the food from a dish or platter before dropping it in the dishwasher.� I know your dishwasher is supposed to work better when the dishes are dirtier, but that has not been my experience.� Someone will have to let me know if this detergent works as well with caked on food. (Gag.)
Finally, let’s take a moment to laugh at my inability to judge volume and space, shall we?� I can never accurately judge the size vessel I will need to contain anything, and the dishwasher detergent was no different.� I bought this ridiculous 17-cup container when I could have easily used one of my canning jars at home.� Yesterday I made homemade pudding (holy cow! nothing like store bought!) and dirtied three different bowls trying to find one that wasn’t too big or too small.� I’m a work in progress.
I am totally going to have to try this! And don’t feel bad about the container situation…Brad is constantly making fun of me for my total lack of spacial orientation. He nearly killed me while we were on the hunt for a wine rack to fit in the small space next to one of our cabinets. At the end I would say, “this one is perfect!” and he would just shake his head and walk away from me, having lost the will to argue dimensions.
At the end I would say, “this one is perfect!” and he would just shake his head and walk away from me, having lost the will to argue dimensions.
Aah-hahahaha!! Been there.
Borax is the best for cleaning most everything! I use it in the wash instead of bleach and it makes my sheets whiter + softer (vinegar in the rinse cycle also makes clothes softer + no need for dryer sheets). I would eschew the tea tree because it is strong and I don’t know about ingesting it but the lemon as you may know is also has natural anti-bacterial properties.
Yea on this! Great job Jules:)
Oh! I forgot to mention that it’s 1 TB per load. I’ll need to edit the picture. Grrr.
Thanks, T. I’ll use all lemon next time. The tea tree oil is kind of stinky.
This is really a neat idea. And honestly not something I’ve thought of. What were you using before? We have a 2 year old dishwasher but the only thing that works in it is the Cascade Ultimate whatever stuff. Ultimate chemicals I think.
Jules I love you. The picture of your huge container cracked me up, partly because it’s the story of my life.
Greg always makes fun of me when I try to guesstimate the size of something, because I am never close.
I’m doing this next week. And I was just about to ask how much do you use per wash, thanks!
I can never judge what size container I need either. I’m feeling slightly guilty for abandoning my eco friendly detergent for Finish just last month. But I love it so! I even blogged about it: http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/7-quick-takes-friday/ I want to hear whether this recipe works on stuck on food (sorry Jules!).
i got a good chuckle at your container problem…how i can sympathize! i have no spacial understanding, i swear! i’m glad i’m not alone :)
Can you share your homemade pudding recipe too? I’m intrigued!! :)
oh my god.. that is ingenious.. must try it out..
Jules your recipe says 1/4 citric acid. 1/4 what? Cup, Tbsp?
Oops! It’s 1/4 cup. :) I went ahead and edited the picture. Also, I’ve been reading some more online and in books and several sources say that washing soda works just as well, if not better, than baking soda.
Love this idea of making your own dishwashing detergent! I love homemade stuff. Going to definitely try it, but where do I get the oils?
BTW, don’t you miss the BYW class?
I do miss class!
You can get essential oils at any well stocked health food store.
I have been looking for a good recipe for dishwashing detergent that actually works. I’ll have to try this one out!
This is great, Jules! I’m going to have to try it. Google has done it again, as have you. ;)
Has it helped save money?