“You get kisses from the Misses when you do the dishes!” – Unknown wise man
Why do I make my own homemade products? It all started when I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent a few weeks back… since then I’ve been hooked! Now I am on a mission to make as many household products as I can. It saves me money & gives me a sense of joy & accomplishment! Up this week… homemade dishwasher detergent!
When I make detergents I FOCUS ON EASE OF PRODUCTION, EFFECTIVENESS, & COST SAVINGS
I am not only making this homemade dishwasher detergent for the benefit of me & my family… I am also doing it for your benefit. I am passionate about empowering readers with the means necessary to increase both frugality and self-sufficiency.
5 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- 1 – 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer® Super Washing Soda = $3.99 Many people seem to be finding this cheaper than me, I suppose I’ll have to shop around.
- 1 – 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team® Borax = $4.99 People seem to be finding this much cheaper than me too.
- 1 – 48 ounce box of coarse Kosher Salt = $1.99 I cook with kosher salt as well.
- 1 – 2 ounce container of food-grade Citric Acid = $1.15 You can find this online or at your local brewery or specialty beer store. If you cannot find this you can substitute 10-15 lemon Kool-aid envelopes per batch **the small unsweetened ones**, if you use any other flavor you could easily color the inside of your dishwasher (you need 10-15 envelopes to equal the 1-2oz of straight citric acid.) If you do not use some form of citric acid… you will most likely have the cloudy residue left that most “green” cleaners leave.
- 1 – gallon of White Vinegar = $1.79 Yet another excellent use for a nearly universal cleaning agent.
COST BREAKDOWN & SAVINGS
Prior to making our own, we were using Palmolive eco+ liquid detergent. Here is the breakdown in cost analysis:
- borax | 76oz = 4.99 | 8oz=.53/batch
- washing soda | 55oz = 3.99 | 8oz=.57/batch
- citric acid | 2oz = 1.15/batch
- kosher salt | 48oz = 1.99 | 2oz= .08/batch
- total for 32 oz = $2.33/batch
- white vinegar (as rinse agent) | 1gal = 1.79 | 4oz=.06/fill
(**note** you only need to use 1 rounded tablespoon of this homemade detergent per load. If you feel it necessary… you may use a heaping tablespoon, but I do not.)
- Palmolive® eco+ gel 75 ounce detergent – $3.79 – 28 loads = $0.14 per load
- Jabs Homemade powder 32 ounce detergent – $2.33 – 50 loads = $0.05 per load
Here are the cost savings for my homemade rinse agent that goes along with this recipe:
- FINISH® JET-DRY® Rinse Agent 4.22 ounce solution – $3.99 – 1 fill = $3.99 per fill
- White Vinegar as a Rinse Agent 1 gallon solution – $1.79 – 1 fill = $0.06 per fill
That is a savings of 6650% on an effective rinse agent! Sounds too good to be true… but it is indeed true!
Not only am I getting my rinse agent for just pennies & cutting my costs by more than half, (I do not count time spent as cost because it is fun, educational, & useful for both you & me) there are also many other benefits of homemade products which I chronicle in an article on FiveCentNickel.com.
A SIMPLE RECIPE & MAKING OF A BATCH
Each batch yields 32 ounces of resulting product which you should store in some type of container you were going to dispose of. I suggest something 1 gallon size or smaller so you can fit it under your kitchen sink; old coffee cans work great.
1. Start with these 5 ingredients:
2. Into a 32 ounce container – add 1/2 cup of borax:
3. Add 1/2 cup of washing soda:
4. Add 1/4 cup of citric acid:
5. Add 1/4 cup of kosher salt:
6. Put the lid on & shake it up good:
7. As you know… my wife loves her some label maker:
8. Fill “Rinse Aid” compartment with white vinegar:
When you do a load use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load (you can use a heaping tablespoon if you feel the need, but I do not).
This detergent will clump together but it doesn’t matter… just scoop out your tablespoon & forget about the clumps! It clumps because of the citric acid.
There you have it folks!
Simple, easy, fast, & efficient homemade laundry detergent.
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Nice job…. so you just use the collection like any other powdered laundry detergent? Is it an all-purpose detergent? Why is salt needed? (I’m just full of questions tonight:)!)
One good thing about buying these ingredients in bulk is that you could use them separately for other uses, too – kind of like being able to use the same pair of black pants for many different outfits. This would help for sustainability and self-reliance.
.-= MoneyEnergy´s last blog ..US Dollar Reserve Currency Status Now Officially Up For Debate Ahead of G8 This Week =-.
Two of the ingredients are the same as the ones in the Jabs Homemade Laundry Detergent… & yes, borax & washing soda are both universal & useful cleaners.
I did not buy these in bulk at the onset, because I wanted to experiment… but my wife & I are confident now so we will do so in the future. I have also worked out a deal with my local brewery to get the citric acid in bulk for a cheaper price. All told, I’ll probably be washing dishes for somewhere around $0.03/load!
Yes, all these practices are great for us, and they’re fun!
I found your posting recently and started my homemade soap journey! I wanted to share the information I have gleaned about washing soda; its is best know as SODA ASH! Easy and cheaper in bulk! I found that they have natural (dense soda ash) and synthetic(light soda ash). So here is a link for dense soda ask in 10lb bucket for $11($7.10+shipping) with shipping!! Enjoy: http://www.lmine.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=17106-10&Store_Code=LMS
I have also moved to organic castile soap to replace my old dishsoap: mix 2c citris/mint castile soap w/ 1/2c water.. store in old bottle and quick shake before use!
Neat little recipe I would like to do something like this but I don’t think the wife would be down with it. Maybe I could sneak it in one day to prove it works.
If you just make it & wash the dishes with it for awhile she’ll never even know.
If it helps… I do not publish any homemade product recipes until they are tried, tested, & approved by both me and my wife! We are very happy with this detergent; along with our homemade laundry detergent.
Go for it Kyle!!
Kyle, I think you should try it. If my husband did the dishes, I’d let him experiment all he wanted.
Seriously. I don’t know any wife who would complain about her husband doing the dishes! I know I don’t!
hahhaha! exactly!
The real question is — does it smell nice? ;p
It seems like a neat idea, but at $.10 per load savings… the maximum I would save in a year is $10. And realistically speaking… probably closer to $6.
Ahhh my friend, but you’ve missed the bigger picture!
This post is just another small step toward another form of independence – another notch in the self-reliance belt if you will.
It’s about changing our mindsets to encourage creative thought. It’s also about family fun time together.
By the way… 10 buck is 10 bucks right??
I am not very good at making things at home but, i think we’ll give this a shot at least just for the fun of it….i’ll let you know how it goes
.-= Ray´s last blog ..Calculating Retirement Needs- A Step by Step Guide =-.
Go for it Ray… it is addictive & works like a snowball! You’ll do this & think, “Hmmm, now what can I make?”
It will save you money and give you a sense of accomplishment & satisfaction.
GO FOR IT!
Hey, I have been making my own laundry soap for over a couple of months now. I was leery about this too when my friend gave me the recipe. But, its awesome and the laundry detergent works great. And its really easy to do. So, what do you have to loose. Have fun.
If it’s about self reliance… sure. I think it is a neat idea. Move off the grid, grow your own food, make your own detergent, etc. And I give you props for sharing a working recipe!
But I would never do this with the mindset that I am saving money (cause as I said… it would probably only be $6/year for me).
One thing to take into account, too, is that the recommended amount to put in a load for commercial detergent is often overstated. You could probably cut the amount they recommend in half and still be fine… thus making the cost/load advantage of your homemade detergent even less at 5 cents. (And making my yearly savings $3)
Yeah, there is definitely a HUGE empowering factor at work here. That is evidence by the fact that my homemade product posts are my most popular. There are a ton of people who are just sick of the consumer choices they have and are ready to take back more control.
So, although it’s not entirely about savings… savings is also at work; and it is not about realizing a huge financial difference just from one thing. It’s more about taking savings baby steps that eventually turn into huge returns after they build up.
Thanks Matt, This is JUST what I had been looking for. I wash a load a day, sometimes more. So I am excited about saving close to $40 in a year! Besides, it is a wonderful way to teach my kids about commercialism, and one more step to keeping scary chemicals out of the house.
You hit the nail on the head Bonnie… it’s always nice to save a couple bucks here & there (cuz we all know it adds up fast) but there is more to this homemade product revolution than just money!!
I’m glad to provide this recipe… it has worked great for my wife & I.
That’s it! I’m putting you on temporary watch for making your own homemade soap/explosives. Just kidding.
I’m curious if one could add something as a scent enhancer since I’m rather addicted to my Tide original scent.
.-= Matt SF´s last blog ..Why Do We Rent Some Stuff but Buy Other Stuff? =-.
Well, this post is about dishwasher detergent not laundry detergent… but either way, all you have to do is add 15-30 drops of your favorite essential oil to give it that scent you love.
C’mon… go for it Matt! It’s fun & gives a great feeling of satisfaction to create your own stuff.
Yay!!!!!! I am so glad I have this recipe, now. I just made my own laundry detergent about a month ago and I was thinking there has got to be a way to make dishwasher soap. So I am glad I have this now. I am so excited.
Glad to help Jessica…
Very interesting. I’m going to try this!
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Hi I love the recipe and can’t wait to try it! I already have been making my own laundry soap for almost a year now and I’m happy I can make the dishwasher powder now too! I do have one question though……what is the purpose of the Kosher salt? I know that the Washing Soda is like peroxide when you add water (same main ingredient in Oxyclean), and borax is a water softener and deodorizer and makes things bright and clean, but salt? Is it to further purify them?
The Kosher salt purifies & provides scrubbing action. Helps break down the nasty crud.
Make sure you let me know how it works out for you. It works great for us!
Hey Matt,
Thanks for the recipe, we’re almost out of our current stuff, so I’m going to try it. I found Borax today for $2.98 at Wal-Mart. However, they only had A&H Baking Soda (next to the Borax). I looked all over the store and couldn’t find the washing soda, do you know if baking soda would perform as well or is it the same thing with simply a different label? (I’m trying mine with the lemon Kool-Aid as well.)
They are different:
Baking Soda = Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
Washing Soda = Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)
I don’t shop at Walmart if I don’t have to… you have better luck looking in the laundry detergent isle at your local grocery store.
That said… for this recipe, you can use either baking soda or washing soda. However, I found that using washing soda gave us less of a “cloudy” residue.
What is the cloudy residue you’re talking about?
It is something that leaves the dishes cloudy, it is nothing to worry about, other than most people want clear glasses. If you use the citric acid you don’t have to worry about it… as it remedies this issue.
The reason I’m curious is that I have just inherited some old glass plates of my grandmother’s. They’re pretty but cloudy, and it seems to be permanent. Is that the kind of film you’re talking about? I’ve been wondering if there might be a way to clarify the plates and now I’m wondering if citric acid could do it. But vinegar hasn’t.
Not sure about that, but if you are going to make the dishwasher detergent & will have some on hand… give it a shot & let us know
I just tried something similar, with even less ingredients: equal parts borax & baking soda. Works just as well as the 7th Generation powder detergent I was using! I have also been using vinegar in the rinse aid for a while; no idea why I should even pay for the blue-dyed chemical.
It does work great doesn’t it Anne! It is so exciting to create your own solutions. We use the citric acid because it combats the cloudy residue. The salt helps to work as an abrasive crust remover.
The rinse agent is the largest money saving part of this post! The chemical laden store bought bottle for $3.99, or the white vinegar for $.06. It is amazing the things our consumer advertising industry has convinced us to buy!
“It is amazing the things our consumer advertising industry has convinced us to buy!”
soooo true…
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Ah, this is interesting: you’re actually putting the vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser? Huh… I’ve been pouring about a quarter-cup into the washer just before turning on the machine–that’s in addition to the blue stuff in the dispenser. It helps a lot to get rid of that filmy deposit. Dunno if vinegar alone would work, whether the dispenser would release enough of it to do the job. But then our water is pretty hard.
White vinegar as a rinse agent is known to work very well in homes with “hard water” or well water.
Give it a shot & let us know.
Hi Matt.
Just found your recipe and am excited to try. Went out and bought the citric acid today–found at the health food store. I had the other items because I have made laundry detergent for about a year now. None of the natural brands have worked for me, always leaving white residue etc… I have tried other recipes and had negative results. I am tired of ingesting all the chemicals!!! SO, thank you! I will let you know what I think. I will be a good critic because I have hard water
Awesome Lora! Glad to help. Make sure to come back & let us know how it works for you… my wife loves it!
Cheers
why can”t i use the liquid laundry soap i made< the only difference seems to be the added ivory soap bar< could I take that laundry soap and add citric acid to it somehow?
You should be able to w/o any problems Marty – give it a shot & let us know how it works.
Hi! I’ve used my laundry soap and it does work well in the dishwasher as well. Vinegar is great as the rinse aid, but because mine is hard to tell when to refill, I put my vinegar in a squirt bottle (a clear version of those cheap ketchup and mustard bottles) and put a few drops of food coloring in it and shook it up. Easy to fill the dispenser and easy to see when I need to refill. Only thing I miss about the store bought rinse aid is that the dishes were dry. Now they still have water on them (especially plastic stuff) after the running them through even with the drying setting set. But, it’s only a couple of wipes with a dish towel, so not too bad.
Glad you found this recipe useful Lara! Cheers.
I wonder if you could leave the citric acid out of the mix (to keep it from clumping) and add the acid as you add the scoop to the dishwasher. If so, how much would you add per load? For those of you that have made this how many loads do you get out of this recipe?
Also, I can’t find citric acid anywhere. Online shipping costs more than the product. Any other thoughts on where to buy it?
Most brewery’s (brewery stores) sell citric acid.
Yes, you could add it to the load as needed. This recipe will yield approximately 50 loads and since you’re adding 2 oz. of citric acid, you would add about 1/25 of an ounce to each load.
There are 12 teaspoons in a 1/4 cup. So, if my math is correct that is just a little less than 1/4 teaspoon per load. 1/4 teaspoon would do 48 loads.
Wait… isn’t there 16 Tbsp in a cup?
And you use 1 1/2 cups dry measure total.
That’s only 24 Tbsp….
Wait… isn’t there 16 Tbsp in a cup?
And you use 1 1/2 cups dry measure total.
That’s only 24 Tbsp….
I have a great recipe for window cleaner. 1/2 cup of any cheap shampoo, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol and 1 gallon H2O.
Awesome and I will never use anything else. No streaking either. Don’t clean windows in the direct hot sun though or it will streak.
I may just try this, thanks. My wife & I have not made a glass cleaner yet, still trying to use up what we already have. As soon as it’s gone, you better believe we’ll be going homemade all the way!!
Alcohol cleans all sorts of things one might say too well. It dries out wood and rubber, and probably is bad for the window glazing putty, drying it prematurely. If you’re only touching the glass, fine, but don’t let alcohol touch finishes or anything organic.
On another note, if you have a dehumidifier, then you have, practically, distilled water. Save the water and use it for cleaning windows, with just a touch of ammonia. It won’t have all the calcium, copper, and iron that tap water has.
Good idea Shawn. Our dehumidifier recently went to be with its Maker! But I hope to buy another one sometime soon.
I’ve been using a 1:1 vinegar-water mix for windows and mirrors (and everything else – all-purpose) and it’s been working great! The best thing I found for windows no matter what you use is the ultra-fine microfiber towels. I have Mr. Clean brand. They’re awesome!
Matt, What’s the difference between Kosher salt and sea salt? Will the latter work? I bought some in bulk because the Kosher was so expensive at the store I was at. THANKS! Can’t wait to try your recipe! (amyjoivey(at)yahoo(dot)com
.-= Amy Ivey´s last blog ..lessons from Sara =-.
Kosher salt has larger crystals, that is why I choose to use it… it gives a good scrubbing action. That said, you should be fine using sea salt.
Enjoy!
will any of these ingredients harm the dishwasher, long term or short term?
I want to try this. I found some Arm and Hammer product in the detergent aisle but it doesn’t say washing soda. It says activated baking soda deodorizer and the ingredients say it contains an anionic and nonionic surfactants as well as sodium carbonate. It smells as if it has some fragrance in it. Something tells me this is not what I need. Can anyone help me?
Thanks
Hey lsa, just try substituting baking soda for washing soda. Let us know what you find.
Well, I call the company to find out where in my area I could find the washing soda and found some. They were also offering to ship it (without shipping cost) though the price was a bit higher than at my semi local Albertson’s. I also found the citric acid at my local health food store with the bulk spices without any difficulty. Now I am finally going to start using home made!
Church and Dwight Co., 1-800-524-1328 to order
Aside from the fact that this will save you money, people should just be thrilled that this is going to be MUCH better for the environment. Detergent/cleaner companies are not required to list any of their ingredients on their products….scary!! There are things in laundry detergent that have been known to mimic human hormones. And they get on our clothes and leech into our bodies through our skin! GROSS!! So something like this (and like the detergent recipe) are wonderful, cheap, easy solutions that are much safer and healthier than the stuff on our store shelves!!
My dishwasher is very old and I am wondering how I can use the vinegar as the rinse aid when I do not have a specific compartment for it?
Hi Erica. I’m assuming you can just stop the dishwasher in the rinse cycle and simply pour a splash of white vinegar in to the washer… simply pour directly over the dishes – I think a tablespoon should do the trick. Let us know what you find.
Fabulous!!!!!!! I just got back from Costco; the phosphate-free (very inexpensive) dishwasher detergent I’d been using has been recalled (?!?), so wasn’t available. So, I thought I’d do a search for a recipe, and voila! I have all the ingredients on hand, because I make my own laundry detergent, use 1/2 c. vinegar in an extra rinse (due to family-wide skin sensitivities), make my own “gatorade” (using citric acid), and cook w/ kosher salt! Woo hoo! Now, I’m happy I ran out, because I can’t wait to try this “recipe.”
.-= Karen Joy´s last blog ..Homeschooling reality =-.
P.S.
To Funny about Money ~ Adding vinegar to the wash WITH the borax & washing soda chemically offsets their effects. Borax & washing soda work — among other ways — by making the water more basic (higher pH), and vinegar would lower the pH back down. So, you’d just be making a neutral solution if you use both, which limits their chemical action (hope that makes sense).
Also, Matt, do you distribute the Tbsp between the pre-wash and regular wash compartments? Or??
Thanks again!
.-= Karen Joy´s last blog ..Homeschooling reality =-.
Great explanation Karen, thanks. We distribute it evenly (maybe a tad more in the main wash) between the two.
Citric acid causes stainless steel to rust.
Actually, that is incorrect Misty. Citric acid is used to REMOVE rust from stainless steel. Many motorcycle detailing shops use citric acid to polish rust away from the chrome.
I guess the poster was wrong, then… but I quit using the dishwsher detergent with citric acid and got no more rusted stainless.
Try using this recipe… we do not get any rust on anything we wash. Could have been a different ingredient or combination of ingredients that were in your old dishwasher detergent??
No idea, but I do plan on making this and the laundry detergent. The store stuff for the front-loading machines is megaexpensive. Thanks for recipes
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I have to say I am excited about trying this. I started using those little packet things months ago and started noticing black greasy specks on all of the plasticware that I run through the washer. I did some research and it seems the problem is the dissolvable packet material itself. Thanks for the info!
Matt… just had to say that I have used this recipe for more than a week (1-2 full loads of dishes per day in our 7 member household), and I’m not happy with it. It leaves a powdery film on the dishes, and doesn’t seem to clean very well.
I do make my own laundry detergent, which I’ve done for several months, and I’m VERY pleased with that, so I still have faith in homemade cleaners. But, I’ll have to look for a different recipe. Bummer.
.-= Karen Joy´s last blog ..Worst baby yeast infection ever (but her face is healing!!) =-.
Did you put the vinegar in the rinse compartment? If I don’t add the vinegar, I do get white stuff on my dishes, but it works great when I add the vinegar…
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Just finally tried this out and it works great! Thanks!
Matt, early in August someone gave you a recipe for glass cleaner. I use only two microfiber washcloths and some water. Wash with a damp one, wipe dry with the dry one. Done! And clean! No smell, no cost beyond the cloths you can find for a buck for two or three at a dollar store. Have you tried this? It works on mirrors and windows.
I have not tried this, although we are HUGE fans of the microfiber towels so we will give it a shot… thanks for the tip!
Thanks for posting this – I made up a batch last night and ran the dishwasher. I was soooo excited.
This morning, opened the dishwasher and EVERYTHING was coated in a fine white powdery residue. Any ideas why? Everyone else here seems not to have had that problem.
Thanks!
Try adding more citric acid
This recipe didn’t leave white residue – on further inspection, it has ETCHED every glass, dish, mug, and plate I had in the machine.
New dishes for me!
OK, I made my first batch of homemade laundry soap a few weeks ago and LOVE it! I actually used a different recipe to make it liquid rather than powder, but it’s similar to yours and since I know that powder works better, I’m going to try yours once I get through this batch (which won’t be long with 4 kids.)
However, I’m having the same problems with the dish detergent that others are. The one thing I haven’t tried yet is the citric acid. I was wondering if it has to be sugar free kool aid lemonade mix or if I can use regular lemonade mix, with sugar. I have that in the pantry so thought I’d see if it would work before buying something else. I’m also going to try adding more salt since I’m having some food still left on. I also have uber hard water so I know that’s factoring in.
I’m one of those who believes that I shouldn’t have to wash my dishes before the dishwasher does and I know mine does the trick with an electrasol tab so it’s not the dishwasher. I’ve tried the laundry detergent in there as well as a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent and the vinegar in the rinse cycle, but so far still no luck. I’m really hoping this works since I’m almost out of electrasol and I don’t want to buy more.
Casandria – DON’T USE SUGAR KOOL-AID!
It has to just be the small packet, sugar-free stuff, and also has to be lemonaid only (others will color the inside of your dishwasher!)
The citric acid seems to be the key ingredient. When we used this recipe w/o it, we had food still sticking and had a cloudy residue. My advice is to go to a local brewery and buy citric acid in bulk if possible. You can also buy it online.
If there’s not a local brewery, I found mine in the bulk spice department of a natural grocery. Citric acid is often used in home canning.
By the way, Matt, I had to abandon my recipe, as well. It did clean off virtually all the food, but it still left a cloudy, dusty residue on everything, even though I followed the recipe and all your suggestions 100%. I’m wondering if it has something to do with the different manufacturers of dishwashers??? I have a Whirlpool Quiet Partner III. Maybe the way it goes through the cycles just does not allow the detergent to work in the same way that it does in your washer. (Just theorizing.)
.-= Karen Joy´s last blog ..Just doing a little balancing… =-.
Yeah, it could be the difference in dishwashers, it could also be the difference in water.
I always tell people to increase the citric acid, because that is what takes away the cloudiness. If you tried that & it’s still cloudy… I would increase it more & try again.
Do you know how many cups of Borax and how many cups of washing soada are in a box?
Also have you considered SOUR SALT. It has citric Acid and kosher salt you find it in the grocery isle with the Jewish foods. It may be cheaper.
Borax 76oz box – apprx 10 cups
Washing Soda 55oz box – apprx 5.5 cups
Thanks Charlotte. Has anyone tried the handsoap recipe on Keeper of our home’s blog site? http://frugalhomeliving.blogspot.com/
you may want to give it a try.
Carolyn
Ooooh, I’m going to try this – may have a new post forthcoming!
Hi Matt – this looks great! I’m teaching a class tomorrow night for our women’s group at church about homemade cleaners, and I think I’ll include this in the recipe packet! In case you’re interested, I thought I’d share a recipe for an all-purpose cleaner I found. I’ve been using it for a couple of months and LOVE it – I use it on my counters and table top, on my windows/mirrors, in the bathroom (counters and toilet surfaces), and on my laminate floors. I use lavender essential oil to scent it (I use about 15 drops instead of 10) and it smells great.
http://www.oprah.com/article/world/environment/pkggoinggreen/20081106_oaf_moz_spray
It works great and I love that it’s non-toxic, so my 2 1/2 year old can “help” me clean too.
For those having difficulty finding the citric acid, I bought mine at a local Indian grocer. It’s commonly used in Indian cooking to impart sourness on the dish. I paid $2.29 for 4 ounces, so about the same price that Matt paid.
Thanks again for this recipe, Matt! I can’t wait to make a batch!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Jen’s Twitter Updates for 2009-10-01 =-.
Excellent advice Jen, thanks for this… I did not think of that.
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Quick question: are Borax and washing soda interchangeable? Do they do basically the same thing? What is the advantage of using Borax over washing soda, or vice-versa?
.-= Lisanne´s last blog ..What not to eat =-.
Hope it’s OK to jump in here: Borax is like a naturally-occurring OxyClean. It converts some of the water molecules (H20) in your wash water to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which acts as a whitening agent. Washing soda has a different effect. It cuts grease and biological stains by, among other things, its alkalinity. So, no, they are not interchangeable — they do completely different jobs.
.-= Karen Joy´s last blog ..The way on, sort of. =-.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love this detergent, however even with two packets of lemonaid koolaid, I was still getting white film and deposits on my dishes. Also, the heating element at the bottom of the dishwasher was completely crusted with the white deposits. Then I discovered a product called LemiShine, which basically is super concentrated citric acid and natural lemon scent. http://www.envirocontech.com/products/Learn-More-about-Lemi-Shine.html
The instructions on the container indicate that you need to clean the inside of your dishwasher by filling the detergent cup with the LemiShine and run the dishwasher empty. It cleaned the heating element right up.
I’ve been using it for almost a week and now my dishes are crystal clear! I did have to hand scrub some of the dishes that were heavily deposited to get it all off. But it’s not reappearing! The LemiShine does make the mixture very sticky, but no big deal, it scoops pretty easily. The LemiShine is less than $4 for a 12 oz (net weight, not fluid ounces) at Walmart and it is found in the dish detergent aisle right next to the rinse aid. I used 1/4 cup and it looks like I can get 3-4 more makings out of this one 12 oz container, so it’s definitely more economical than the food grade citric acid. I might even be able to get away with less than 1/4 cup b/c it does seem so concentrated.
Thanks again!! Great site, you are a wealth of information!
Yeah, actually I went to purchase a bottle of LemiShine but they did not clearly list the exact ingredients so I bypassed it as another chemically laden product of the industry. I know it has some citric acid in it… but I’m wondering what else is in there too.
After bypassing on the product itself I tried looking for a homemade lemishine recipe but never found one… and the citric acid does the job great in our home!
This recipe isn’t cleaning my dishes:( Will try to add more citric acid. Am going to try using my laundry soap in it right now.
Maybe it’s my well water?
Hi Matt,
Man, thanks so much for posting this recipe. I’ve been looking for a homemade dishwasher detergent for a long time, and all of the ones I tried before were terrible. This one ROCKS. It’s actually cleaning my dishes better than the store-bought stuff I was using. Now I’m optimistic to try your laundry detergent as well.
By the way, have you ever heard that putting a couple of tennis balls in your dryer with your clothes keeps them static-free and fluffs them up nicely?
Thanks again,
Stephanie
I didn’t use KOSHER salt as they didn’t have ANY at the store I went to today. I just bought regular salt. Is there a reason it’s KOSHER? I don’t know if there is something different chemically.
This may have been addressed in an earlier comment but there are so many, I didn’t have time to read them all.
Also, I just used KoolAid (at about 10 cents a package) 3 packs is equal to about 1/8 cup, so I made a half batch. I don’t know where I would buy citric acid locally but I do know where to get Kool Aid. I also think Kool Aid is cheaper. Is there a reason to use the citric acid instead?
Hey Lindy – congrats on making this… don’t be afraid to put a little more of this or a little less of that to come up with the combo that works perfect for your water & dishwasher. Part of the beauty of making your own is that you can control exactly how well it works!
You can buy citric acid from the links in the article – or a local brewery – or a local Asian market.
I use Kosher salt because the big crystals help scour better… but you should be fine using your salt.
so course salt is the ingredient. I have some at home that I will use in the next batch. We do have an Asian Market just down the street. Why is citric acid available at an Asian Market? Just curious. Also in which “section” would I find it?
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I haven’t used my detergent yet, but I can hardly wait to get a load of dishes going!! (I don’t think I have ever said that sentence before)
Lindy
i would like to pipe up here! the reason kosher salt it used is because it is purer than regular table salt, which is iodized and therefore has additional chemicals. Pickling Salt is actually much better then kosher salt, and my be easier to find. I like to pick up bunches of the salt and citric acid, among other canning supplies, when walmart clearances them out for the winter (like no one cans during the winter?!) anyways, just thought i would add my two cents. p.s. I use homemade laundry soap, dishwasher soap – with all the problems you all are having as well, it is in the amounts needed for YOUR water, take the time to adjust the amounts as it is worth it – and homemade cleaners and dish soap with Dr. Bronners. That works really well in the shower too – add some baking soda for a facial and with your shampoo in your hair (added benefit of being a natural lightener!) Enjoying all the ideas that everyone is having and posting, keep it up all!!
Matt,
Just a note to say we’ve been using the dishwasher soap and laundry detergents for a few weeks, and the results have been great. We have well water, and I use a rather generous scoop as a result. We’ve not been using the citric acid yet. (Thank you, everyone, who’s mentioned where to find it!) But, the residue isn’t too bad…which is encouraging. Especially considering I’m using extra detergent each time.
And, to follow on to what was said awhile ago….my wife RARELY throws things at me when I’m doing the dishes. And, my kids give me a wide berth, as I’m inclined to ask them to help. It’s one of the safest, quietest corners of the house!
Thanks for the tips!
Ha ha, good to hear Dan. Just remember… “you get kisses from the Misses when you do the dishes!”
Matt, we use the laundry detergent mix at 1c + 1c + 1bar (same as yours but 1/2 bar of ivory at your mix), works great. Just finished a double batch 10 minutes ago in the food processor. So I went looking for dish soap and found this site. For the people that look for sources, there is soapgoods.com, you can get all the stuff in bulk. And a lot of other interesting things too. Plus you can learn what some of those other ingredients do (the ones we have no idea what they are much less how to pronounce them)!
On another site I read a thread on how to “get the stink” out of a dishwasher. A full 1/4 cup of vinegar in the pre-wash cycle (before adding detergent) seems to do the trick, and in my guess it’s the acid that cleans out the plumbing in and beyond the washer itself. Bleach doesn’t even work as well. Once a month did the trick for us.
Your site is great, I’m off to explore more of it.
Awesome Jeff, glad you found us, and glad you’re making your own… what an awesome thing when we found out the power, joy, and savings of making our own products! Vinegar is simple amazing…
Thanks for the tips.
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Hey Matt! Thanks for the recipes. I’ve got my laundry going right now with my homemade detergent. Yeah, me!!! I’m wondering about adding essential oils such as tea tree to the detergent. I add tea tree oil to the load to kill mold or deodorize when needed. Any advice?
You go girl!
Ummm… we have not added any essential oils yet because we have not needed to. There are a few ladies who have reported very positive results when washing even dirty cloth diapers. They say odors are gone and things are very clean. I figure if it can clean dirty diapers effectively you shouldn’t have to add the essential oils unless you really want to, or if you prefer the scent of the oil. You stand to save more if you do not add it… let us know what you decide.
Cheers!
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Ok, I read through almost all of thre responses on here & I don’t think I saw this question, so I’m going to ask it! We purchased a water softner about 7 years ago. You mentioned using a tablespoon of your detergent…do you even need to use that much with the softner? I know with my laundry detergent, I only use about 1/2 the recommended size…so I’m wondering if the same would hold true with the homemade versions of these products?
thanks!
We have a water softener, and while we were using less regular dishwashing soap, we’re using a tablespoon in each the pre-wash and the wash cups (about the same as we used with commercial soap). But our dishwasher is quite old, so YMMV. (Just try it with less — if the dishes aren’t clean, try it with more.)
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I have been using vinegar in my HE washing machine for some time. I never thought about adding it to my dishwasher. I am going to try this
My detergent solidifies so I can’t get the spoon out. Any suggestions?
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If I have soft water will it make etching marks on my glassware? Also if I rinse my dishes very well before they go into the dishwasher can I just leave the salt out?
I just want to say that I “stumbled” into this website and i’m going to be totally hooked!! I LOVE homemade products and now that i’m a Single mom, i need to be more resourceful. Nevermind the fact that homemade is better for our health. Thank you and I plan to spend a lot of time here.
I hate to tell you this, but the reason your figure for the percentage of cost savings sounds too good to be true is because it IS too good to be true. If your homemade solution were free, that would be a cost savings of 100%. If it costs you anything at all, then your savings MUST be less than 100%. For it to be more than 100%, (you state 6000 + %) you would have to have a negative total cost for your ingredients, or someone would need to pay you more than it costs you to make it.
It also would seem to make more sense to add the citric acid to the vinegar rinse solution, as the reason washing soda is an effective cleanser is that it is basic. In using an acid to counteract residue being left behind, you would also be, at least in part, counteracting its innate cleaning power.
Whole Foods carries the citric acid.
I tried 1 part borax, 1 part washing soda, as found on other websites. That didn’t work very good, cloudy and dirty dishes. I added the citric acid and salt (sea salt since I didn’t have kosher salt) as per your recipe, and the results were great! I’ve tried it twice so far, and both times I couldn’t tell that I used a homemade recipe. I’m never buying dishwasher detergent again!!! Thanks so much!!
Now I just need to find a good shampoo replacement. I’ve tried a few homemade mixtures that didn’t work very good on my shoulder length blond hair.
I have been making my own laundry detergent for over a year now. I do use fels naptha soap. Does Ivory work just as good? Will never go back to store bought. I love teaching my kids to be self sufficient and frugal. I have been toying with trying dishwashing detergent. I do usually two loads of dishes a day!!! I can’t wait to try this. Have to get citric acid but I know its with canning supplies. You should also try mixing 1/2 cup borax with 4tbsp of Murphys oil soap. Its the best hand cleaner/degreaser ever!!! I also use it as a spot cleaner in my laundry.
Does the above recipe really wash 50 loads? I don’t understand how you are getting 32 oz. of product with the measurements you are using? Did you double anything? I made mine and am very excited to use it. I actually want to share it with several friends, but I don’t see how the amount of product I ended up with can wash 50 loads using 1 tbsp. per load.
I use white vinegar in our rinse compartment. I’ve been getting what looks like rust/brownish residue coming from the compartment. Is it possibly rusting something in there? What can i clean it with?
Thank you Kristen!! I read ALL of these posts tonight trying to find out if anyone else was finding the math didn’t add up. I made the batch, washed with it, loved it, but the qtys don’t add up! I really thought I was losing it! It only adds up to 1 1/2 cups of product… So…
what am I missing?
Also, I see that someone said they bumped up to 3 packets of koolaid… I had to use 12 packets to get the 1/4 cup. Did I miss that too?
I’m so confused…
Hi! Been making my own laundry soap for quite a while and I LOVE it!!! Came across your website after doing a demo on the laundry soap for a women’s group. I love your posts and have tried the dishwasher soap and it is fabulous. Thanks!!!!
Hi -I was wondering if any type of citric acid blend would work. I went to my beer making supply store and all they had was a blend of citric acid with other acids (asorbic and others) Would this work? It looks like the same jar as yours. Or should I just go the kool aide route? Thanks….