Using dishwasher detergent substitutes can still result in sparkling clean dishes.
It's not one ingredient that's a suitable substitution for dishwasher detergent, but a combination of ingredients. The ingredients work together to scour and clean the dishes so that they come out sparkling clean. Substituting with these products means you can save the expense of buying commercial dishwasher products.
Washing Soda
Washing soda is sodium carbonate, related to baking soda, which is sodium bicarbonate. Washing soda is more caustic but does not produce harmful fumes. It is used in a dishwasher detergent recipe because it cuts grease. Washing soda, similar to baking soda, has a gritty texture for scouring away tough stains in your dishwasher. Because washing soda is a natural water softener it can help to eliminate the white residue you see on your glasses and dishware from the hard mineral deposits in your water supply.
Borax
Borax, or sodium borate, removes grease and grime from dishes. It can also remove hard water minerals to eliminate the film and spotting you may see on your glasses and dishware when you have hard water. It's used in conjunction with the washing soda for extra cleaning power. Homemade dishwasher detergent recipes recommend mixing 1 cup of washing soda with 1 cup of borax.
Other Ingredients
Homemade dishwasher detergent recipes also use salt and some kind of citrus component. Use straight lemon juice if you have it on hand, but a food grade citric acid comes in a granular form. Citrus removes dirt and when added to salt becomes a scouring paste. Add the granulated form of citrus to the mixture to make the recipe more convenient since you can make the entire recipe ahead of time and add it to your dishwasher in one step, as opposed to adding the lemon juice separately each time you run a load. If you have extremely hard water, using vinegar in the rinse cycle can help to combat mineral deposit build-up.
Preparation
Prepare the detergent recipes by mixing all the ingredients together. For a smoother consistency, process the mixture in a blender or food processor. Store the mixture in a tightly covered jar or other container.
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