Take a green approach to cleaning, and make your own products. Create homemade dishwasher soap using a few household items. Making dishwasher soap at home will save money and contribute toward saving the planet. Green living reduces the number of plastic bottles.
Lemon Dishwasher Soap
Whip up a batch of lemon dishwasher soap if you don't have time to run to the grocery store. Combine 1 cup baking soda with 1 cup borax, 1 cup of water and 2 to 3 drops of lemon essential oils. Borax and baking soda are natural scrubbing agents that are ideal for extra heavy dish loads. They also help remove stubborn, caked-on food. The lemon oil is optional for this recipe but adds that fresh lemony scent to the dishes. Purchase lemon essential oil at a local health food store. Keep the solution in a plastic jug with the other cleaning supplies. Use two to three tablespoons per
load.
Natural Dishwasher Soap
Use natural, organic products to design your homemade dishwasher soap. Combine ½ cup of liquid Castile soap with ½ cup water. Castile soap is developed from vegetable oil and is used in a variety of natural homemade cleaning products.
Purchase liquid castile soap from health and beauty stores or at local health food stores. Add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, 3 drops of tea tree extract and ½ cup white vinegar. Lemon juice and tea tree oils are natural grease cutters. Purchase tea tree extract at most health food stores. Blend well and store in a large plastic container. Use 2 tbsps. per load.
Powder Dishwashing Soap
If you prefer to use a powder in your dishwasher, try this recipe. Combine equal parts of borax and washing soda. Place 1 teaspoon in your dishwasher dispenser with the powder, and add white vinegar to the rinse dispenser. White vinegar is a natural grease cutter and gets dishes squeaky clean. This recipe can be morphed into liquid dishwasher soap if you drizzle water and white vinegar into your borax and washing soda mixture. Pour the liquid until it becomes smooth and pours easily.
Soap Residue
Homemade dishwasher detergents clean and scrub dishes as well as most commercial products; however homemade recipes have some drawbacks. If you find soapy residue on silverware or plastic containers, use white vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove the film. Use homemade dishwasher recipes sparingly instead of every time you run the dishwasher.
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