dishwasher soap

I found one!

about 19 months ago I began switching over all household cleaners, body stuff and bottled goods to homemade, more sustainable, chemical~free, water~friendly products.....

all went well except the hunt for something to use in the dishwasher.

first I tried to just use baking soda, vinegar and borax (didnt work to well!)

next

I tried all sorts of "company" products from

bio clean.

Meyer.

Seventh Generation.

...but they all left a hazy film on the dishes (no matter how little I used), or they were to costly for my taste.

I settled for the trader joe's brand (using less than half of the recommended amount), and spent the past 8 months looking for something else to use that I could make from things in my kitchen cupboards.

FINALLY,

I found one..... (very cost effective)

not to mention~ the outcome is amazing!

the secret is the food grade citric acid.... which I can buy in the bulk section and save a ton!

Homstead Revival has been a great blog that has provided many resources to our family living~ and she has yet to let me down....

her recipe is listed below.

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

{soft water recipe}

1/2 cup borax ($.15)

1/2 cup washing soda ($.30)

1/4 cup food grade citric acid ($.45)

* for hard water, try increasing the amount of borax or add 1/4 cup course kosher salt, not regular salt!

Combine ingredients and use sparingly. I use only about 1tsp. per load with a 1/2 tsp in each compartment. (For hard water, you may need more.) Keep in a handy container near your appliance.

so, for the traders brand I was spending about $3 for a box (which is pretty good) but, with this recipe I am spending less than $1, plus~ there is no container to toss into the trash... a happy home, a happy footprint and a happy wallet- makes a happy mommy!