How to Make Your Own Natural Liquid Dishwasher Detergent
Commercial liquid dishwasher detergent is expensive and often includes additives that you may not be keen to use on your dinner plates and eating utensils. This all-natural recipe cleans dishes safely and effectively for about a nickel per load. Castile soap, available anywhere you buy cleaning supplies, uses vegetable oil instead of animal fat or manufactured substances, which means it will biodegrade faster than other cleaning agents. The white vinegar serves as a rinsing agent and will prevent spots on your dishes. The quantities here will make enough detergent for 12 to 15 loads of dishes.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- ½ cup castile soap
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 3 drops essential oil
- 1-quart glass jar with lid
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1
Add the soap, water, lemon juice, white vinegar and essential oil to a 1-quart glass jar. Choose whatever essential oil you prefer. Lemon and tea tree oils smell clean and fresh without being overpowering.
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2
Seal the jar tightly and shake to mix the ingredients.
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3
Shake the jar well before using, and add 1 tbsp. of the mixture to your dishwasher's detergent dispenser. Run the cleaning cycle as usual.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You may use more or less castile soap, depending on how hard or soft water is in your area. Soft water requires less soap.
Castile soap is shelf-stable for up to two years. The lemon juice in this recipe extends its shelf life even longer.
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- Photo Credit Jupiterimages, Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Comments
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Ok so first run was very spotty and filmy, so I added more vinegar to the 4th try after a bit of experimenting and what seems to work for us is I added and extra 1/2 cup of vinegar to the total mix of ingredients from above and less spotty and still gets pretty darn clean (as long as you wipe clean or rinse first) though I use a spatula to wipe clean and save water that way. I keep the extra spatula right next to the sink and trash so easy access..... Good luck!
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we found liquis organic castile soap at our grocery store called Wegmans cause our walmart only had the bar of castile soap. We were able to buy all the ingredients in bulk and save money long term. I am literally running a first load right now and will let you know how it goes!
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It's a liquid. Most Walmart type store should have it by the hand soaps I believe.
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that's nice ;).
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nice!
