I know, there are a million posts and recipes for dishwasher detergent out there. I'm certainly not the first to try it and write about it. This is the common recipe. Then what is different about this post? I made a small amount as opposed to a large amount. Why? Because when I made larger batches, they would inevitably get moisture in them and turn to giant soap bricks inside the jar.
I know, it sounds silly, but even in this super-dry desert environment I live in, moisture would find it's way into the container. My theory is that Not-So-Little-Man scoops it out of the jar with wet hands... But I have yet to catch him in the act. I'm usually so busy and just plain grateful that the dishes get done.
My solution was to make smaller batches so, if/when this happened it wouldn't waste as much and wouldn't be as difficult to chip out of the jar. It's still usable if a little moisture gets in the jar, that's IF you can manage to chip it out of the jar.
I keep my detergent jar under my sink with a plastic tablespoon to scoop it into the dishwasher's soap compartment. I guess I could also store the soap on my counter to further thwart moisture, but I like to keep my counters free of un-necessary clutter.
Anyhow, without further ado, here's the recipe and ratios I used.
Homemade Dishwasher Soap
Adapted from Fabulously Frugal
Combine all ingredients and shake/stir until well-combined. Add 1 Tbsp. to your dishwasher for clean dishes. Don't forget to put white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment!
Have you ever found that even the best recipes or homemade products needed a little tweaking for your family?
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Use one similar to this, but have no idea where to get citric acid?!!? So I use borax, washing soap, and epson salt. Thanks if I ever find that evasive citric acid will give this a try.
ReplyDeleteI use Lemi Shine, or True Lemon Crystallized Lemon. Both can be found at the grocery store. Lemi Shine with the cleaners and True Lemon with the spices and baking items. :)
DeleteI use Lemi Shine as well. It works great!! :) another trick is, for some reason, the vinegar in the dispenser didnt work for me, it stained my door somehow. so now i just put a little in a shallow cup and that works as well. :)
Deletecitric acid is available in the baking/canning aisle of the grocery store. it's used to prevent browning in fruits.
DeleteHmmm I wonder if the citric acid is the key ingredient here. I've tried similar recipes with replacements for citric acid and they did not work very well at all. Right now, I'm using oxygen bleach powder combined with diluted liquid castile soap, and it does OK. Not perfect, but it works most of the time. Still on the hunt for the perfect detergent, though :)
ReplyDeleteLemi Shine works well for citric acid. You also have to use more citric acid an salt if you have hard water. :)
DeleteThank you! I don't have a lot of room to store a huge tub of stuff and this will work perfectly!
ReplyDeleteGlad it works for you too! :)
DeleteYes, citric acid is the key! You can get it from Amazon.com, or you can use packets of Lemonade flavored Kool-Aid, too (makes you hesitant to drink the stuff, doesn't it?).
ReplyDeleteI've made so many different recipes of homemade dishwasher soap. The ones with citric acid (lots of it) work great for me the first three or so times, but then my dishes start coming out funny. I wonder what I'm doing wrong?
I'm not sure, you could possibly be using too much. if I use too much, my glasses get cloudy. :)
DeleteLOVE this!!! I am getting more and more into making my own products! Thank you for sharing with us at Healthy 2Day Wednesdays! Hope to see you again next week!
ReplyDeleteme too! I've accepted that it's a process, and i'm totally good with "baby steps" :) See you next week!
DeleteI need to try this. I would love to be able to make my own dishwasher detergent. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI would love it if you would share this at the Smart Solutions linky party. You can link up here:
http://theprudentpantryblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/prudent-projects-and-smart-solutions.html
Have a great day!
Will do!
DeleteThis is great! I like that you shared the amounts for a smaller batch!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with my Super Link Party! :-)
Thanks for hosting! :)
DeleteI've tried the recipe with citric acid and salt, and used vinegar in the rinse, and we all HATE the results. The dishes come out cloudy--and the only way I've found to get that cloudiness off is to hand-SCRUB the dishes with Comet. (I've only bothered to clean the glasses and jars like that; we're just living with the other dishes.) I don't want to waste this batch of soap--so I'm thinking of just mixing it into the powdered laundry detergent I made with borax, superwashing soda and bar soap--THAT is awesome! But mixing in this dishwashing soap might ruin it, so I'm hesitant. I'm searching for a GOOD dishwashing soap recipe and I read somewhere that you need one that includes Dawn for the grease-cutting feature!
ReplyDeleteI think this recipe might need to be tweaked based on your dishwasher and your water. I have very soft water and this works great for me. So sorry you had to scrub your glasses with comet! I think mixing it with laundry detergent would work just great. The salt would soften the water and the citric acid wouldn't likely hurt anything. Let me know if you find a homemade dishwasher detergent that works for you. :)
DeleteIf you are still having trouble with clumping, try this trick: cut a small hole in a tea bag and empty tea out. Fill bag with a little bit of rice and staple bag closed. Drop into detergent jar and the rice will absorb moisture, thereby reducing clumping. Happy washing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Thanks for sharing! :)
DeleteHello! I found your recipe using a Google search. I've been trying it for a few days now and getting mixed, but good results. For me, and this sounds weird, I get the best results when I shake the mix just before I used it. It's odd.
ReplyDeleteI pinned this, with a credit to your blog, on Pinterest. I'm trying several recipes in my own home and plan to write my experiences on my own blog. I will credit you there as well.
Thank you for being an inspiration!
Thanks for the tip! And thanks for the shout-out :)
ReplyDeleteI am not usually one to use plastic bags but if you put your mix in a plastic zipper bag you can easily break it up if it gets hard.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have heard adding a small quantity of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher helps with cloudiness.
What a great idea! Thanks! :)
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