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Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap


I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to start my mission to find a homemade liquid dishwasher soap. I really do prefer liquid soap over powdered soaps. Since I love the Simply Liquid Laundry Detergent (also on our Most Popular Posts) so much I knew there had to be a liquid dishwasher soap that we could make and that works. I found a recipe on http://choosingsimplicity.blogspot.com.and tried it. I read the reviews and as it happens with everything, some people had issues and some people loved it. It seems that part of the problem with homemade dishwasher soap is water type...do you have soft water, hard water, well-water....you know what I mean? And then there is the whole what to put in the rinse aid container? Lemon juice, vinegar, inexpensive rinse aid, expensive rinse aid...? SO what I'm trying to say is that there doesn't seem to be a perfect dishwasher soap. But I wanted to save money and I wanted a liquid soap, so I tried it anyway. I figured it would be worth a try because even the dishwasher soap I buy at the store leaves my dishes with streaks sometimes. I know that part of my problem is that I don't wash my dishes everyday so I think they are sitting in the dishwasher too long. So if you're ready to make a change from the expensive brands, here is an option for you. I have been using this for 2 weeks and I am happy with the results. Make sure you use your sanitize cycle for the best results. This recipe made 4 quarts.
Ingredients:
16 cups water (total)
1 cup borax
1 1/2 cups washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 c Dr Bronner's liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner's tea tree castile soap)
  • Pour 8 cups water in a large pan on medium heat on the stove, heat until it boils. 
  • Remove from heat and add borax, washing soda and liquid soap. Stir until dissolved.
  • Add the other 8 cups of water and stir. (I did not heat this water, it was room temperature).
  • Let the mixture cool, uncovered, so it can gel.
  • It took mine about 24 hours to reach "gel-status" then pour into containers. (I used quart glass jars). 
  • I shake it in the jar a couple of times before I use it. 
  • The amount that works best for my dishwasher is about 1/8 cup, I use a coffee scoop to measure it. But once again, you will need to experiment the amount you use based on your water type, you may need a little more or less.
I still had some store bought rinse aid in my dishwasher so I used that. Once that is gone, I will try white vinegar in the rinse aide and let you know how that works. Good luck!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

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