But for now, I wanted to share the BEST dishwasher detergent I've ever used. And I MADE it!
I ran out of my store-bought kind and decided today was the day. I marched out to grab the few ingredients I didn't already have on hand, mixed a big batch, and put it in the dishwasher.
I put a little too much in, but when the rinse cycle was finished I peeked in to find dish perfection. And this is saying something, because I was out of rinse aid. Any detergent I've ever tried in this dishwasher leaves a terrible film if I don't hang one of those rinse aid baskets. Well, the basket has been empty for a few cycles now, but this new detergent rinsed wonderfully.
The recipe came from Passionate Homemaking, and can be found here. She has some other awesome recipes too!
1/2 c. Dr. Bronner's Sals Suds
1/2 c. Water
1/2 c. White Vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
Mix it all together, cover & store indefinitely. Use 1 Tbsp. for a load of dishes.
I multiplied everything by 4 to make a big batch, and stored it in a plastic rubbermaid canister that I used to keep extra sugar in. I know it's not a completely eco-friendly glass container, but I am reusing something and it didn't cost me anything extra, so I'm completely okay with it!
I'm so excited about this recipe!
And one more thing: for those of you who might be wondering about the "green-ness" of using your dishwasher verses handwashing, check out this link. I was feeling guilty about filling up my dishwasher so often rather than just washing by hand, but this makes me feel better!
6 comments:
i have the "dishwasher clean" issue too... too bad i have 20+ boxes of electrasol to use first!
Um, WOW! Great idea!!!
Did you use real lemon juice or the kind that comes in the plastic lemon?
Rachel- I know! That's the thing with CVS & couponing like we do. It's easy to stock up on cheap (or free) cleaning supplies, which makes it harder for me to switch.
SJ- Thanks :) You can use those Sals Suds for all sorts of other things too. I have a soft spot for Dr. Bronner. He was... um... interesting.
Steph- I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I had a bottle of "Real Lemon" in my fridge from YEARS ago. I never use it and was surprised I hadn't thrown it out. It was a little cloudy and I wouldn't have used it for food but it was fine for cleaning. I think you could do either. :)
Where do you find this dr. bronner stuff?
Deb, I bought mine at Vitamin Shoppe. You might try a place like Whole Foods or another green grocery store if you've got one (We have EarthFare and they carry other Dr. Bronner's but not the Sal's Suds).
You can also order it from Amazon or other online retailers.
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