Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Archives: Tip: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Archived on 07/01/2007 A while back, I asked if anyone had a tip on making homemade dishwasher detergent. I got the reply to use 1/8 cup bleach, to dissolve the grease, using no soap at all and 1/8 cup vinegar in the rinse cycle to alleviate the lime deposits and get streak free dishes and glasses. WOW, WOW, WOW, did it ever work. I will forever use this recipe. Thanks ever so much. By Jamish from Ransom, Kansas Editor's Note: Make sure you add the vinegar at the rinse cycle, as described in the tip, and not when you add the bleach or it will create a horrible gas. Feedback: RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I had trouble finding washing soda too until I went out to make some adjustments to my swimming pool water and read the label on the ph increase I got from litehouse pools, sodium carbonate 100%, same as the name brand washing soda! By Tammy RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I used to add bleach to the dishwasher. My daughter worked at whirpool in customer relations. She said the bleach ruins the gasket eventualy and causes leakage. just a heads up. By Ariela RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Please don't use bleach in your dishwasher if you or anyone in your family has breathing problems like asthma or heart conditions. The fumes from bleach will trigger both of these problems. And the hot steam from the dishwasher (or washing machine) will make the fumes spread even more than if you were just using it in the sink. By Karen RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I simply use a very tiny bit of liquid dish soap ( not a dishwasher kind) and then add about 1/2 - 1 cup of vinegar at the beginning of each cycle. I set the dishwasher as usual and forget it. The dishes come out every bit as clean as they did buying commercial dishwasher detergants, which are very toxic according to a news broadcast that I heard. I am trying to go more natural in many areas of life. By cathy RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Just a heads up... mixing ANY kind of acid based product (including vinegar), or ammonia, with bleach can create extremely toxic chloride fumes. By Kat63 RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I tried the borax and baking soda recipe with vinegar as a rinse aid but my dishes came out horribly filmy, so I let vinegar soak in the dishwasher overnight and ran it empty, then I tried the recipe at the top of the page for a little normal dish soap and 1/2 C vinegar and my dishes came out beautiful. I'm not sure which one did the trick but it works. By niboki07But RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I just got my dishwasher 2007 model which I installed myself saving $200 bucks and pickup $3.00 part at Home Depot just to get the hot water connected. Don't need to spend $15 bucks on a kit if you 'already had a dishwasher hookup. Anyway the unit came with a sample of Cascade Complete and Cascade Glass Spotter. I had Jet Dry Costco Jumbo Size already to last me a very long time. I also had Costco Krikland Sigtinure Series Automatic Dishwashing Detergent. I've tested that in my new one by itself. I it didn't clean the stainless steel pots and fooks, spoons and knifes so well. So I gone back with Cascade 2-in-1 Pacs with Dawn did try that with one pad, but found out the hard way you need to use two of those. That did a very good job, but I did add Cascade Complete to the pre-rinse even though that product tells you you don't need to do it. Yeah, yeah. Pots and pans and everything else came out super duper clean. I ran out of the 2-in-1 pads they seem expensive to keep on adding them in. Costco has them for $12 for 90 pads, Wal-Mart 80 pads for $12, 50 pads for $8. I just got the biggest box of Cascade Complete at Costco for $7 bucks.. That cleans everything I put in the dishwasher even cast iron with oil. If it can't clean that then forget it. Which id did clean it so well maybe too well but hey just have to oil the iron and I back in business. I use the Cascade Complete in both places also add a pre-wash. Just to play it safe. I'll stick with this product I did see the Bleach version but don't know if that's a good idea to smell bleach flumes during the drying cycle.. Good luck, making your own still cheaper to buy the ready made product. By tipstir RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I use 1/2 cup borax (can find at walmart, foodlion or publix) and 1/2 cup washing soda (can find at publix or kroger),and vinegar in the rinse. By tanya Report Spam or Abuse Tip: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Archived on 10/31/2006 I tried making my own laundry detergent with Zote Laundry soap and Borax. I did not have any washing soda and was dying to make the detergent, so I experimented. I used 1/3 bar Zote and 1 cup borax powder. I covered the Zote with water and melted it in the microwave until smooth then added the borax to almost 2 gallons of water. I split this between two ice cream buckets (5 quart size). Next, I divided the Zote soap liquid between the buckets and stirred well. After the stuff gelled up, I tried it for laundry and it worked pretty well, I did have some things that needed stain treated after washing once, but it worked pretty well for a pretreat gel. Since the Borax and Zote are both recommended for dishes and the detergent is non-sudsing, I tried it in my dishwasher, and it worked well, but be sure to use a rinse agent or vinegar in the rinse because of possible residue. Cost = 48 Cents Per 2 Gallons Even if you use 1 cup per load for laundry, this is a lot cheaper than anything else!! Just as good for dishwasher and easier to store: 1 cup baking soda 1 cup borax 2-3 tablespoons citric acid (I used Fruit Fresh) Use about 2 tablespoons per wash, this left no residue. Cost = Around a penny per load I bought my fruit fresh after season and got a mark-down. It will last more than 10 loads. I was buying detergent on sale that was 10 cents per load. Feedback: RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I am debating on making some dishwasher detergent for us to use. Why the fruit fresh (the citric acid)? With the borax, baking soda and fruit fresh do you need to use a rinsing agent, like vinegar? (10/19/2004) By valleyrimgirl RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Honestly, it's kinda funny. After having it sitting around for a long time and then reading about cleaning out your dishwasher by using Tang because it has citric acid, I figured it might be a good addition. I figured it may cut out the rinse agent, but I filled my rinse agent well just a few days before my *big idea*, so I'll have to wait and see. So far, there is no residue, Also, I was using way too much (filling the compartment) and it was leaving white dusty residue behind... use ONLY a tablespoon or two at most!! I have hard water, and two is sufficient for me. (10/20/2004) By breezeetew RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Rethinking the Fruit fresh idea. It's causing my detergent to get kinda moist and clumpy. It is ok for me, but wanted to warn you that my *big idea* is not working out like I had hoped! (10/21/2004) By breezeetew RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I use the 2 TBSP baking soda/borax mix and vinegar in the JetDri cup and am still getting residue. How about putting the vinegar straight in the tub with the detergent? or adding it directly to the rinse cycle? how much vinegar? (11/26/2004) By fratze Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Several years ago I discovered a tip for when you run out of automatic dishwashing soap. In the dishwasher dispenser - mine was in the door of the dishwasher - make a thick paste of 2 parts baking soda to one part liquid dish soap (Joy, Dawn, etc.). Run your dishwasher as normal. The baking soda prevents the sudsing over that happens when you use liquid soap by itself. It also aids in getting your dishes really clean. You might like it well enough to use all the time! (03/06/2005) By Elizabeth RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent For those of you who are Costco members, they are offering "buy one-get-one free" Electrasol 2 in 1 Tabs with Jet dry powerball. (This week only coupon item). Thats 150 days worth of dishwashing (why mess with making detergent?). Also I put vinegar in my rinse cycle instead of Jet dry. (great savings!) and no water marks. (03/07/2005) By pbcml RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I always use 1/2 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of washing soda (not baking soda) and mix in a jar and use 1 or 2 tablespoons for each load of dishes. I also use vinegar in the rinse cycle. (03/18/2005) By smathis123 RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I have tried Borax & baking soda and vinegar in the rinse cyle, my dishes come out with this film on them. Then I tried Borax & Washing Soda with the vinegar in the rinse, and still the same! There is still lipstick prints on the glasses when they come out! (05/15/2005) By Tresses RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I use white vinegar as a laundry rinse after using my homemade laundry liquid (made with little scraps of soap grated, washing soda and borax), but I put herb sprigs into the vinegar first to make it smell nicer. I like to stuff sprigs of lavender into the vinegar, but mint is also nice, or rosemary. (08/25/2005) By ecoangel RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent HI all. Just reading over these posts and I see a common "filmy residue" theme occurring. First, only a rinse agent or pure white vinegar (nothing else) should ever go in your rinse agent dispenser. Baking soda will leave a film if used in quantity as will Borax as a rinse agent. These ingredients listed seem fine for washing. The citric acid simply helps with dissolving calcium and lime (hard water!) during washing and drying cycles. A better alternative to actual citric acid, which is caustic, than fruit fresh is a packet of unsweetened lemonade powder. Walmart sells them for less than 10 cents apiece. Put one of these in your powder if you like. Also, use 3 packets of lemonade powder (unsweetned) into your dishwashing dispenser and run and empty cycle. This cleans your dishwasher and heating element of deposits and grime and costs less than 30 cents vs. other expensive "dishwasher cleaners". It's also cheaper than Tang. Finally, if you are using homemade detergent and a vinegar or rinse agent (again, never use any soda or borax, etc in your rinse dispenser), you may simply have a hard water or dirty dish problem. Check your water softener or simply that you are rinsing dishes well before loading (I dont' care how well dishwashers promise to work, I have never been able to load a dish that is not well rinsed haha). Lipstick is full of waxes and oils and fats and a quick rinse and rub may elminate this residue problem. I made my own dishwashing gel before but wasn't happy with the results. It didn't gel just right, then when it did gel, it wouldn't mix with the water and was clumpy. I may try your suggestion, but so far I find the electrasol tabs most convenient. I always use vinegar in my rinse dispenser and our dishes are always sparkling. No need to buy Jet Dri or other expensive agents. (09/10/2005) By Missy RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent I am still filmy. I used all the above recipes and one that was liquid 1/2 c castile soap. 1/2 c water and a little lemon juice and tea tree oil, just a drop and still filmy yes there is vinager in the rinse compartment. Any ideas? Otherwise it back to 7th generation brand (09/12/2005) By jsjamr RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Try this: 1/8 cup bleach for the wash cycle, nothing else - no soaps, borax or anything. Just bleach. Then, 1/8 cup white vinegar for the rinse, nothing else. The bleach is alkaline and disintegrates grease. The vinegar is acid and disintegrates lime deposits. You should end up with clean, grease free, disinfected dishes without water spots and film. Glass will become permanently filmed over when using most commercial dishwasher products, and soda, too, because of the "grit". Soda is gritty. I use it to clean marks on my linoleum just as I might use powdered cleanser like Ajax or Comet. Soda actually etches fine lines into glass. Castille soap can be used only in very soft water, so if you want to use it you'll need a water softener, not a softener that is added at the time of washing. (12/08/2005) By Kathleen Rounds RE: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Does the bleach hurt stainless steel/copper? Sometimes I throw my pot/pans in to save time (i know!) (01/29/2006) By camo_angels Report Spam or Abuse