Friday, July 1, 2011

How To : Make Dishwasher Soap

This article on Yahoo sparked my interest a few weeks back. Here's a couple paragraphs from the article:

"According to the latest government data, Americans spend an average of $659 a year on housekeeping supplies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which provides that figure, also says the average American earns about $787/week -- which means many people are spending most of (if not more than) a week's pay every year on dish soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaning products.

If that sounds crazy, here's a better idea: Make your own."

I already had a huge box of Borax (from the slime recipe I made awhile ago), baking soda, and salt. The Kool-Aid was 10 packages for $1 so I was able to make this for practically nothing. I gave it a try and the dishes came out really clean.

Somebody (or something...dishwasher) has to clean ALL those dishes that I get dirty! Why not save a little money while doing so?

Dishwasher Detergent
Source: www.finance.yahoo.com

1 c. of borax
1 c. of baking soda
¼ c. of table salt
2 packets (half an ounce) of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid

You can try to save even more by buying ingredients in bulk, but another idea is to find smaller and much cheaper boxes at your local dollar store: a good idea too since you'll want to try a small amount at first to see if you like the results. The amounts listed above are good for 16 loads -- one tablespoon each -- so even small batches will last a while.

2 comments:

  1. I have been making my own laundry detergent for years. It's made with bars of Fels-Naptha soap (grated with my food processor), Borax, and Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda. I make it in the powder form, but can also be made into a liquid. I think the ratio is at least 3 to 1, Fels-Naptha being the small number. I make huge batches and haven't had to make any since April 2010. And I do a lot of laundry!

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  2. I also started making homemade laundry detergent months ago, and it's awesome to make this stuff and save money. Well, tonight I ran ouot of dish liquid, so I began researching how to make that too. I came across a few sites with this same recipe. So I tried it. I took one whole bar of ivory soap, ground it up in the food processor, added about 16 oz of water, 1/4 c. vinegar, 2 T. washing soda, and a few drops of lemon scented essentual oil, and I ran it thru the food processor until smooth. It was a bit thick, so I filled up 2 large dish liquid bottles halfway, and filled the bottles the rest of the way with water, and shook them until mixed. I washed my dishes, and wow!!! Works better than Dawn and Palmalive!! And doesn't give up after the first sinkload either! Lasted through 2 1/2 sinkloads of dishes, which included nasty pots and pans... And cost apprx. $.35 to make 2 bottles....Glad I tried this.... it's a keeper!

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