I discovered a new homemade alternative to commercial dishwasher detergent by accident. I had been having a hard time with my dishwasher not getting the dishes clean and leaving a film. I did a couple of cleaning methods (running an empty load with a bowl of vinegar, running an empty load with a bowl of baking soda), had my hubby pull out any buildup from the water "spouts", etc., and it was still bad.
I did some research online and found a few recommendations to add a tsp of Borax and/or a tsp of baking soda in the detergent compartment along with the detergent. So, I decided to give that a try. After running the first load I saw that the dishes came out MUCH better, but that the detergent pack I used never even dissolved! So, I figured I would try it with ONLY the Borax and the baking soda - guess what....it worked great. So, that is my new dishwasher detergent and here is the "recipe".
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Baking Soda
Mix in a sealable container. Add a heaping Tbsp to the detergent dispenser before each wash.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe
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10 comments:
I'm going to try this - does this mean no more Jet Dry?
Looking forward to trying that!
I have an eco-friendly tip up today too: tub cleaner.
Great idea! I've been using borax and baking soda to clean "everything" around here-never thought to try it in the dishwasher. That's got to be way less expensive than Cascade too.
Thanks for sharing!
I've been looking for something like this. I'm curious what brand of dishwasher detergent you were using and whether you have hard or soft water. I've read that baking soda often leaves a film. I used to use Palmolive liquid because it was cheap, but it always left a film. We had soft water then. Now we have hard water and the Electrasol tabs work beautifully, but I hate to spend so much money on them.
that sounds like a good tip, i've also tried vinegar in my dishwasher but will give your recipe a try now. thanks
The Electrosol Gel packets all of the sudden were not dissolving in my dishwasher either a few weeks ago. So I had mentioned it to my father-in-law and he went down and checked my hot water heater...and here the know was on cold instead of hot.....That would also explain wht our showers were not so hot for a few weeks as well....LOL LOL
I am going to try this. I use borax on many things and love it. THanks for the tip.
I'll have to give this a try - thanks!
sounds like a great idea. I'm definitely trying it! thanks!
I've been wanting to try this for awhile--thanks so much for the tip. Borax is the most common cleaner in my house, now, besides vinegar!
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