If I ever use up my Electrasol stockpile, I may have to try my hand at this all-natural homemade dishwasher detergent. It calls for just two “ingredients” and makes for big savings!
If I ever use up my Electrasol stockpile, I may have to try my hand at this all-natural homemade dishwasher detergent. It calls for just two “ingredients” and makes for big savings!
Coupons & Freebies Mom
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s the easiest one I’ve ever seen! I’d love to try it, but we live in a rural area and have a septic system – we have been advised not to use Borax at all because it can kill the bacteria in the septic system, causing it to not work anymore. Does anyone else use Borax who has a septic system? If so, have you run into problems?
Sandra
Shoot, I use Borax in my homemade laundry detergent. I’ve not heard that it could cause problems. Guess I better do some research!
michelle richardson
The man who services my septic told me that bleach,borax or any antibacterial cleaning product can cause septic problems but only if you use large amounts. Also says you should feed your septic bacteria if you use these products. There are plenty of over the counter additives you can buy to do this.
kimberly
ive tried this recipe on several occasions and usually im left with an icky film on my plastics. it just doesn’t work for me.
Melissa
I make my own laundry detergent using Borax and we’re on a septic tank that’s only about 5 years old. No problems as of yet.
I have not made my own dishwasher detergent but have heard that to get rid of the film and cloudiness, add ascorbic acid. You can use lemon Kool-aide packs if unable to find ascorbic acid.
Jeannie
This hasn’t worked for me, either. Always leaves a white film on the glass. I’ve tried rinsing agents like Jet Dry or vinegar but it didn’t help. Anyone successfully fix the cloudy glass issue?
Sandra
https://www.soapsgonebuy.com/20_Mule_Team_Borax_p/d1002.htm
Found several links that say its septic safe. I haven’t had any problems, but I also haven’t stuck my head in my septic tank lately either :)
Sarah
I’ve tried this one. It’s sitting under my sink collecting dust while I use the store bought stuff. I used it several times & got a film on almost everything. I have a rinse aid in my dishwasher, but that didn’t seem to help. I also tried using a little lemon kool-aid, vinegar, & Lemi-shine (separately of course), but still got the film. Maybe it’ll work for others, but it was a fail for me :(
Debbie Curtsinger
would someone share their homemade laundry detergent. Thanks
Tara Kuczykowski
Yes, if anyone has a detailed post on it, I’d love to share it with my readers! Please post your link here or email it to me.
Bella
This recipe didn’t work for me. Like the others it left a film on everything.
amanda
Ditto the film on everything- even with vinegar in the rinse aid compartment. AND after switching back to the regular stuff, it still remains on several items. However, it was a very useful cleaner for scrubbing the car seat straps (which didn’t detach so they couldn’t go in the washer) after a stomach virus incident, so at least I used it up!
Valerie
Please don’t use this recipe for dishwasher detergent-it calls for Borax, which is Boric Acid. This is classified by the government as a poison, and can cause acute respiratory tract irritation. Government sites that discuss this advise people who handle it on a regular basis to wear gloves.
jen b
Regular dishwashing detergent contains many chemicals, such as bleach or phophates, that do bad things if inhaled/ingested, but are great cleaning agents. As long as your dishwasher is doing its job rinsing the chemicals away, it should not pose a problem (borax is not absorbed through the skin, must be inhaled/ingested in to be absorbed into bloodstream)
Texasgirl
Could you please specify which government websites kind of hard to follow this advice when it has been generalized. Also, inhaling the fumes off of bleach are probably worse considering I cannot breathe when I smell it!
tom harrison
I recently got my first box of Borax to try these DIY soaps. The box says it is great for cleaning the tub so I liberally poured it all over the tub, grabbed a sponge, and scoured away with my bare hands. That night, I had grand-mal seizures (I’m epileptic) and spent the entire next day hurling my guts out. I was not able to eat anything till late the next day and it took me about 72 hours to get back to normal.
And adding it to my wash did nothing for stains but I did notice itching so I quit using it (mixed with washing soda)
This is anecdotal evidence and it was probably due to bending over the tub inhaling the stuff while scrubbing but NOW, I wear gloves even using Dawn dish soap:))
Lynn
I use this homemade detergent and it counteracts with vinegar in the rise aid. i have no problem with water spots or film. If you have that and can’t get rid of it with any agents then it’s your water and you need a softener in order for your washer to work properly. most websites and info I found said that the borax is in such a small quantity that it is not harmful, and it’s mixed. But here is one without borax if anyone wants to try it out:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
Method:
stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.
Sharron
I have just recently tried this recipe, but have miniscule soap flakes on EVERYTHING! Why? I have had to hand wash what came out. Any tips?
Lara Loewen
Lynn… I’ve made some home made detergent but am looking for a better one that is septic safe. I am having my septic tank cleaned as I type because I have not been using septic safe laundry soaps and other detergents. What a mess. Anyway! …This recipe looks like a great one. Thanks for sharing. :)
Jo
I love my homemade soap, and always have the ingredients on hand as it has the same ingredients as my homemade laundry soap (which I LOVE 2!) my dishwasher soap is borax, SUPER washing soda (NOT baking soda) and then plain old table salt. Will never buy the box stuff again. This WILL leave a film, UNLESS you use vinegar for a rinse aide (don’t know why, but it’s true) my dishes are always clean (and extra scrubbed from the salt). I also have a septic system and have never had problems with this recipie. Hope this helps, I give out my recipie at a class on soap making at church and everybody who tries it loves it (again tho, gotta have the vinegar rinse)
amy
This is great! Thanks for sharing this!
jen b
I never had luck with any dishwasher detergent concoctions I tried, even with Kool-aid, vinegar, etc. but we have hard water…
For laundry soap, I have had great luck with this recipe for clean, soft clothes:
2 large (or 3 small) bars Ivory, grated
2 c Borax
2 c Super washing soda
2 c Baking soda
I run it through the food processor until it is a fine powder, use 1/4c per large load (we have hard water, use 2 tbsp for soft water) and vinegar in the rinse cup. Not an original recipe, but I cannot remember where I got it to give credit :)
Angie W
I use homemade laundry detergent. We make one 5 gallon bucket and it lasts us about a year! It only takes 10 minutes to make. Works great for me with sensitive skin and for my young son, too. I use the recipe from the Dugger’s website: https://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html (3rd recipe down)
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups – hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup – Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
– Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer “Super Washing Soda” – in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent – It must be sodium carbonate!!
Melissa
For the homemade dishwasher soap, you should use Arm and Hammer Super Washing soda – not baking soda. I use the following recipe. If the dishes are cloudy then you need to cut back on the amount you are using. I maybe use a tablespoon to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Way less than I would use of cascade or anything else.
1 c. super washing soda
1 c. borax
1/2 c. salt (just plain old table salt)
1-2 packets of lemon flavor kool-aid.
The kool-aid provides the citric acid. I don’t know why that makes a difference. You can buy citric acid, but kool-aid packets are much cheaper. I have been using this for about a year.
Melissa
1/3 Fels-Naptha soap bar (grated with a cheese grater directly into large sauce pan)
6 cups water
Over medium to medium high heat cook these first ingredients until all the soap bar is melted.
Add 1/2 c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and 1/2 c. borax to mixture. Cook until thickened (mine never does thicken that much).
In a separate pot bring 1 gallon plus 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add your soap mixture to a bucket (I used a 5 gallon bucket). Then slowly add the boiling water to the soap mixture (I did 1/4 of the water each time). Stir each time you add water.
One recipe I read said to do this early in the day so you could check on the batch periodically and continue to stir it as it cooled. The other recipe said to let it sit overnight. I went the “overnight route”. Although I do not have large lumps or anything like that, it isn’t a perfectly creamy mixture. I would equate it to slightly curdled milk. So, I do think it is best to do it in the morning if you can.
For top loader machines, 1/2 c. per load
For HE machines, 1/4 c. per load
So far I am satisfied with the quality in which it is washing….but I do want to get some essential oils to add to the detergent for a little more scent.
Melissa
Just like Angie said above, it must be sodium carbonate (Arm & Hammer’s Super Washing Soda) or it will not work. I believe this to be the case for both the liquid laundry detergent I made and for the powdered dishwasher detergent. I haven’t been brave enough to try to make dish soap for the sink. I’ve been able to score good enough deals on Dawn that I haven’t felt the need – Yet!
Sean
If you have hard water try adding 0.5 – 1 cup of Citric Acid to the mix. The reason for this is that hard water contains minerals that are bases and the acid helps to neutralize them. NOTE: If you don’t have or can’t find citric acid the acid content of most lemon flavored powder drink mixes will work in a pinch.
Sue
I have used homemade laundry soap and softener for a long time. I am going to use the dishwasher soap now, but will use the washing soda instead of the baking soda. I have also seen a recipe somewhere where you mix the powdered Cascade mixed with Borax and Washing Soda. I think that’s the one I’ll try first.
Laundry soap recipe I use is 1C washing soda, 1C borax, and 1 bar Fels Naptha soap grated in the food processor. Softener is 1 bottle hair conditioner (I use the cheap Suave or VO5), 3 cups white vinegar, and 3 cups water. I add the water so that it measures out in the cap of my Downy bottle.
Kellie t
https://www.diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/
This site recommends adding kosher salt and citric acid to the borax washing soda mixture to keep the film off and adding vinegar to rinse.
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