Homemade dishwasher detergents

Home made dishwasher soap? Well cheap off store brands can be affordable but still not as good as Cascade. Recently I switched from being a finish/Electrasol user to being a Cascade user because it did a better job, but both are costly unless you coupon and get a box of it for 84¢…

So here are some dishwasher detergent recipes I found and some I tried.

Most environment friendly was this recipe:

1 teaspoon dawn Dishsoap
1/2 cup white vinegar

OR

2 teaspoons dish soap
8 ounces white vinegar

I used my favorite dawn dish soap, the five minute soak with overnight soak action and bleach alternative. I stirred this mixture and it became a cloudly white, and used the measuring spoon to stir to make sure I got all the soap I could without wasting it.  I hardly smelled the vinegar and filled both areas of the dishwasher and shut the latch. I started this with plates that I usually do not scrub clean and some I did. Now if it does a great job on cheese I will no longer be buying cascade.  And just so you know with couponing you can get dawn soap for at least 50¢ so this can be very cheap.  There were no soap suds on my floor. You can smell it a little and it just smells clean. It managed to take off the cheese inbetween the fork prongs and on the plates... It did not remove melted butter on my non-stick frying pan, but everything else was clean. I got the same results as Cascade for way less. I usually scrub down my pots and pans before sticking them in the Dishwasher.

I tried modifying a recipe:

1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1/4 cup Epsom salt
1 teaspoon dawn liquid soap

I stirred this dry mix very well til it looked like I had blue flakes. It did a great job of scrubbing my dishes clean and left a very nice shine. I filled up both the spots in my dishwasher like normal and had no issues. Many people use citric acid instead of the salt. If you preclean your dishes using citric acid is not necessary. Citric acid can be found in one of the little green and white bottles for helping to keep fruits fresh in the canning section at Walmart. Look for the amount of Vitamin C and you will see it is very high. It smells like dishwasher detergent and looks like it. I keep this in an old yogurt container. If you need a measurement use two table spoons. Epsom salt can be found at the dollar store or any store.  You can subsitute washing soda with baking soda and use 1/2 cup vinegar in the bottom of your wash load prior to starting the load and your dishes will shine. I think I am going to stick to this recipe because I usually have these items on hand.

I modified this recipe above again adding dishwasher magic to my cup of borax. I put about 1cm of dishwasher magic in a measuring cup and then filled it with borax.  I noticed my dishwasher did not sound like I lived by an airport or had high pitched whistling during the wash cycles. So probably about 1/4 of a cup of dishwasher magic, and 3/4 of a cup borax. I also used the orange antibacterial dish soap. Hope this is helpful.

I used to use this recipe:

1:1 of borax and baking soda.

I do not recommend this as it doesn't clean very well.

Recipe for a few months-1year

1 box borax (76 oz)
1 box Washing soda (55 oz)
2 cups Espom Salt
1 container of Ball canning "Fruit Fresh" (5 oz)
1/4 cup of Dish washer magic
3/4 bottle of Dawn liquid dish soap (9 fl oz)

Make sure you stir very well to get the dish soap to be flaky. You will find you make a nice amount for about the cost of maybe near $10.

I use one heaping Table spoon.

Here are other recipes with more detail:

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2012/09/homemade-dishwasher-soap-save-money-right-now.html

http://www.thriftyniftymommy.com/2012/12/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-recipe.html?m=1

http://i-4details.blogspot.com/2012/10/homemade-dishwasher-gel-soap-green.html?m=1

Prior to this I used the liquid cascade and one cascade gel pack per wash. I suppose you could also use the homemade liquid and dry mix in the same manner. Either way both are effective in different ways.

Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener tips and recipes.

Ok, So Hopefully you have saved a container or two if you plan on making these liquid saving recipes and stretchers. Many families spend hundreds on laundry detergent and fabric softener alone... You can spend as little as approx 20 dollars a year for laundry detergent with the recipes listed below... And possibly even less on fabric softener...

Color safe bleach

As read in a Men's magazine when I was bored, Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a color safe bleach.  This will kill fecal bateria that can apparently linger in clothing. Use 2 tablespoons each load.

Most of my recipes are made in 5 gallon quanities so be prepared to be set for maybe a year for one person and ingredients to last you quite some time.

Also The bar soap you use or decide to use will give you varying results. I have also used Lever2000 and it worked for my liquid laundry detergent when I first started.

Chunks should be taken out and disgarded. These recipes are HE efficient, and will not clog your pipes or ruin the washer. Infact using these recipes I have yet to have a stinky washing machine.

Gel Laundry detergent:
1/3 bar of grated FelsNaptha
1/2 bar grated Zote or any bar soap your choice
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup WASHING soda
1 five gallon painters bucket with lid

This recipe with felsNaptha is great on stains like chocolate and other tough unpretreated new stains.

You will want a big pot and boil about a gallon of water, once that is boiling add your grated soap. To save time I run mine through the food processor with both blades, you will want something that can take a beating for grating soap. Stir til your soap is completely or mostly dissolved.
Add your borax and washing soda and stir it until it is dissolved.
Now you are going to somewhat fill your painters bucket half way with hot water from your sink and pour the liquid mixture in from your pot without too much splatter. If there is still more room add more hot water til it is about an inch away from the top of the bucket. Stir with a long spoon as to not burn your hands while trying to reach the bottom of the bucket.
The bucket will have to set for almost a week to gel. You can use 1/4 to 1/3 a cup of this gel, do not use anymore because of it's very powerful cleaners it can irritate your skin if too much is used. Avoid direct skin and eye contact with the gel detergent. Your washer will wash all of it out.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

This works great in bottles but you will need a five gallon painters bucket and pre existing store bought liquid laundry detergent of your choice.

1 cup liquid laundry detergent
1/2 cup of grated Ivory or whatever bar body soap you have on hand
1/3 cup of borax
1/3 cup of WASHING soda

You are going to add the ingredients the same into the pot as the first recipe, but you are going to fill your five gallon painters bucket with cold or cool water from your sink and pour your mixture in. Add more water til a half an inch from the lip and stir well every 3-5 hours.
This will set in 24 hours and I find it still looks ok later compared to the gel which tends to look like noodle soup later.
This recipe can be put into clean empty bottles of old store bought laundry detergent and use a half a cap full per wash.  Just shake before inital use.

Here is a link for liquid laundry detergent without store bought. (I also am so excited to try her recipe on making bar soap into bodywash.) http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/01/complete-photo-guide-to-making-your-own.html

Here is a link for dry Laundry detergent: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/08/make-a-years-worth-of-laundry-soap.html

WASHING soda, if you can't find it, go here to make your own: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/make-your-own-washing-soda-for-homemade-laundry-detergent.html

If you want to not go through the hassle and pay a little bit more I would strongly sugguest looking at this website: http://www.etsy.com/listing/119792766/natural-vegan-friendly-laundry-detergent?ref=cat_gallery_1

Fabric Softener:

If you have bounce sheets cut them in half! They are just as effective!

Store bought liquid fabric softener can be cut in half by using half as much or adding 1 part water to one part liquid fabric softener.

Fabric softener Recipe:

2 cups or one bottle of family sized sauve hair conditioner or you can use any conditioner. You can use any scent, but just beware as you cook it, it will be very strong!
3 cups Vinegar
6 cups of water

This will make 1 gallon of fabric softener, so be prepared with a clean gallon container.
Pour your water into your pot on the burner heat on, add your conditioner, and stir with your head away from the top of the pot. Once it is really stirred well add the vinegar and stir, the vinegar smell will not appear on your clothes.
Now pour into your container after letting it cool for a bit.
You can use two tablespoons or a downey ball per wash. Some people have been known to get a washcloth soak it in softener and add it to their load in the dryer like a softener sheet. This will not smell like store bought fabric softener but will do a fantastic job in softening your clothes and getting rid of static.

Organic Fabric softner Crystals:

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/01/make-your-own-fabric-softener-crystals.html
(you will find some very useful frugal information on her website. I am excited to try this too!)

Extreme alternative is to use 2 tablespoons of straight vinegar which is great for hard water and you will see vinegar has many other house hold uses. You may be able to smell on clothes after drying.

BONUS!
Homemade air freshener

Peels of an orange in a container, pour vinegar to barely cover orange peels. This will last a few days.

Homemade fabric refreshener

1/8 cup fabric softener into spray bottle, add water to fill or 2 cups... Shake! Done! (I guess you could also use this for static cling.)

Come back in before the end of the week for more money saving tips. Thanks!