By a show of hands, who has a love hate relationship with your dishwasher?
We started having this problem with our dishwasher, in that we would run a load of dishes, and they always came out dingy or still dirty. We had gotten to the point where we had to practically wash the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. What. A. Waste. I started doing some research and found that it could be that the filter in our dishwasher may need a good rinsing and how vinegar was supposed to be really good at keeping your dishwasher functioning well.
We always used a “natural” detergent tablet, but I thought to myself that there had to be a better (and cheaper) way.
So my search began.
I found TONS of recipes online. But they all contained ingredients that I either didn’t have on hand, or I knew would be considered a specialty ingredient that would most likely need to be ordered through Amazon or someplace similar. I wanted to make something NOW. So I pulled from a few various recipes to create my very own blend. And I must say…it works wonders! No more extreme-pre-rinsing. And I know every single ingredient is 100% safe, natural, and effective!
So this recipe is super simple, and it took me less than 15 minutes to mix it all up and spoon into the molds. I let it set up over night and voila! Homemade detergent tablets at a fraction of the cost of the store bought stuff. AND I know that IF one of my crazy, curious kids ever got their hands (or mouth) on one, I don’t have to freak out or call poison control. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna toss one of these tablets to them for a tasty afternoon treat. I’ll still keep them stored in a jar, away from their reach. 😉
This recipe can easily be doubled. Just make sure you have enough silicone molds on hand, or your mixture will harden in the bowl. If you don’t have silicone molds, I’m sure you could use ice cube trays (just don’t fill them all the way up…halfway should do the trick).
Where I get my Oils
I only use and trust dōTERRA essential oils for my family. I will work on a post on WHY at a later time… BUT…If you haven’t jumped onto the essential oil wagon yet, now is the time. I have some special offers for new members this month, and you can get the Lemon essential oil and On Guard Cleaner Concentrate that I mention, at wholesale prices (with no required monthly orders or selling)! Shoot me a comment or message if you’d like help getting started!
- 1 1/4 cup Washing Soda
- Juice from 3 lemons
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 teaspoon On Guard Cleaner Concentrate or Castille Soap
- 10 drops dōTERRA Lemon Essential Oil
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Spoon desired amount into silicone molds (I only filled halfway, so I could ensure the tablets would fit in the little pocket inside the dishwasher).
- Place molds in a warm room to set for 24 hours.
- When they have hardened, store them in an airtight container and use like a regular dish tablet.
Be sure that your mixture isn’t too runny. You can add a little more of the dry ingredients until you reach a good consistency.
What is washing soda?
I use the Arm & Hammer brand – you can find it in the laundry aisle at the store. Here is what it looks like.