I made my own dishwashing detergent! Following this tutorial from a blog that sadly no longer updates (and which I discovered on Pinterest, of course), I spent a few dollars and five minutes to whip up I-don’t-know-how-many loads worth of detergent. How many? I don’t know, I’m bad at math. Hold on. 
Baking Soda: 2 cups
Borax: 2 cups
Sugar-free lemonade drink mix: approx. 1 oz. (one of these packets, or four Koolaid-sized packets)
You can also use 4 oz of citric acid, but my grocery store is awful, and I’m surprised I even found the borax. I’m not sure if the drink mix adds any cleaning properties, but it didn’t add a whole lot of lemony-ness (which is fine with me).
Mix together and shake shake shake… and make a mess…
I intended to pour it directly from the jug, but it, like baking soda, doesn’t pour very well, so a scooping method is better. A big mason jar or an old cous-cous container is perfect. I taped over the label in case it gets wet.
I was really excited to have officially finished my first Pinterest project. Yay! Dish soap!
And, best of all, it WORKS! I used two tablespoons–one in the main closing compartment, one in the “pre-wash” open one. I also added some white vinegar to the Jet-Dry compartment, and none of the dishes (glasses, silver, or ceramics) smell like lemons or vinegar. Or chemicals. They just smell like clean dishes. I am awesome.
Okay, time for math.
2 cups of borax: $1
2-cup box of baking soda: $0.57
One packet lemon drink mix: $0.50
Vinegar in Jet-dry compartment: negligible
Grand total: $2.07 per batch.
Yields 4 cups, and at 2 tablespoons per load, that’s 32 loads of dishes in my cous-cous container. At a nickel a load. Haven’t done the math on how much a box of Seventh Generation costs. Don’t care. Mine’s better.
You are awesome indeed!
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Cute blog! I stumbled upon the post with the rain crayons on the canvas, and what a surprise it is to see a Terrapin glass on this page! I go to UGA and love Terrapin. Keep up the creative posts!
Thanks, Olivia! I grew up in Athens and the Terrapin glasses are my favorite!
Wonderful recipe for dishwashers. I have severe chemical sensitivities to all scent and cleaning products. I have been buying green items for our dishwasher and rinse aid but I am definitely trying yours. I use discs and borax in my wash which costs pennies a year and so much safer for us and our environment. Great job at helping keeping one safe and our planet a this all goes into our water and air.