Homemade Dishwashing Detergent and Rinse Aid

 Hello friends, it has been a bit since I have been online. I started a new early morning part time job, so between kids, house, hubby, work and church, I have had little time to blog..So finally here is my post on Homemade Dishwashing Detergent! 

I was very excited to run out of my store bought detergent so that I could try this out. So instead of going to the store, I decided to make my own. I found the recipe online. Thank you The New Homemaker!
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/dishwasherpowder

I used:
1 cup Borax
1 cup  Arm and Hammer Washing soda  * Not baking soda!!
1/4 kosher salt
2 lemonade kool-aid packets. ( or 1/4 cup of citric acid)
Put in 1 TBS per Load

Rinse Aid:
Vinegar


 Since I made my homemade laundry detergent I already had what I needed to make this. Stir mixture well.  Put in a seal-able container. I put mine in a large yogurt container and added a measuring tablespoon to the container. I put a masking tape label on it, with the name "5 Bears Dishwasher Detergent" and wrote "1 TBS Per Load"

I had done some research on it and some say that most "green" products like this will leave a cloudy residue on the clear plastics. I did not have that issue. I use vinegar in the rinse aid compartment and it seems to do the job of  rinsing everything quite clean with no cloudy residue.


Review:
I have been using this now for over a month and just started my next batch. I recommend stirring each time you open the container to mix it up and then add your detergent in your dishwasher. Some people who have made this say that it may clump due to the citric acid, but again, I stir it each time and it has yet to clump on me.  I like it. It is easy to make, it works  and is  cheap..even better. Oh yes, and it smells good too.  I have a cheap dishwasher from our previous owners of our home, so I usually scrape most of what I can from plates before I wash. I have not tested it on dishes that are coated in food and its effectiveness on those. But for soiled dishes that have been scraped well, it works for me. :) Happy washing!