We ran out of dishwasher detergent the other day and even though I went to the store, I forgot to buy some more.  I hate when that happens!  So, we had a bunch of dishes that needed to be run, no detergent and I wasn’t about to go back to the store just for dishwasher soap.  After Googling some homemade recipes, most of which call for Borax, I decided that I could make my own.  I think I’ve seen recipes that use Borax to kill ants and I don’t think it’s something I want to use on things that we eat off of.  I’m sure it’s harmless, and probably better than what’s in regular dishwasher detergent (we generally stick to the eco-friendly brands), but still… if I’m going to be making it, why not try leaving it out?

I sort of invented my own recipe and so far, it’s been working great.  I have no complaints– no residue is left on the dishes, they’re all super clean and they smell good too.  I can’t say for sure that this will work for everyone considering the variety of dishwashers out there, some people have hard/soft water, some people may not rinse the dishes as thoroughly as we do, but it works for us.  When a bottle of the eco-friendly stuff can cost as much as $6 or $7 for a small bottle (and the regular stuff has toxic chemicals in it), why not give it a try?!

Image from Treehugger.com

1 cup baking soda

1 cup hot water

1-2 TB natural soap (I used Dr. Bronner’s)

When your dishwasher detergent bottle is empty, combine the above ingredients and refill it!  Shake to thoroughly combine.  When it’s time to run your dishwasher, use 1-2 TB of the detergent in the “soap” container of the dishwasher and use 1 TB white vinegar in the “rinse” container.