We ran out of automatic dishwashing soap today. I knew we were low and was planning to run to the dollar store. However the torrential rain sent me looking for an alternative. A quick Internet search yielded a bunch of recipes. So after reviewing a few I decided to try this one out.
This was quick and easy and all of the ingredients are items I always have on hand.
1/2 cup liquid castile soap - I use Dr. Bronners
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil - known for its antibacterial properties
1/4 cup white vinegar
Combine the castile soap and water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until blended evenly. Store in a squeeze bottle. When I first mixed the ingredients they were still liquid and easy to pour. By the time I used the soap it had become a gel similar in consistency to store bought dishweasher soap.
The original recipe said to use 2 Tablespoons per wash in a standard-size dishwasher. I used a little less and was very pleased with the results.
I love that this is safe for my family and the environment. It is economical and oh so easy to make. I think this will be a keeper.
Yay! This has been on my mental list of things I wanted to research next. I'm going to have to try this. I'm not familiar with liquid castile soap. Where might I find it? Also, the tea tree oil.
ReplyDeleteI've been using our homemade laundry soap on the cloth diapers and it's working well so far. Thanks!
Stephenie
Glad to hear the laundry soap is working. As for the Castile soap and tea tree oil, you should be able to find both at your local health food store or coop. I am even able to find them in the health food/natural section at the regular gracery store.
ReplyDeleteCastile soap is a natural, low sudsing soap. I also use it in the baby wipe solution.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil known for its antibacterial properties. I also use this in the baby wipe solution as well as other homemade cleaners. It also works wonders on mosquito bites.
Essential oils can seem a bit pricy, but a LITTLE goes a long way.
HTH