The truth is that I don't really use my dishwasher that much. Maybe once or twice a week unless I am baking or cooking more than usual. I usually use Casade with Gain because I love the smell. I don't have hard water so I really don't get any spots or anything. However, since I am not a big coupon user (this has to change!) I pay full price for the cascade at my local grocery store, maybe $4 or more for 20 dishwasher pods. Who needs to smell dishwasher tabs anyway? It's not like the dishes smell.
Goodbye, Casade with Gain. I'm moving on!
I already had all of these ingredients on hand. I had a huge bag of citric acid that I ordered on Ebay for bath bombs. However, you could also use lemonade flavored Kool-Aid for the citric acid. I was a little freaked out that I just happened to have an unopened container of kosher salt in my cupboard. I have no idea why except that I am a borderline hoarder and a former compulsive shopper!
After I started sneezing and feeling slightly dizzy, I started wearing a mask while pouring and mixing ingredients. I think the super washing soda is very fine and dusty so if you have a dust mask, wear it. In a pinch, I'll slip the bandana I usually wear on my head around my mouth and nose. You really don't want to breathe any fine powder in.
Again, this was a really easy recipe. You just measure, dump in a bowl and then mix everything together. I added my dishwashing detergent to an airtight container and label.{I had an issue of confusing my dishwashing detergent and accidently mixing laundry detergent with it!}
Use about 1 tablespoon per load. Some people recommend that you use vinegar as a rinse aid (Jet Dry) substitute.
On some blogs, there has been some debate as to the safety of using this in a dishwasher. However, a lot of people seem to be using this recipe without any issues. I am not an expert on dishwashers so you might want to do your own research before using a homemade detergent.
Links:
Different types of salt for cooking:
Using vinegar as a Jet Dry substitute:
A different recipe to try:
I wanted to make this recipe but I can't find my ice trays and I refuse to buy more:
