Homemade Dish Washing Soap

[queentea]

Ok, I have make my own laundry soap, I have got the vinegar and baking soda to start using when the cleaning products run out, but does anyone have a recipe or item that they use (to save money )to wash the dishes with?  Not in the dishwasher, the sink.  Also what do you all use for mirrors or windows?  This stuff really helps me feel better about having to spend more on our food budget anyway I can save is good

[kittyninja]

I'm pretty sure you can use a vinegar and water mix for windows and mirrors. I need dish soap also. still deciding on buying castile soap  ($35 for a gallon of unscented online-at the store they have hemp unscented...don't like the smell of hemp  )to use for everything else...well dishes, dog, bath soap...it would be neat to have one bottle that you mix into other bottles and just add the smellies as you wish...in the meantime....i need to do the dishes
kittyninja

[bighornbound]

This is exactly what I do, I use vinegar to clean everything, and it works great!  I was blessed and found a gallon of castille soap for $3!  That was exciting! The nice thing is that you do not have to use as much! It seems to be pretty concentrated.  I have used lemon rind and juice to clean with too.

[queentea]

where do I get this Castile soap?  Is it only internet order or can I find it at Walmart or another store?

[dara]

You just have to look around. My grocery and health food stores carry it...

[Christal]

Our health food store also carries Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap in half gallons for about $14 and I found gallon sizes (before I looked at the health store) for $28 plus $5.25 shipping on Amazon.com.  Amazon had lots of other brands too, so you might find a better deal if you want to take time to compare.  I think there was three pages or more.

[OnlyJesusSaves]

I was wondering how to make your own dishwashing soap?  I want it as natural as possible, with out harmful chemicals but also that won't hurt the septic.  I was thinking of just putting in some baking soda and vinegar and maybe some lemon essential oil for smell, but not sure if this would be good to clean and how much to use of each.  I would like to know how to do this so please help.  Also so I don't have to search (we have dial up and it takes so long to search) what are some quick and easy no harmful chemicals or fragrance laundry soaps I can make my self, also cheap?  Thanks NV

[Christal]

Try this thread:

http://welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,950.0.html

I had trouble getting it to come up in the search box but knew it was here because I had printed it for MIL.

[dara]

Also mamasboys' recipes:

http://welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,1070.msg6841.html#msg6841

[WithLoveAndJoy]

We use baking soda in the regular soap dispenser and white vinegar in the Jet Dry dispenser and our dishes actually clean BETTER than when we used powdered dish detergent.  So, as long as you run the washer on heated settings, the dishes should be sanitized and clean.

[lovingmomof2]

OK.  I tried the baking soda and vinegar in the dishwasher and my dishes came out with a dull film on them.  Besides the film they seem to be clean.  Has anyone else had this problem?  And if so what did you do?

[CinCapri]

OK.  I tried the baking soda and vinegar in the dishwasher and my dishes came out with a dull film on them.  Besides the film they seem to be clean.  Has anyone else had this problem?  And if so what did you do?

That happened to me too. So I put 1/2 borax and 1/2 baking soda in the dispenser then filled up the "jet dry" spot with vinegar and they came out great!

~Cinnamon

[Julia]

Okay, so the only way to have natural dish soap that anyone knows of is to use castille soap? I've seen that at the health food store but I've only looked at it to balk at the price. What is it exactly?

[SC]

I thought I'd share what I've been doing lately that seems to work nicely for dishes in the sink.

I make my own liquid soap (1 bar soap to 2 gallons water) from a homemade bar soap I purchase locally. I put a squirt of this into the dish water. This is good enough to clean most stuff, but stubborn food can be a challenge, so I add 3 or 4 tablespoons (I have very hard water) of this dishwasher/scouring powder formula to the sink.

That's enough to get all of the dishes clean, but I noticed that a film will sometimes adhere to the glass and/or plasticwear. So, to solve that problem, I add a little vinegar to the rinse water and everything seems to sparkle.

[Angelle]

I use miracle soap which is similar to castille soap. In order to make it last longer I use a Pampered Chef suds pump. You only use 1 oz. of soap and then fill with water. It makes the soap come out as foam. It makes the soap last much longer, you are far less likely to overuse the concentrated stuff. I usually fill my pumps every month or two. I use my pump at the sink to wash dishes and have one in the bathrooms for hand washing and bathing. My 4 year old can wash herself using this. I have seen similar foam pumps other places online.

A friend of mine uses castille soap in hers. It will work for any kind of non mosturizing soap.

[Sonja]

I've searched for a recipe for homemade dish soap (for the sink), but haven't found it.

Someone mentioned using castille soap in a foamer.  That's what I'd like to do, but I think it needs some antibacterial agent.  Would using GSE in a mix of castille soap and water be good enough?

Sonja

[WithLoveAndJoy]

I would say that if you use hot water to wash your dishes, that should be antibacterial enough.  Or if something needed special cleansing a spritz-down with vinegar would be sufficient.  That is just my thought.  GSE may work though if you added it to castille soap.

[makingchanges]

Does anyone have a recipe for homemade dish soap for the sink? I got some from the store and I will be out in a few days. I wanted to make some dish soap  if it would be cheaper. Any ideas?

[carolinachic]

Does anyone have a recipe for homemade dish soap for the sink? I got some from the store and I will be out in a few days. I wanted to make some dish soap  if it would be cheaper. Any ideas?

I don't know if this would be considered proper dish washing but I just take a half cup or whole cup of my homeade laundry detergent and add it to my sink of hot water and add vinegar! Seems to work for me and its cheap and already made!

[YoopreMama]

I make my own liquid soap (1 bar soap to 2 gallons water) from a homemade bar soap I purchase locally. I put a squirt of this into the dish water.

Thank you for the great, simple idea, SC!   

I've been trying to avoid SLS in liquid soap and dish soap...so I took your example...melted up small bits of soap from the soap dish and most of a new Coal Tar bar and made 2 gallons of liquid soap!  Now I'll try it washing dishes, too!  It's grey, but foamy and smells clean.  Yee haw!   

Thanks a bunch!

[Lavender~Rosemary]

I found this recipe today for home made dish soap.  I believe it is for washing them in the sink not the dishwasher.

"Save that empty dish-soap bottle, and refill it with a homemade dish soap. Fill a 22-ounce squirt bottle with Castile soap, which is a pure odorless soap. Add 15 drops of lemon or lemongrass essential oil, six drops of lavender essential oil and five drops of bergamot essential oil."
These instructions were found at this link:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_cleaning_tips_hints/article/0,1801,HGTV_3111_1383418,00.html
Does this sound like a good idea?  I wouldn't know 
Stacy

[Lavender~Rosemary]

This link had some recipes for making your own castile soap:
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soaprecipes/a/castrecipe.htm

This link talks about what castile soap is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap

This link tells you how to make castile soap with grocery store ingredients:
http://nyny.essortment.com/castilesoap_reqf.htm

[dara]

Reply #13 on: December 09, 2006, 02:05:48 PM » by SC
I thought I'd share what I've been doing lately that seems to work nicely for dishes in the sink.

I make my own liquid soap (1 bar soap to 2 gallons water) from a homemade bar soap I purchase locally. I put a squirt of this into the dish water. This is good enough to clean most stuff, but stubborn food can be a challenge, so I add 3 or 4 tablespoons (I have very hard water) of this dishwasher/scouring powder formula to the sink.

That's enough to get all of the dishes clean, but I noticed that a film will sometimes adhere to the glass and/or plasticwear. So, to solve that problem, I add a little vinegar to the rinse water and everything seems to sparkle.

Does this work with hard water?

[boysmama]

most stuff, but stubborn food can be a challenge, so I add 3 or 4 tablespoons (I have very hard water) of this dishwasher/scouring powder formula to the sink.

I am having trouble using the link provided for the scouring powder. Would you mind reposting the details of that powder? Thanks. 

[herbalmom]

I am having trouble using the link provided for the scouring powder. Would you mind reposting the details of that powder? Thanks. 

Here you go:

I just found this recipe recently at
www.thenewhomemaker.com/dishwasherpowder

It is good as a scouring powder also. In addition to that, I use it in my sink with dishes that I wash by hand. In looking back over the ingredients, I figure between the salt and the baking soda, I may have been getting a nice heavy metal detox at the same time!

Note: My water is quite hard out of the tap. I use 3 or 4 tablespoons of this to a sink full of dishwater with a squirt of my homemade liquid soap. I get 2 gallons of liquid soap from one grated bar of bath soap.

The formula
Here, after much experimenting, is the formula for dishwashing powder.

    In a plastic container with a firmly fitting lid, mix:
    1 cup borax (20-Mule-Team Borax, available in any supermarket)
    1 cup baking soda
    1/4 cup salt
    1/4 cup citric acid (available in brewing stores among other places--if you haven't tracked it down yet but must try this formula, use two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon, or you'll dye your dishwasher! and ONLY unsweetened Kool-Aid!)
    30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixture

    Put all of it in the container, shake it up.

To use, put a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher. I've found I no longer have to use the scrubbing cycle but can get by fine with the short cycle, thus saving even more money. On average, it looks like this is about 8 cents a load compared with Cascade at 22 cents a load. Compare it with EcoVer or Seventh Generation and it's a steal. I have also started putting some of this in a shaker canister--the one I have we got at a restaurant supply, it's aluminum and was made for popcorn salt. I use it to clean my sink and anything else that I'd normally use Bon Ami on. Works great, and the essential oil makes it smell fantastic.

I double the recipe to make a good sized container. Also, I only use 15 drops of lemon essential oil per recipe and that seems to work very well for me.

[SC]

Thanks herbalmom!

Here is my modified formula that I use now. Since I use it for scouring, washing dishes in the sink AND for the dishwasher, it comes in handy to make it in a larger quantity. I keep it in a sealable bucket inside a zippered, plastic bag.

2 cups borax
2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup salt
1 cup citric acid
30 drops lemon essential oil

We don't miss the store bought brand a bit.

[healthybratt]

The link is fixed.

[herbalmom]

Thanks herbalmom!

Here is my modified formula that I use now. Since I use it for scouring, washing dishes in the sink AND for the dishwasher, it comes in handy to make it in a larger quantity. I keep it in a sealable bucket inside a zippered, plastic bag.

2 cups borax
2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup salt
1 cup citric acid
30 drops lemon essential oil

We don't miss the store bought brand a bit.

SC,
How about posting your new version on the dishwasher soap thread? Thanks, this looks like an easy version of it & using it for cleanser & washing dishes in the sink is great, less items to keep track of. Blessings ~herbalmom

[Isaacsmama]

I found these recipes, follow the link:
http://www.homemakingcottage.com/home/Dish%20Soaps.htm

Think Ill try one soon.

[Julia]

This isn't homemade, but it's natural - I bought some at the grocery store and it's called Earth Friendly Products Ultra Dishmate. They also had another brand, and they were advertised as being environmentally friendly. The soap part is derived from coconut oil and the other ingredients are salt, almond oil, and cherry oil. No SLS or Cocamide DEA. It's clear and smells nice and seems to work. It was $3.50 for the 25 oz. bottle which I figure isn't too bad - I normally pay $1.50ish for a bottle and I've been watering this down some. Looks like they a lot of stuff and it's only 2.89 on the website. www.ecos.com

I think the brand Method is supposed to be natural but I haven't looked at the ingredients. They sell it at Target and I've seen $1 off coupons in the paper. All I can find about the ingredients is that they are non-toxic. http://www.methodhome.com/