Mom28kds Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I make my own laundery det. but was thinking about trying a homemade dishwashing det. There are a couple different recipes with mixed reviews. If you do this or have done this what recipe did you use and are you happy with it? I want to use a powder kind for the dishwasher. Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 We make our own laundry detergent and other household cleaners, and we tried a few difference recipes for dishwasher detergent. None of them worked very well, so it's back to ordering cases on Amazon. Caveats: we have very hard water and a not-so-great machine in our rental. Still, we had significant mineral deposits on our glasses (annoying but not deal breaker) and loads weren't getting clean with one wash (THAT'S the deal breaker.) The recipes were all kind of fussy, too: some used Borax, others didn't (and there's some dispute about the healthfulness of using Borax, especially for things that will certainly come in contact with food). Most called for citric acid, which you could get in the canning supply section (pricey!), or called for unsweetened powdered lemonade mix as another source of citric acid. We had to mix in very small batches, as they'd seize up into a big brick of detergent. In the end, it wasn't cheaper OR more convenient, and probably not any healthier for us or the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Not a recipe but an idea. Before there were different type of soaps for everything, people used soap to wash things. Soap was a dried out block of yellow soap, the kind you can still sometimes find in blocks that you snap of about 5 cakes from. At least you could, I haven't seen any for a while. Museums sometimes have homemade wire cages on a handle that you put a cake of soap in and agitate in the water. To make it soapy. I've also seen these used as a kid. We've used soap a few times when we've run out of dishwasher. We either just use the cake or put it in an onion bag. Can leave dishes soapy tasting if not rinsed but it works fine. This sort of thing (but I've only seen home made versions).... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1930s-dishwashing-soap-bar-wire-frother-/111231092443 Soap lasts better and gets more mellow if aged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The problem with soap is that it can damage some of the components, seals mostly I think, of a dishwasher. It really shouldn't be used in one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 I'm thinking it might not be worth it. Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I'm thinking it might not be worth it. Thanks!!! Ultimately this is the bottom line. I tried various homemade options for dishwashing, and they never worked as well. Then we tried some of the cheaper store brand granulated versions, and we found that they left granules in the bottom of the dishwasher that weren't dissolving. And we found some of those granules in the motor too when the dishwasher went out. So then we tried store brand gels. And guess what? I have a six-year-old dishwasher that is still going strong. We found a particular store brand that we like, so I stock up when it goes on sale. Same with laundry. Lots and lots of problems with homemade stuff. I was looking for scent-free, allergy-friendly and cheap. I tried both liquid and granulated, and never got the results I really wanted in terms of cleaning and dealing with odor. A friend gave me some granulated detergent that she buys in bulk on Amazon and splits with a friend. Bingo! Great stuff, and just slightly more expensive than homemade when you split it up. I do make homemade cleaners, but dishwashing and laundry detergent just didn't work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Ultimately this is the bottom line. I tried various homemade options for dishwashing, and they never worked as well. Then we tried some of the cheaper store brand granulated versions, and we found that they left granules in the bottom of the dishwasher that weren't dissolving. And we found some of those granules in the motor too when the dishwasher went out. So then we tried store brand gels. And guess what? I have a six-year-old dishwasher that is still going strong. We found a particular store brand that we like, so I stock up when it goes on sale. Same with laundry. Lots and lots of problems with homemade stuff. I was looking for scent-free, allergy-friendly and cheap. I tried both liquid and granulated, and never got the results I really wanted in terms of cleaning and dealing with odor. A friend gave me some granulated detergent that she buys in bulk on Amazon and splits with a friend. Bingo! Great stuff, and just slightly more expensive than homemade when you split it up. I do make homemade cleaners, but dishwashing and laundry detergent just didn't work for me. What is the name of the dish det you found? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 What is the name of the dish det you found? It depends on where you live, but we like Wegman's gel detergent best. They don't put it on sale very often at all, but when they do, I buy a dozen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Ultimately this is the bottom line. I tried various homemade options for dishwashing, and they never worked as well. Then we tried some of the cheaper store brand granulated versions, and we found that they left granules in the bottom of the dishwasher that weren't dissolving. And we found some of those granules in the motor too when the dishwasher went out. So then we tried store brand gels. And guess what? I have a six-year-old dishwasher that is still going strong. We found a particular store brand that we like, so I stock up when it goes on sale. Same with laundry. Lots and lots of problems with homemade stuff. I was looking for scent-free, allergy-friendly and cheap. I tried both liquid and granulated, and never got the results I really wanted in terms of cleaning and dealing with odor. A friend gave me some granulated detergent that she buys in bulk on Amazon and splits with a friend. Bingo! Great stuff, and just slightly more expensive than homemade when you split it up. I do make homemade cleaners, but dishwashing and laundry detergent just didn't work for me. do tell, please. can you post a link to yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I used my own for about a year and it worked reasonably well but I would still have a film, finally we gave it up, it wasn't worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 We tried too, and it just wasn't cutting it. I am happy with our laundry detergent though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 We tried the borax versions and we weren't very happy with them. They left a film. I heard that vinegar in the rinse would help with the film. I never tried it. Lately, we have been using a scant 1/2 teaspoon of blue dawn in each cup and some baking soda just sprinkled on the door with vinegar in the rinse. It's been working very, very well. Surprisingly well! It doesn't handle really greasy pots and pans, but that's okay. We started off with a quarter teaspoon and worked up to what seems to clean well and yet not make a soapy mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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