homemade dishwasher detergent.

sometime early last year, i started using dishwasher detergent without phosphates.  just another little thing i believed i could do to try and be more green.  my husband is convinced that since we moved, i have been transformed into a tree hugger.  i'd say he's partially right.  i have indeed become more aware of my surroundings and things i can do that make a difference.

back to phosphates…  phosphates in our water system contribute to the growth of algae which in turn depletes oxygen needed for aquatic life to survive.  so thus, me trying to avoid them.  i first tried a phosphate free powder from costco.  love it.  it worked well, i didn't have to make any other changes to my normal dish washing routine and it wasn't any more expensive than what i had been using previously.  perfect!  until costco quit carrying it…

then i moved on to method's smarty dish tablets.  they worked well at first, but then i felt there was residue that was being left behind and the tablets were more expensive than what i had been using.  thus the quest continued.

for the past two months, i've been using my own homemade concoction.  i've been making my own household cleaners since the beginning of the year so it seemed like the logical next step.  i love being able to make my own cleaners as they're safer to use around the girls and the furry boy.  they're also much cheaper to create than buying something off the shelf. 

i was thrilled with the results from my homemade detergent at first, and then started getting residue similar to the smarty tablets.  after a bit of troubleshooting, i found that if i do more of a prewash of the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, all was well and everyone [who am i kidding, really it's just me i'm talking about] was happy again.

i'd definitely recommend creating your own detergent as well – here's what you'll need :

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

combine all ingredients in a lidded container and shake well to combine.  i'm using a container that someone brought us food in after L was born.  the citric acid will cause the powder to clump – similar to what you've seen in commercial powdered detergents – but it works just fine.  then simply use 1 tablespoon of detergent per load.  that's all there is to it!

another thing that helps?  forget the commercial rinse-aid and simply fill the compartment with white vinegar.  works like a dream.