A while ago I tried out making my own laundry detergent. I got the recipe from Matt Jabs over at Debt Free Adventure. I’m still using the laundry detergent and have even converted a few friends and family! Matt also has a recipe for dishwasher detergent that caught my interest when I was trying the laundry soap but in the interest of pacing myself, I waited on it.
When I was ready to try the dishwasher detergent I went back and found Matt’s recipe. It called for citric acid. He had a link to buy it on Amazon, and I thought about it, but upon doing further research I found some other people had made the detergent using Lemonade Kool-Aid packets, which are a lot easier for me to come by. The number 1 ingredient in those packets is citric acid. I wasn’t sure how many packets to use in a single batch, so I guessed. I used 4 packets. My dishes come out clean and sparkley – so it must be alright!
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
- 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
- 4 packets lemonade flavor Kool-Aid powder (unsweetened – I buy the off-brand)
- 1/4 cup salt (Kosher salt recommended)
Directions:
Pour it all into a resealable container and shake it up. Use 1 tablespoon per cycle.
Need a rinse aid? Use vinegar.
I have been very pleased with the results of this detergent. My dishes seem to be a more sparkley clean, which I love, and making it this way is less expensive than buying it. It has officially been added to my ever-growing arsenal of homemade products!
Why I do what I do ~ Me- “Chloe it’s almost nap time.” Chloe- “I don’t want to sleep.” Me- “Well, you’re going to take a rest and the great part is that I’m going to let you pick which bed to sleep in.” Chloe- “That is NOT a great part.”
~To support the ongoing production of this site, I use affiliate marketing. The links in this post for Borax and Super Washing Soda are both Amazon Affiliate links. Purchasing products through these links brings money to this site, however, I still encourage you to shop around and get the best price possible.~
If you enjoyed this post you may want to subscribe to free updates by RSS feed or Email.
Related posts:
- I Tried It – Homemade Laundry Detergent
- Ask My Readers: Homemade Cleaners
- Washing A Shower Curtain Liner
- Baking Soda Paste – A Stain Remover
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome Nicki, congrats on your success… we are still using our homemade detergents and loving it!
Yeah, I always had citric acid so I never had to use koolaid. I buy the citric acid at a local brewery, but a lot of people use my links to buy it off Amazon.
However you can get the citric acid, get it… it is the KEY ingredient. If it is not used the dishes come out really cloudy.
I’m so excited — I can’t wait to try this. I’ve tried every eco-friendly dishwasher detergent out there and have yet to find one I’m really happy with. If this works, I’ll be thrilled.
I already make my own laundry detergent have saved a lot of money as a result.
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for posting this. I had made some homemade without the citric acid and my dishes were cloudy, but I’m going to try this new formula.
BTW, I find citric acid at the health food store. But I bet the lemon drink mix makes it smell great.
Annie Jones´s last blog ..Tired of Old Man Winter