Our dishwasher was leaving an awful lot of spotty residue. Our landlord recommended adding a bit of TSP to the detergent when we run it. So, we got some, but I didn’t really like the whole phosphate thing. It was taken OUT of the detergent for a reason. Plus, it really didn’t seem so magically effective.
We tried Glisten and I was pleased with how much that worked. BUT, how psyched was I tried 1/4 cup of white vinegar and found that it worked awesome! Now I can freecycle my TSP, and go natural with vinegar!
I subscribe to Jillee’s One Good Thing blog and love her ideas of making natural changes in the home. I have tried many of her recipes, and the newest for homemade dishwasher detergent intrigued me.
Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
* 1 cup Baking soda
* 1 cup Borax (natural disinfectant and mild abrasive444448888)
* 1/4 cup Kosher salt (reduces the effects of hard water)
* 1/4 cup citric acid (or two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid)
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of this mixture to your dishwasher detergent compartment along with 3 drops of dishwashing liquid. I didn’t have citric acid, so I ended up squeezing 2 lemons and adding a little spoonful of the juice to the dish-washing compartment. I’m not sure if this makes sense, but I went with it! I also added 1/4 cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and started the machine, as directed from Jilee’s original recipe. The result? My dishes came out great and I felt resourceful! 🙂
Now, what else can one do with Kosher salt? I have a box that I want to use up, any good ideas?
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