Make washing dishes easy with DIY [1] liquid dishwasher detergent that you can personalize with your favorite scent. This eco-friendly cleaner comes together with only a few ingredients and basically costs nothing, making it totally awesome. Use alongside DIY rinse aid [2] and your dishes will shine. Unlike brand-name detergents, this basic cleaner isn't super sudsy, but it's strong on shining power. Just make sure to wipe dishes before loading your dishwasher for best results.
What You'll Need
- 1 cup castile soap
- 1/4 cup washing soda
- 1 cup hot water
- 10-20 drops essential oil (optional)
- Small mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Plastic squeeze-top container
- Funnel
Directions:
- Measure and add the castile soap to the bowl, which you can find at most grocery or health food stores in a variety of scents. Castile soap is made from 100 percent plant oils and isn't a chemical detergent, like many other commercial soaps, so it's super eco-friendly.
- Sprinkle in the washing soda, which gives this detergent a bit of a kick. Washing soda is a detergent booster often used when doing laundry, but it also does a great job busting through grease and gunk on your dishes. And you can even make your own [3] if you don't have any on hand from basic baking soda.
- Now slowly add the hot water and whisk gently until the washing soda dissolves. You can also add your favorite essential oil [4] to scent your dishwasher detergent and add extra antibacterial power. Let cool and pour into a squeeze-top container using a funnel as needed.
- To use, squirt around 1 tablespoon of the dishwasher detergent into the detergent holder and run your dishwasher. Enjoy the lovely natural shine!