# Dishwasher soap?



## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

Hello All!
I've succesfully made the switch to homemade laundry soap, and now I'm ready to tackle dish soap. I'm looking for some help, since I've read that a lot of people have had a hard time with dishwasher soap.
I need recipe suggestions for the soap, and also what to use as a rinse agent?
(I know it's probably been asked a million times in this forum, sorry!)
Thanks!!!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I have never had homemade dishwasher detergent work as well as the commercial kind. You can use citric acid or vinegar as a rinse agent.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

equal parts borax and washing soda.

Like linn, it doesn't work as well as commercial


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

Wow, now that's an easy recipe! Should it be plain washing soda, or can I use my box of "So Clean" washing soda? (which has fragrance and surfractants)


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## Renae (Jun 28, 2011)

Here ya go.. I made this and works well for me.. the Octagon is specifically for dishwashing.. Vinegar in the rinse..

http://annienygma.com/2011/02/homemade-dishwashing-liquid-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-4441


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

Thanks Renae! Super easy recipe...... 
I do wonder about replacing the Octagon with something more natural / eco friendly..... 
Do you like the recipe compared to commercial? I've been using an eco-friendly dishwasher soap, they don't work as well as the big brands, so I'm used to kinda crappy perfomance.


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## Renae (Jun 28, 2011)

I buy eco whenever I can but I have been using the store brand stuff so for me this recipe works just as well as what I have been buying.. and for the few pennies it costs me I can throw the fork that didnt get clean back in for another go.. As far as replacing the Octagon, maybe try a Castille soap like Dr. Bronners or maybe Kirks?? but you do only use half a bar of Octagon per batch and it is made specifically for dishes so that might be something to keep in mind.


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## Renae (Jun 28, 2011)

I just thought maybe I should clairfy what I said.. Octagon is for any use around the house, laundry, cleaning etc, however it also lists dishwashing as one of its many uses. Now I use Fels-Naptha for my laundry soap and it says heavy duty and laundry on the label but no dishwashing suggested. Thats how I should have said it. 




Renae said:


> I buy eco whenever I can but I have been using the store brand stuff so for me this recipe works just as well as what I have been buying.. and for the few pennies it costs me I can throw the fork that didnt get clean back in for another go.. As far as replacing the Octagon, maybe try a Castille soap like Dr. Bronners or maybe Kirks?? but you do only use half a bar of Octagon per batch and it is made specifically for dishes so that might be something to keep in mind.


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

No worries Renae.... I understood! 
I got ingredients lists for fels and kirks a while back while making laundry soap, I definitely wouldn't want to do dishes with them! (Or laundry for that matter, since I'm really sensitive to chemical fragrance and ingredients, and I choose not to use any products that contain animal ingredients.) 
I think the cheapness factor of Octagon will outweigh the small amount of nasties in it. If I can find the stuff! It may not be so cheap if I have to get it shipped to Canada......
I'm gonna try mullers' recipe in the meantime.


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## Renae (Jun 28, 2011)

Most castilles are made with lard so thats prob wont work for you. I saw Octagon online but it was pretty expensive I thought. I just bought some at Food City on sale for .59 each. Of course a bought a few. I dont know if you have a Food City or not. But grocery stores here do carry a few more different soaps than most large retail stores such as Wal-Mart. Good Luck..


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

It's true, most soaps in general are made of tallow. Kinda sad. (for me.... maybe not for most! 
It's my understanding that a true castille soap is a pure olive oil soap, but it's amazing how many out there don't have olive oil at all.
I've been using Kiss My Face olive oil bar soap (pure!) in my laundry soap recipe, instead of Fels, and it's works great! 
I'm wondering how it might work on the dishes......
I've got to get through the last of my store bought dishsoap, and then it's time for a trial of a few recipes I think.


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi y'all - new to HT, so please be patient with me.

I'm a little confused as to if the soap recipe in the video is for hand-washing dishes or for the mechanical dish washing machine?

I've never made any kind of soap before in my life, but want to start making my own for laundry and hand washing dishes as well as for the dishwasher.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I think she means hand dishwashing, otherwise she would have specified dishwasher soap.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Renae said:


> Most castilles are made with lard


No

'Castile' soap is made with 100% Olive Oil. If you want to be OCD, Castile soap is made using Olive Oil with olives grown in the Castile area.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I have been trying to use the advertised eco friendly dishwasher detergents in my dishwasher. I have noticed that there is always a residue left on the dishes. I thought my dishwasher was going bad, so when the repairman was here to look at my washing machine, I had him look at the dishwasher. The verdict was, it is not the dishwasher, but the dishwasher detergent. I asked him which did the best job and he told me Cascade Complete. I bought some and he was right, it works a lot better than the other. Sorry, but it is true.


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## misaliss (Mar 15, 2011)

interested in making a liquid dish soap...any suggestions?


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

Renae said:


> Here ya go.. I made this and works well for me.. the Octagon is specifically for dishwashing.. Vinegar in the rinse..
> 
> http://annienygma.com/2011/02/homemade-dishwashing-liquid-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-4441


thank you!


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Linn, I was having the same problem, and I already use Cascade Complete. But I have well water, and it has a lot of calcium in it. I have a big 5 gallon bucket full of vinegar, and about every 6 weeks, I have to descale all my dishes, as when the calcium builds up, the food sticks & the dishes don't come clean.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

My repairman told me to run citric acid through the dishwasher every so often, I guess to clean out the lime deposits. I am using a commercial rinse agent, maybe I should add vinegar also.


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

linn...... I get a residue from "eco" detergents as well, but only if my rinse agent is empty.

mullers..... you make me laugh!!! (but, lot's of soaps that advertise themselves as castille are not pure castille. ) 

misaliss.... get your own thread, don't highjack mine cousin!


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## misaliss (Mar 15, 2011)

I did not even realise that you had started one for the exact same reason I was looking!! Going to try the borax/washing soda method.....still would like a liquid version tho......maybe I have been brainwashed (pun intended) into expecting it to be liquid...


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

ya but my question was for dishWASHER soap. which you don't have. unless you count john.


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

My recipe is 1 TBSP ea of Borax, baking soda, and citric acid (or tang). Just fill the compartment to the fill line. If you get streaks add more citric acid. Most people also use vinegar in the rinse agent compartment, but mine is broken so I don't bother with that.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I have tried all the environmentally friendly brands of dishwasher detergent and as many home made recipes as I could find. None of them work as well as the harsh toxic brand names. So I just rinse everything well so that there are no food particles and then I use a mixture of

1 tablespoon Borax

1 tablespoon Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

2 teaspoons sea salt


I have always washed my pots and pans by hand and in all honesty I do a lot of my other dishes by hand now. Saves on electricity and it actually annoys me to have to unload the dishwasher. Pre soaking baked on messes and rinsing everything before washing makes the actual washing a snap.


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