Homemade Automatic Dishwashing Detergent?

[hqueen13]

Still wondering if anyone has had any issues with etching. I know several have said that they thought the cloudiness was etching, but it turned out it was only cloudiness.
Anyone have any experience? I would rather not scratch my dishes, they're rather nice and I bought them to keep them a long time (good 'ol Corningware Corelle)

 

[Marianne]

Just stay away from any recipes that use washing soda.

Honestly, I thought my stuff was etched, but it wasn't. It also won't come off. Our resident chemist, ~gd, gave us a complete explanation on another thread waaaay back somewhere. I have occasionally added some baking soda with no problems when I was getting low-ish on detergent.

 

[hqueen13]

Thank you Marianne!
Got it, stay away from washing soda!

Can't wait to try this!! Is it silly that I get a great deal of satisfaction from making something for a ridiculously small amount of money that would otherwise cost a lot and does the job as good for better?!?!

 

[Marianne]

I kept track of how much money I spent to make homemade cleaners, laundry soap, etc etc. The first year I spent a whopping $18.75 to make every thing I needed or wanted.

I also get pretty stoked when I find a new way of doing/getting something on the cheap! Ha!

 

[hqueen13]

WOW! That's awesome!! Our first batch of laundry soap was like that, including the box of borax and box of washing soda (which you use less than a cup each out of an entire box), AND factoring in water that we purchase because we don't use our tap water, we spent less than $7.00, and that 5 gallons lasted 1 year. that's just over half the price of the container of laundry detergent that we would have purchased about once per month!!
Too much fun!!!!

 

[Cindlady2]

hqueen....

(good 'ol Corningware Corelle)

Glad you mentioned what type of dishes you have. I LOVE my Corelle!!!! Some of it was my grandmothers from when it first came out and I have some of my mother's "cornflower" Corningware! OK, some people may think the patterns are "out dated" but I think it's a testament as to how good the stuff is! Most of it has been hand washed during it's long life and I've even taken steal wool pads to them on occasion and they're still fine so I don't think etching would be as big an issue on them as it would be on your regular glassware.
I did however come to this thread because I have back and hip issues and can't stand long enough to do dishes so I must use a dishwasher or wait for hubby to do them (and believe me, if hubby dose them they would have been cleaner if the dog did them! .... at least he tries!) Anyway, last time I got store bought it almost made me sick I thought of the food I could have bought with that money. :/ Think I'll mix up a batch and see! I've been using home made laundry soap for years so this sounds good!
Thanks!

 

[nmred]

I use 1 c borax, 1 c baking soda, 1 cup salt I put 1 TBS inmy dishwasher. I use Vinegar in my rinse. I add about 1 TBS of lemishine. It really helps with the foggyness on the glasses. Came out sparkling clean and it is half the cost of what I was paying to do dishes.

What is lemishine? Where do you buy it? Do you mean you add it to the powder mix or to the vinegar? This sounds like a great thing to try. Years ago I made my own laundry soap (no longer do as we created a grey water system using the water from our washer to water our fruit trees and borox is toxic to plants so we can no longer use it. Now I have to pay big $ for "safe" laundry detergent) and tried it in the dishwasher. Nothing got clean but maybe this will work?

Happy holidays everyone!

 

[Marianne]

Lemishine should be where the dishwashing detergents are, probably on the top shelf in grocery stores, Walmart, etc. It's a lemon scented product that will reduce hard water deposits, minerals, water spots, that kind of thing. Some people use lemon flavored unsweetened drink mix (like Koolaid, but the store brand) instead.

I had good luck using just vinegar, so never felt like I had to use the Lemishine. YMMV

Have I welcomed you yet? So many new people that I can't keep track anymore!

 

[Cindlady2]

It must be the citric acid (and often others) in the drink mix that dose the job.

 

[hqueen13]

Marianne - are you using vinegar in the rinse? I was talking with my mom about it and she pointed out that the vinegar is caustic over time, and keeping it in the rinse section where it doesn't completely drain with every load could corrode the inside of that compartment. Do you have any experience or issues with this? I think vinegar in the rinse would help a lot, really, we have problems with hard water, too (I didn't realize how bad it was until I finally noticed that you constantly have to replenish the dish soap on the rag when you do dishes. I go through about 4 times as much dish soap here as I needed on a rag growing up!)