Homemade dishwasher soap experiment

freemotion

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I have a load in the dishwasher right now. I can't get dh to use the powdered version, he loves his "green bottle!" So I am trying an experiment that might intrigue him.

I used the basic dishwasher version posted on this forum, 1 T borax and 1 T washing soda per load.

I combined that with the idea someone (forgot who, let me know, I'm too lazy to search!) had of putting a lemon in the blender for a multi-purpose natural cleaner.

Here's what I did: I put the rinds of 2 whole lemons in the blender with a half cup of warm water and thoroughly ground them to a pulp. Then I added a bit more water to bring it to about 1.5 c total volume. Then I added a half cup each (a half cup is equal to 8 T) of borax and washing soda and blended that. It got thick so I finished it with an ice-tea spoon.

Then I spooned it into a 14-well ice cube tray, with two more "servings" going right into the dishwasher. I evened it up a bit so they all had basically the same amount of goop. I used a bit of water to rinse the last of the good stuff out of the blender and poured it over the cubes to fill them up. I put it in the freezer.

Two cubes is equivilent to a one load batch, I plan to use one cube in the pre-wash compartment and the "green bottle" in the other, to cut the use in half.

I do have a load going now with just homemade stuff in each compartment. Maybe I can wean dh off the green bottle if this works with our dishwasher and our water.
 
The dishes came out just as clean (I like to think cleaner, but I am biased.....) as usual, with NO "green bottle" added to the first load. :celebrate DH was impressed!!! Hopefully he is impressed enough to not come home with another green bottle.

I haven't tried it yet, since they weren't frozen earlier, if the cubes will fit in the compartment that closes. Probably not. So I will have to make a batch and maybe put it in a smallish squeeze bottle to keep in the fridge, unless he agrees to use the powdered version.

Sheesh. People can be funny about some things, huh? :rolleyes: :gig

Oh, and orange, lime, grapefruit peels would work, too. Better yet, a whole lemon.
 
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