Non-Toxic Dishwasher Tablets
This past year I’ve been making the transition to non-toxic household cleaners and cosmetics. It can be expensive as well as difficult to find products that are effective – therefore overwhelming! I started slow, tackling 1-2 products at a time until I found something that worked for us and it definitely was some trial and error 🙂 One of the last things I attempted was making soap for the dishwasher. We tried a few different varieties and either they didn’t clean well or were a hassle to use. One attempt at powder soap became all stuck together which resulted in Josh (he is the dish washer of the house) having to chisel it out for each load…….ooops! needless to say he was happy we have a better solution!
The recipe I finally settled on comes from www.rebootedmom.com
Ingredients:
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
½ Cup Epsom Salt
1/3-1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
25 Drops Thieves Essential Oil (I left this out simply because I don’t own it)
15 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
Silicone mold
Directions:
- Combine Washing Soda, Baking Soda and Epsom Salt with Lemon Juice and Essential oil
- Add more lemon juice 1Tbsp at a time until mixture is no longer crumbly but just moist enough to hold together in your hand
- Press firmly into molds and allow to dry 24 hours before removing from molds – place in tight, sealed container
- Add a tablet to dishwasher soap tray before each load
The recommendation is to add distilled water or white vinegar to the jet dry compartment to prevent water spots but this did not work for us. It took some trial and error to figure out the best solution to our horrible water spots from using these tablets but we finally did and it’s cheap and safe!! After you start your dishwasher wait 2-4 minutes then open and pour 1/8-1/4 Cup white vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher and resume the cycle…..easy peasy, no more water spots.
Being that they are tablets they make it simple to grab one when your ready for a load, not measuring out powder plus they smell good and are cuuuute! I got the Mason storage jars at Costco and have used them for so many things I ended up getting a second set.
emily
Hi! I’m Emily Saladino and I am excited to be sharing ideas on lifestyle, homemaking, child rearing and spiritual growth. My husband, Josh, and I have 3 kids that we are raising in western Michigan where I am originally from. We aren’t in our forever home yet – in the process of searching and praying for the perfect piece of land or existing house that just speaks to us – out in the country with space to roam. Both of us are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and I work part time to stay home with the kids the majority of the week. I enjoy decorating, fashion, cooking and overall management of our home – striving to make it healthy, happy and slowing down the pace of life. Hopefully this page can be a place of inspiration and add value to your day
2 Comments
Lisa
Hi Emily,
I recently returned from Victoria BC and was impressed on how they are moving away from plastic containers. My friend had big cardboard containers that she would take to a special store and get refills of liquid laundry and dishwasher soap. That inspired me to work out a deal with the store owner in my town where I buy my body wash and lotion. I take my pump dispensers back for refills instead of new full dispensers. It’s also less expensive.
I have a couple friends that I will share your blog with if you don’t mind.
I used to work with your dad at AGH and I believe you were at my house before a concert at the fair one year.
Lisa
emily
yes, of course I remember you 🙂 thanks for reading and commenting, that’s a really great idea to refill the containers you have instead of just replacing them. When I started paying attention to how much waste we create it was really shocking – harmful to the environment as well as a waste of money and resources!