Stretch a Dollar

Homemade Dishwashing Powder

Can I just share how much I do not like the cost of dishwashing powder?  I highly dislike how much it costs and so I searched on Pinterest for an alternative and here it is!

We have now been using this for about a week and we do about 1 load a day, much to my dismay.  And the verdict?  I LOVE it!  It’s so inexpensive and you only use 2 tsp. total for each wash.

By my calculations the total cost of one batch, which would give you about 48 loads, is a whopping $1.37. This is based on the price I got for my ingredients.

Ready for the recipe? Here you go!

Picture courtesy of Frugally Green

·         1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (about $3)

·         1 cup Borax (about $3)*

·         2 packets of Kool-Aid Lemonade - no sugar added (about $.50)

Mix together in a plastic container. Use 1 tsp in each compartment.

*If your dishes end up covered with a white residue, you probably have hard water and need to experiment with the amount of Borax to use.

This is by far the simplest recipe I found while searching Pinterest. There are others that call for way more in the dishwasher or adding lemi-shine or salt. I found that this recipe worked just fine for us and we have had no issues. We have a new dishwasher just purchased a few months ago and I believe we do have hard water but have not seen a residue at all.

For even shinier dishes, use plain old white vinegar in the rinse aid receptacle and save even more money! I no longer have to run out to get the best coupon deals for Jet Dry.