Natural Gel Dishwasher Detergent

I’ve been looking for an alternative to regular dishwashing detergent for a while. I wanted something that was more natural and also more cost effective. After a bunch of research and trial and error I finally came up with this detergent that works well for our house.When you’re making dishwashing detergent you need to understand that every recipe won’t work for you. There are several factors that include your water and the age of your dishwasher. We have soft water and a newer dishwasher.  If you have hard water this may not work for you.I’ve also found that using white vinegar as a rinse aid helps dissolve any leftover soap spots. This is because the vinegar de-saponifies the castile soap. This is why you never want to include vinegar in a castile soap recipe. You will actually un-soap your soap!You also want to make sure to shake the mixture throughout the day. It will take a while for the washing soda to absorb the water and castile soap. When it has been fully absorbed it will form a gel detergent.  Shake it before each use if you don’t quite mix everything together.  I find it easiest to use a tablespoon to load the dishwasher and then stick the tablespoon in the dishwasher before I start it.

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Gel Dishwashing Detergent:4 Tablespoons Castile Soap3 Cups Warm Water1 Cup Washing Soda15 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil25 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil25 Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Mix ingredients in a large mason jar.

 Shake throughout the day until the mixture gels.

 Use 1 Tablespoon per dishwasher load. Use white Vinegar as rinse-aid.