Even though Petals & Pedals is in limbo (continue on? leave it alone as a nice memory?), I still find myself thinking throughout the week about what would be an interesting and experiential Friday post.


Well, several weeks ago we ran out of dish detergent for the dishwasher. I had on-hand the supplies to make laundry detergent, so I wondered if there was a recipe for something similar for dishes. Lo and behold, Homemade had the answer I was looking for.

I've tried variations since then, but the first batch was my favorite (and is now my go-to) recipe:
equal parts Borax and Washing Soda** for the dish powder, add white vinegar to the rinse aid compartment. With the powder you simply mix them together. I added about 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil to the powder and mixed it again. It made a heavy lemon smell, but not overpowering...I'm pretty sensitive to fragrance and it didn't give me a headache or anything. You can add some baking soda for an extra boost, but I actually prefer to leave the baking soda out.
 

All in all, I think the recipe that works for you depends on whether your water is hard or soft. This site has some good recipes to play around with.  Mix up a small batch and test it out 2 or 3 times, then try another variation.

**If you're unable to find washing soda, try looking at the pool supplies. That giant plastic container in the back is sodium carbonate, aka washing soda. We found it at one of those liquidation centers towards the end of summer last year.