This was the first area of our house detox that I almost thought wouldn’t happen. I scoured the internet for recipes and tried anything I could find that was Borax-free. (I haven’t decided I’m against Borax in cleaning but I know a lot are trying to avoid it.) I did loads of dishes that came out cloudy, filmy, or just straight up still soiled. Glass tumblers and plastic leftover containers gave me the most grief. Glass came out spotted, and the plastic had a filmy residue.
After a lot of experimenting and researching, I came up with the following routine:
(For the record, we have hard well water that does run through a natural salt softener to neutralize the pH).
To the main compartment add:
1 TBS of Citric Acid
1 TSP of Washing Soda
2 drop of Grapefruit essential oil
To the pre-wash compartment add:
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of liquid castile soap. I use the unscented Dr. Bronner’s
Keep the rinse aid dispenser stocked with white vinegar.
Other tips:
1. Dishwashers are not designed to scrub, so be sure to soak dishes that have baked/caked on food. It will come off in the dishwasher better if it’s soft from soaking.
2. For extra greasy or food covered dishes, empty a food enzyme capsule into the main compartment with the other cleaning agents.
3. If are looking for a good recipe for dish liquid for hand washing dishes, I love Jill’s recipe at the Prairie Homestead. We use her Juniper Berry/Grapefruit scent recipe as well. It’s heavenly. I almost look forward to washing dishes.
We’ve chosen a specific brand of essential oils because of the company’s commitment to safety, sustainability, quality, and support. We believe life (including essential oils) is best done in community and this company has a similar mindset. Unfortunately, to protect myself from scrutiny from the FDA, I’ve chosen to not disclose the brand on my website. It’s crazy world we live in! If you want to learn more about who we chose and why, send me a message here.