With these DIY dishwashing liquid recipes, you’ll never have to invest in chemical-filled commercial dishwashing liquids! Keep reading to know the recipes.
If you do dishes by hand, there must have been a point where you have considered switching to natural soap. With all the importance of natural and organic ingredients, it is also important that the dishes we use are clean as well. There are many reasons for using a DIY dishwashing liquid rather than buying commercial liquids to clean your dishes. Before we skip to the recipes, let’s first understand the reasons why you must switch to a DIY dishwashing liquid as soon as possible.
Why use natural over commercial dishwashing liquids?
The Environmental working group does not rate most of the commercial dishwashing liquids very well. This is because they use certain chemicals like Triclosan and Phosphates, which can be harmful if they are not properly rinsed off from the dishes. Dishes that have a buildup of these chemicals will facilitate the ingredients to get mixed with the food and then be ingested by us. These chemicals can also be harsh on the skin. Even the natural store-bought dishwashing liquids are not as natural as the illusion might suggest. Most of them are rated lower even though they claim to use natural ingredients. On the other hand, using a natural soap is beneficial because you know what ingredients you are using and you can customize it as per your house requirements. They are eco-friendly and saves money as well.
DIY Dishwashing Liquid recipe
Recipe 1
Ingredients:
- Super Washing Soda
- Liquid Castile Soap
- Water
- Vegetable Glycerin
Method:
- Take 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil.
- Pour 1/3 cup of washing soda into the boiling water and stir until it gets completely dissolved.
- Let the mixture sit aside and cool down.
- Add 1 cup of Castile soap and 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin and mix it well.
- Your homemade dishwashing liquid is ready to use. You can use it as an alternative of commercial liquid.
Recipe 2
Ingredients:
- Super Washing Soda
- Sal’s Suds
- Water
- Vegetable Glycerin
- Vinegar (If you have hard water in your area)
Method:
- Bring a cup of water to a boil.
- Now, add 1/3 cup of washing soda and dissolve it in the boiling water.
- Let the solution cool down.
- Next, add ¼ cup of Sal’s Suds and 1 tablespoon of glycerin to the solution and stir well.
- Your dishwashing liquid is all ready to use. If you have hard water in your area, add a tablespoon of vinegar to get rid of the white flakiness that builds up on dishes due to hard water.
You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to these recipes for added fragrance. However, avoid adding more than a few drops as essential oils are not water-soluble and can be difficult to rinse off. Lemon and orange essential oils are among the best for dishwashing purposes because of their anti-bacterial and grease-cutting properties.
You can customize the amount of washing soda or cleaning agents depending on the hardness of the water until you are fully satisfied with the results. Add more washing soda if the recommended amount is not working well for you.
Homemade Vs. Commercial Dishwashing Liquid
1. Lack of foaming bubbles
Most of the commercial dishwashing liquids have chemical foaming agents in them which are responsible for the bubbles. But with homemade liquids, you might not get as much foam but that does not mean that it’s any less in cleaning the dishes. Bubbles are not responsible for killing the germs.
2. The texture
Handmade soaps might not be very thick and glossy like the store-bought ones. Although glycerin in homemade recipes can give a close enough texture but the liquid will thicken with time. If it is too thick, add some boiled water and shake well.
