DIY Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

My vintage blue Ball jar is filled with 

my homemade DW detergent.

I ran out of dishwasher detergent last night. 

I had just squeezed  the last two brownie 

plates into the dishwasher and it was

 ready to do the day's worth of dishes. 

Ah! my back-up supply in the garage cabinet. 

But....the cupboard was bare. 

No matter how long I stared at the empty

 spot where another box of DW detergent 

should be, it did not appear!

So into my la-bor'-a-tory to mix up a batch.

 I have seen so may bloggers make 

their own. I Googled. I found.

Borax, washing soda, kosher salt

 (in the jar), and a packet of lemon

Kool-Aid  (unsweetened).

I didn't have the Kool-Aid last night

so I just used the Borax and soda.

 I combined my own batch

and that worked fine. 

  I bought Kool-Aid the next day 

and added that along with the salt

 to my next batch.

You can also use LemiShine.
I found it in the dishwasher detergent isle.

Finding a cute container is a must! 

I don't need to tell you that.

Any jar will do, they're all good.

 Of course, 'pretty is as pretty does'. 

It got everything clean!

Remember those yucky brownie plates?

Squeaky clean!
Advantages:
inexpensive
no harsh chemicals
does not emit chlorine gas
effective sanitizer
effective stain remover
effective water softener
phosphate free
 (environmentally friendly)
did I say CHEAP?

 One more tip; fill your rinse dispenser with 

vinegar. It's the best, and the cheapest.
 Rinse agent (Finish or Jet Dry) = $3.99
per fill. Vinegar=$.06 per fill
That's a saving of 6650%

(No, your dishes will not smell of vinegar.)

Rita's Dishwasher Detergent

1C Borax

1C washing soda

1T kosher salt

1 packet lemon Kool-Aid

(unsweetened) or
1 T LemiShine

Mix until well combined. 

Store in airtight container.

Use about 2T per load.
(Make a double or triple batch
to fill your container)

Keeping it clean...
and Easy to remember 1-1-1-1

Cheers!

Links: Southern Hospitality,
My 1929 Charmer, Coastal Charm,
Under The Table and Dreaming,
Between Naps On The Porch,
A Stroll Thru Life, Somewhat Simple