Photo Credit: Flickr/billaday
In my quest to eliminate excess packaging and chemicals from my life, I have been looking at some of the things in my cupboards and asking myself, how can I get along without this product? I hope many of you are pondering the same question throughout your days. One thing we can’t really do without is something with which to wash our dishes. Many of us have automatic dishwashers (hopefully Energy Star rated) and probably run them several times a week, depending on the size of your household (and how successful you are in getting the kids to use the same glass twice!)
A couple of things bother me about conventional soaps. First, there is the waste of the packaging. You can’t reuse that stuff, and you can only really recycle the plastic bottles. The cardboard box that the powder comes in has so many mixed materials, plus chemical contamination, that I have never thought you could recycle those. This is true even for the eco-friendly brands.
Second, the release of too many detergents into the waterway makes for over-nutrification of the water, which causes algae blooms, which eventually rob the water of oxygen and then the fish die. Thankfully, many companies are making products without phosphates, which is the main culprit. But it is still soap in the water.
Third, I am cheap and I hate to spend money on things. So I got to thinking, how can I make something that will be effective dishwasher soap? After a little online research and some old fashioned trial and error, I think I have found a recipe that involves no detergents, surfactants or phosphates and it is so simple:
- 1 part BakingSoda
- 1 part Borax
That’s it. I keep a mason jar filled with this mixture and only use a tablespoon at a time. Let’s talk about cheap! It is literally pennies a wash. If you are buying regular dish soap, you are probably spending about $25.00 per year. I can think of many other things to spend $25.00 on!
How well does it work? I think it works great. In fact, I like it better than some of the soaps I have used in the past. Truth be told, the hot water is doing most of the work in there, this is just a little booster to help things along. It rinses off great, as long as you don’t get one of those powder clumps from the compartment not opening all the way, but that happens with any powder. You may need to experiment with the ratio a little bit, depending on your machine’s performance. But give it a go – I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household. Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.
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