Homemeade Dishwasher Detergent

Today we ran out of store bought dishwasher detergent and I am determined to use things that we have on hand as much as possible. A friend had told me about making this homemade a while ago and we talked about it again recently. You mix 1 part borax to 1 part baking soda. I used a quart sized jar to hold it in so I used 1 1/3 cups of each. I also added 2-3 Tbsp. of salt to help keep the dishes from becoming cloudy. I have recently begun learning about and using essential oils, so I wanted to add a scent. By far my favorite is Lemongrass oil. It smells a lot like lemon drop candy. After I added all of my ingredients I put it in my blender to grind it into a fine powder so it would dissolve very easily. We tried 1 Tbsp. in the wash today. If that doesn't seem to get them clean enough we will go up to 2 Tbsp. It made my house smell so good! I also added vinegar to the rinse reservoir. I'm really enjoying trying new things and saving money in the process.