Liquid Dishwasher Soap

I meant to post this last week but life got in the way :)  Hopefully it will settle down for awhile now...

I wrote about making my own dishwasher tablets almost exactly a year ago (the link is here).  After using them for so long I was pretty happy about the results - the only downside was that every once in a while the tablet wouldn't disolve so I would need to run the load a second time.  I'm pretty sure the problem is with my dishwasher not opening the dispenser correctly but since it has been a year, and I'm almost out of tablets, I thought it would be a good time to try out liquid dishwasher soap.  I found the original recipe here and I only made a few changes.

Liquid Dishwasher Soap

1 cup baking soda
1 cup borax
8 cups water
7 cups water
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup dish soap (I used the Seventh Generation dish liquid I had)
1 tbsp citric acid (I used the fruit fresh produce protector I had)

In a large pot bring the 8 cups of water to a boil.  Add the Baking Soda and Borax and stir until they have dissolved.  Add the 7 cups of room temp. water and then add the vinegar (it will foam so make sure you use a very large pot).  Add the citric acid and soap and mix until combined.  Bring the mixture back to a boil for a few minutes and then let cool completely.  Once its cooled, pour into a jug or container and let it sit overnight.  Shake before using and fill the dispenser (you can also add it to the prewashing spot if you want).  The mixture should gel slightly, but it won't be as thick as you are used to.

I have been using the liquid soap for about 2 weeks now and I really like how well it works.  It seems like the dishes are shinier - but that could just be because it's so new ;)  The liquid was a lot faster to make since I didn't need to make tablets, but I will need to make it every few months instead of once a year so it's kind of a toss up on which is faster.  The liquid soap also has more ingredients, so I don't think it will work out to be cheaper either but it's not expensive to make at all.  I actually had all of the things I needed when I decided to make this so I didn't have to do anything but mix them together.  In addition to using it for the dishwasher, I have been using it to hand wash dishes, clean the shower and sinks, and I even used it to clean the toilet bowl lol.  So many of the DIY cleaners have similar ingredients and I wanted to try it out as an all purpose cleaner.  I think the only thing I will change is maybe adding some essential oils - for both scent and additional disinfecting.  I figured that if I trusted it to clean my dishes which I eat off - then why not try it out on things that I don't.  So far I have be really happy with using it, and I'm planning to keep using it and see what else I can use it for...

Have a great day!
Beth