Homemade Dish Soap

I never gave dish soap much thought until recently when I looked at the label on my dish soap and there were no ingredients, just the chemicals they did not put in it.  That kinda humored me because we should know what we wash our dishes that we cook and eat with, right?   The more I thought the more I wanted to know.  You wash your dishes with dish soap or even dishwasher detergent, whichever you use, there is no way the chemicals come completely off.  For example, lets think about when your cooking in your sauce pan and you scrap the bottom, are you putting chemicals in your food then because they did not wash away?  How abut when your scrapping food on your plate or your kids are eating off the plate with their fingers,are the chemicals really gone? That was some good food for thought for me.

I took out to my homesteading books and one book we have that's literally falling apart called The Encyclopedia of Country Living, a great book, check this one out.  I needed a safe alternative to dish soap.  I was pleased to find out it was just as easy to make dish soap as everything else I make. 

Simple Dish Soap-I mix thisin a mason jar and have it already in a storage container
1 3/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp borax
1 tbsp grated bar soap(use homemade soap)
1 vitamin E capsule(optional)
10-20 drops of essential oil(optional)
1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice optional

Boil Water.  Mix grated soap and borax in a medium bowl, add boiling water.  Whisk this all together until mixed well and all soap is melted.  Cool on the counter for 6-8 hours, will gel some, stir occasionally.  Transfer into an old dish soap bottle or any kind of disposable container or use a mason jar.  At this point mix in the optional items if desired.  The vitamin E will add extra softness for hands and the vinegar or lemon juice will cut grease.

Dishwasher Detergent

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup citric acid(get this at pharmacy or canning aisle)
1/2 cup kosher salt(scrubbing power)

Mix well, use 1 tbsp per load.

Need a great rinse agent in the dishwasher, add vinegar!

I want to make sure you do understand the dish soap will not suds like the store brands.  Suds do not clean, the large companies had created suds and people like them, I won't lie I like suds too but they do not clean or have any advantage, keep that in mind.