For some time now I've been stuck using uneco-freindly options, mostly. I've been using Cascade packs with Lemi-Shine. It was the only thing that cleaned my dished and left my glasses clear from film and yuck. I have been using this DIY recipe with success. It used Lemi-Shine, which is completely safe and eco-friendly. The only thing I wish is that I could buy it in tubs. I simply will not do a load of dishes without it.
1 1/2 Cups Lemi-Shine (They come in 12 oz containers, so this is a full one)
1 1/2 Cups Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Sea Salt (any will do I'm sure)
Use 2 Tablespoons per load and if you like, vinegar can be added as the rinse agent.
You can find everything you need to make this at Alice.com I am an Amazon fan, but they charge way too much for the Lemi-Shine! Alice.com offers free shipping on all orders and once you spend your first $50, you'll get a $10 credit. They also have great prices and coupons!
If you're new to Lemi-Shine, right now you can head to their site for a sample. I swear, this stuff is amazing if you have residue issues, hard water issues, etc!
This has been working wonderfully for me. I hope you try it out and I would love to hear how it works for you!
23 comments:
Hm, is the lemi-shine basically for the citric acid? I got some packets of lemon Koolaid, planning on making a batch of homemade dishwasher detergent, but I have yet to locate the recipe I've used in the past.
I'm planning on trying this. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! Right now we don't have a dishwasher, but I'll try this out when we get one.
How exactly is borax different than washing soda?
They are very similar, but borax can be toxic if ingested. My understanding is that washing soda is great for washing/cleaning, and borax helps with whitening and deodorizing (making it great for laundry).
I have found many recipes online for dish detergent that include Borax, but for my own piece of mind, I wanted something without it. I also felt that for sharing and recommending, a recipe without Borax was what I really needed.
@Karla Lemi-Shine is natural fruit acids and citric oils. It is completely eco-friendly.
I've heard of people using Kool-aid, but I wouldn't. It contains artificial colorings, perservatives and other additives.
I am definitely going to have to try this out. We've tried other recipes for the dishwasher, but we could not stick with them b/c they did not work well at all. We kept going back to our other stuff...which was not bad. We use Ecover. We actually love it - works GREAT! My hubby was very skeptical when we first tried it, but after we used it, he admitted it even worked better than the Cascade we had been using. We've been using Ecover for a couple years now. But it would be nice to be able to just make some that really works, too, esp for the cost difference!
I do have a question, though... When we've tried this before, we just got citric acid from the bulk section at Whole Foods. Would this be different from the Lemi-Shine? Not sure if they're different enough or if one works just as well as the other. Thanks!!
I am not sure if they would be the same or not. I do know that lemi-shine is natural fruit acids and citric oils.
You might try it in a small batch and see how it goes. Let me know if you like it!
I've been looking for an alternative to borax recipes for a while. Thanks so much!
-Rebecca
Love this recipe - thank you so much for a borax-free alternative. This is a keeper!
Thanks Jennifer, I'm happy that you like it!
THANK YOU for a Borax-free recipe! I have some citric acid (bought to make bath bombs) and will be trying it with that. I've seen other recipes calling for CA that say you can use Lemi Shine in place of it, so I think it's a 1-1 ratio. :-) Thanks again!
Do you have a recipe for those of us with no dishwasher?
Love this recipie! I actually just found some lemi-shine on clearance at walmart! I'm so excited to start trying it tomorrow!
I am interested in trying this but first I need to know if any of these ingredients test on animals. Thanks! :)
From the searching I've done, it appears that the Borax is not tested on animals. I know that Lemi-Shine is also not tested on animals.
Arm & Hammer does however do animal testing, though they say it's policy to do so as a last resort. I can't find anything definitive on the washing soda or baking soda products.
Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda is cruelty free. I am unaware of a washing soda alternative.
I hope that helps Cindy!
You can buy Lemishine in a huge quantity on their website.
Can you use regular salt instead of sea salt? Cant wit to try this!!!
I don't see why not. I use sea salt because it's what I generally have on hand :)
I hope you love it!
Have you crunched the numbers to see how many loads it makes and what the actual cost to make it is?
I'm also wondering about loads per batch and a price breakdown if you've got one.
I haven't done the math, I can next go around, but I saw someone else say that they added it up and it was comparable to the cost of store bought detergents.
What I like about this is that it works great for me, without needing additional products or rinse aids and I know what's in it.
I've never seen Lemi-Shine, this looks like such an easy recipe.
Post a Comment