Dishwasher Cubes
If you’ve ever wanted to try a homemade dishwasher recipe, here’s your chance. I probably will still use my favorite store brand products but this recipe comes in handy when I run out. I usually have most of these ingredients on hand for my household cleaning. Feel free to comment and let me know how it worked for you!
Dishwasher Cubes (makes 30 wash loads)
1 ½ cup Borax (12 oz)
1 ½ cup Washing Soda (12 oz)
¾ cup Epsom Salt (6 oz)
3 packs (.23 oz / pack) lemonade drink mix (unsweetened powder)
1 cup Lemon juice (9 oz)
For Dishwasher Powder Recipe: Mix borax, washing soda, drink mix, Epsom salt in a bowl. Then add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is wet enough to clump together. Then fill 2 ice cube trays with the mixture and leave uncovered and let them harden over night in a safe place on the kitchen counter. After filling the trays, there may be a little left over that can be put directly into an an airtight jar. After the cubes have firmed up remove them and store the tablets in an airtight container. Use 1 tablet per load or about 2 tablespoons if it’s in a more crumbled state. Fill rinse dispenser or use a ¼ cup of White Vinegar as a rinse aid.
Here’s a cost conversion chart based on how much is made per batch.
|
Product
|
cost / oz
|
1 load
|
1 tablet
|
1.3 oz cost
|
10 tablets
|
13 oz cost
|
|
Washing Soda
|
$0.02
|
½ TBS
|
.4 oz
|
$0.02
|
4 oz
|
$0.24
|
|
Lemon Mix
|
$0.01
|
⅛ tsp
|
1/10 pack
|
$0.01
|
1 pack
|
$0.10
|
|
Epson Salt
|
$0.01
|
¼ TBS
|
.2 oz
|
$0.01
|
2 oz
|
$0.06
|
|
Lemon Juice
|
0
|
none
|
.3 oz
|
$0.02
|
3 oz
|
$0.18
|
|
Borax
|
$0.02
|
½ TBS
|
.4 oz
|
$0.02
|
4 oz
|
$0.20
|
|
Totals
|
$0.06
|
2 TBS
|
1.3 oz
|
$0.08
|
13 oz
|
$0.78
|
|
Cost per tablet
|
$0.06
|
2 TBS
|
1 batch
|
$0.08
|
10 batch
|
$0.08
|
|
Product
|
20 tablets
|
26 oz cost
|
30 tablets
|
38 oz cost
|
60 tablets
|
76 oz cost
|
|
Washing Soda
|
8 oz
|
$0.48
|
12 oz
|
$0.72
|
24 oz
|
$1.44
|
|
Lemon Mix
|
2 packs
|
$0.20
|
3 packs
|
$0.30
|
6 packs
|
$0.60
|
|
Epson Salt
|
4 oz
|
$0.12
|
6 oz
|
$0.18
|
12 oz
|
$0.36
|
|
Lemon Juice
|
6 oz
|
$0.36
|
8 oz
|
$0.48
|
16 oz
|
$0.96
|
|
Borax
|
8 oz
|
$0.40
|
12 oz
|
$0.60
|
24 oz
|
$1.20
|
|
Totals
|
26 oz
|
$1.56
|
38 oz
|
$2.28
|
76 oz
|
$4.56
|
|
Cost per tablet
|
20 batch
|
$0.08
|
30 batch
|
$0.08
|
60 batch
|
$0.08
|
Here is the cost of the products purchased in May 2013 at my local Walmart:
Product cost size
Borax(1 box)$3.88 76 oz
Epson salt (1 box)$0.88 32 oz
Washing soda (1 box)$3.24 55 oz
Lemon juice (1 bottle)$1.98 32 oz
White Vinegar(1 bottle)$2.38 128 oz
Lemonade Kool Aid (3 packs)$0.30 .69 oz (.23 oz per pack)
Note: Make sure to keep these ingredients and prepared mix out of the reach of children and pets. Tablets may fall apart easily. What works for one dishwasher may not work for another dishwasher. Minerals content of the water also affects the performance of this recipe. Make sure to only wash items in the dishwasher that are compatible with the ingredients listed in the recipe. Some articles have advised to not wash aluminum items with many homemade dishwasher recipes. I’m not aware of all the specifics, but I just avoid washing wood utensils, knives and aluminum cookware in the dishwasher.
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