We have officially run out of dishwashing detergent! The first experiment begins: I mixed up some borax and baking soda 1:1 and filled up the pre-wash and wash slots, the topped of the rinse bin with vinegar. Mixing the powders was quick and easy. No complaints about making it. I’ve never used borax before—it’s similar-looking to baking soda but more granular. It doesn’t really have a smell either. Recently a woman on Oprah said, “clean, doesn’t have a smell.” I liked that and think it’s true, or at least should be true.

Well, the dishes did come out clean but they did have a bit of a white film on them. I just used a clean dishtowel and wiped away the film. I’m not sure if this means I should use more baking soda, because my water is a little hard, or maybe I used too much powder altogether. Next time I won’t fill the pre-wash slot. At least I know it’s not toxic.

Our dishwasher is only a few months old, and I was using an environmentally friendly dishwashing detergent before I tried the baking soda and borax. I had noticed that the dishwasher door had a bit of a discolouring. I’m thinking it might have come from the fact that we eat a lot of pasta and tomato sauce. Maybe some of the oils from the sauces have discoloured it? I have no idea, but it was a little brighter after using the homemade solution I mixed up today.

I would rate this attempt at switching over to an economical cleaner about 6/10—because my dishes in the end were very clean and wiping of the film was a bit time-consuming. But well worth it considering how cheaply I can buy the ingredients for this homemade dishwashing detergent. I’ll keep playing around with the amounts and post on this blog when I find out what works perfectly for me.