This morning I made up yet another batch of natural dishwasher powder, which I adapted from the recipe found here. The original recipe includes Borax and essential oil, which I have found to be unnecessary. So my simplified recipe is as follows:
1 cup bi-carb soda
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid
I simply mix the ingredients up in an old (labelled) jar and add around one tablespoon to the dishwasher dispenser before each wash. I also use vinegar as a rinse aid.
I can thoroughly recommend this recipe as a natural alternative to the ridiculously expensive and highly toxic commercial liquids and powders. I've been using it exclusively for around one year and haven't looked back. It dissolves really well, so you don't get the build-up in the dispenser like you do with some of the commercial products, making it much safer if you have little children around. Oh, and I guess I should also mention that it does actually clean the dishes well too!
As Julie notes in her original recipe, the powder does tend to get a little clumpy over time. I find I do the same thing she describes - just give the jar a vigorous shake each time I go to use it to break it up a bit. For this reason, I don't think you would want to make up too big a batch at a time.
