Save Money by Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies - Part 1

One way I save a lot - and I mean a LOT - of money for my family is by making my own cleaning supplies. It's amazing what you can clean with just a few products. I'm going to share my cleaning supply recipes for you in a few posts.

First, I'd like to share with you my favorite cleaning recipe in my arsenal. Dishwasher detergent. Yes, that's right, you have other options besides those cardboard boxes at the grocery store. Dishwasher detergent is very simple to make, you use far less and it is much, much cheaper than buying it.

You need:
1 c. borax
1 c. baking soda
1/4 - 1/2 c. salt (we have well watter with lots of minerals so I use 1/2 c. to help with build-up)
2 pkgs. UNSWEETENED Lemon Kool-aid (yes, it must be lemon - it's the only one with citric acid.)

Mix together and store in an AIRTIGHT container. If it is not airtight it will clump and it's a pain to fix.

Use 1 tablespoon in the wash compartment and 1 tablespoon in the rinse compartment. That's it - 2 tablespoons total. It costs me approximately $2 to make a batch of this stuff and I can wash about 20 loads of dishes with it. That averages out to .10 cents per load.

Also, in your rinse aid compartment, start using distilled white vinegar instead of Jet-Dry. It does a superior job for far less money.

Your Welcome!