Dishwashing Liquid

Dishwashing Liquid

Dishwashing liquid was one of the first things I wanted to swap out when I started going low-tox DIY with my essential oils.  I was no longer fooled by that sudsy, bubbly stuff that required copious amounts of rinsing to get off my dishes.  Sometimes you could still taste it on the plates and bowls.  My family and I were ingesting that stuff, and I just knew that it can’t be good for you.

I tried a few DIY Dishwashing Liquid recipes which never quite hit the spot.  So, I experimented and used trial and error, and came up with this fabulous, quick and easy to make recipe.

I personally use a dish wand for most of my dishes that don’t go into the dishwasher.  This recipe is perfect for the wand, or putting direct on a sponge. You will get lots of bubbles and find it cleans really well.  If you don’t use a dishwand, and are a ‘fill your sink and give it a squirt of dishwashing liquid’ kind of person, you will find that the bubbles will disappear from your sink of water pretty quickly.  HOWEVER, you need to wrap your head around the fact that cleanliness is  not related to ‘bubbly-ness’.  This recipe may not give you lasting bubbles in your sink, but it does clean your dishes super well. It’s cheap-as-chips, plus, it’s so quick and easy to whip up a batch when you run low.  And hey, as a DIYer, Castile Soap will be a staple in your laundry cupboard and will always be on hand!

Dishwashing Liquid

Castile soap is a staple of low-tox DIY and is amazingly effective at cleaning and cleansing. Add your choice of essential oil to this dishwashing liquid recipe, but citrus is usually best as it cuts through grease.  Lemon is simple and cheap, or try doTERRA's On Guard blend if you want the added reassurance of a protective blend.

5 from 3 votes

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Keyword: Washing, Liquid, Dishwashing, Dish, Quick, DIY, Essential Oils, Low-Tox

Total Time: 3 minutes

Servings: 450 ml

Equipment

• Jug/s with measurements
• Small whisk
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

• 250 ml castile soap
• 200 ml boiled water warm enough to dissolve salt and washing soda
• 1/2 tsp washing soda also known as bicarbonate of soda or bicarb
• 1/2 tsp salt

Essential Oils

• 20 drops Lemon essential oil or any citrus oil

Instructions

• Add salt, washing soda and boiled water into a jug or bowl and whisk until dissolved
• In a separate jug or bowl, add essential oils to castile soap and stir to combine
• Add water mixture to castile soap and stir. Mixture will thicken
• Pour into 500ml pump bottle

Notes

Recipe can thicken on standing and may require more water.  This can depend on your water hardness.  I usually leave mine in the jug on the kitchen bench for a couple of hours before decanting into the pump bottle.  This means I can stir it again later and see if it has thickened too much and I can add an extra splash of water from the kettle if needed.
To be honest, the thickness hasn't mattered too much for me as it still works just as well - I just notice if it's too runny it goes through the dishwand more quickly.