I’ve never really been one to DIY my own cleaning products. I have so little spare time and it seemed so complicated to get all kinds of ingredients to make things. However, as we are diving more and more into the ditch and switch of our old products for healthier alternatives, it’s time to give some things a try. If you’ve thought the same thing, read on to see how 1o minutes can save you money and rid your home and body of one more chemically based product.
Why Ditch & Switch?
We’ve already discussed how chemical based cleaners are bad for the environment and even worse for our health. But consider what you wash your dishes with. The delivery system of our food!! If you are cooking organic and choosing foods that are intended to build your health and wellbeing, why would you serve them on dishes that have potentially dangerous residues? You may argue that the rinse cycle removes the chemicals from the dishes, but how do we really know? And aside from that, keeping these kinds of products in our homes can be an accident waiting to happen. Children consuming household cleaners by accident are the top 5 substances accountable for all the calls to the poison control hotline.
There are so many dishwashing detergents and liquids on the market in a wide variety of price points so I did some research on the 3 that I’ve used to see how they measure up. Years ago, I used lemon scented Palmolive because I loved the smell that came from the dishwasher. I cringe now reading that it scores an F on ewg.org because it’s corrosive and has a high concern for ingredients that may cause cancer, developmental and endocrine problems, as well as effect reproductive health. EEEK!
Cascade was commonly found under my sink which also scores a big fat F. The reason states that it may contain ingredients with potential for Government enforceable restrictions. The label states that it contains chlorine bleach. Let’s stop there and just discuss for a minute that chlorine bleach has been linked to developmental, endocrine, respiratory, and reproductive disruption of high concern! Let that sink in while you read on….The rest of the label is obscure naming only stabilizers, buffers, colors, and fragrance. As we learned in my article My Escape From Sickness, colors, fragrance, and other filler ingredients are extremely unhealthy for us and should be avoided as much as possible.
Most recently we’ve used Finish dishwasher tablets. Somewhat reluctantly, I proceeded to see how that scores. The ones we used are the Finish Power Ball Tabs With Jet Dry which scored a C and mostly due to the environmental concerns. Still not fantastic, but not as scary as the two I looked at prior! I’m still ready to take a few minutes and make something to clean our dishes that gives me peace of mind when using it.
Time To DIY
This literally took me 15 minutes to make including taking pictures and made 21 tablets. We run the dishwasher once per day so I know if I make a double batch per month, I will always have them ready to go. I’ll give up 30 minutes of TV or Facebook to do this once a month if it means a healthier life!
Ingredients
1 Cup baking soda
1/2 Cup fine sea salt
1/4 Cup citric acid
2 caps of thieves Household Cleaner
4 drops citrus fresh essential oil
Silicone ice cube tray
I had the Thieves cleaner and the citrus fresh essential oil on hand from my Young Living Premium Starter Kit and went on Amazon and purchased the bulk bags of baking soda, sea salt, citric acid, and silicone ice cube tray so it would be here on the weekend for me to make these! Gotta love Amazon!
I bought a 5LB bag of baking soda, 2 LB bag of fine sea salt, 5 LB bag of citric acid, and 3 silicone trays with lids for $45. I barely made a dent in the bags and can reuse the silicone trays over and over. I would say these bags would last about 5 months making 2 batches a month. Great savings!
So Easy!
- In a glass bowl, mix the powder ingredients together to combine and distribute them throughout.
- Add in a capful of thieves cleaner at a time and mix with your hands until it stays together in your hand when squeezed (Think snowball consistency)
- Add in the citrus fresh essential oil and mix thoroughly one more time
- Scoop out the mixture with a spoon and fill each cube about 1/2 to 2/3 full then press the mixture firmly and evenly as possible into the cubes until they are all done.
Let them sit overnight to harden. My trays came with a cover, so I just put the cover on and set them aside on the counter. In the morning, pop them out of the tray and store them in a labeled air tight jar for easy use!
It really was so easy to do and they work great! I’ll be working on testing out a natural rinse agent as well…stay tuned!
**Recipe adapted from Ounces Of Prevention and The Glow Drops essential oils group**
Health & Harmony 