Let's make dish soap!

Create a clean heart in me, O God

PSALM 50:12

FRUGAL DISH SOAP   (for hand washing dishes)

MAKES FOUR CUPS OF CONCENTRATE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups boiling water

2 cups cool tap water

2 Tablespoons of Zote shavings (I bought a box of it already shaved for 2 dollars at Walmart.) 

2 TPs white vinegar

2 TPs baking soda

1 heaping TP washing soda

1 tsp lemon juice (I use bottled juice.)

2 big Squirts of Dawn soap 

*optional *  

* 1 tsp lime juice for scent

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle.)

2. Place Zote shavings into an old jar and add 1/2 cup of the hot water into a jar. Stir with a FORK until soap flakes are completely dissolved. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Stir well. 

3. Add the washing soda and baking soda gradually. If you dump it in all at once, it will clump up. Sprinkle a little and then stir. Sprinkle a little more and then stir. Repeat until the sodas are completely dissolved. You may have a few chunks at bottom. It's okay.

4. Now add the rest of the ingredients: vinegar, lemon juice, and lime juice (optional.) Stir to blend. It will bubble up when you add the vinegar.

5. Let the mixture cool off until it is no longer hot just warm. Pour the mixture into one large squeeze bottle. Now add two cups of cool water to the same bottle.  You can use any size bottle. Just make sure the measurements are equal. One part mixture to one part cool water. 

6. Add Dawn (two big squirts.)

7. Give the dish soap bottle a couple shakes to blend and then let it rest.

8. It will thicken up after 24 hours. I have had some batches not thicken up, and it still worked fine. I have had some batches have white chunks that float to the top. Again, it'll work just fine. Use it. 

WHY I LOVE IT: 

1. It's cheap. The initial ingredients cost me 8 bucks, and we still haven't gone through them two years later! 

2. It works well and doesn't dry out my hands. Since we never eat out, we wash a LOT of dishes.

3. It's a less toxic option that I can make from things in my pantry making me less grocery store dependent. 

We've been using this dish soap mix for two years now, and we love it. It leaves NO water spots, cuts through grease, and makes our pans sparkle. It won't be as thick or bubble up like a fancy store bought gel. The Dawn is what gives this dish soap the bubbles. And since we associate bubbles with working, it's a nice addition.

I put my soap into an old hand soap dispenser with the pump and that helps dispense the soap. It isn't pretty or perfect, but it works! I put 4 squirts of soap into a drinking glass and fill the glass up with water. Then I dip my sponge into the soapy water to wash a sink full of dishes. I always double the recipe and make two batches. I store the dish soap below the sink for months.

*****The pictures below are of a double batch.

I have two designated jars for dish soap making. I marked where the water line should be for 2 cups
of water with Sharpie marker. This saves me the hassle of pulling out the measuring cup every time.

Add a little boiling water and stir.

Add a little more boiling water and stir.

Adding the vinegar makes it bubble.

Adding lemon juice.

Adding lime juice.

We are always looking for little ways to stretch our dollars and cut back on expenses. Every little bit counts. I hope you give this dish soap recipe a try! Thank you for reading, and God bless you!