One of my most popular recipes is my DIY natural dishwashing powder recipe. As a matter of fact, people actually come to my DIY natural cleaning products workshop just to learn how to make this one product! Of course, that’s understandable given the toxic ingredients in most dishwashing powders.
Have you ever read the back of the packet?
It says things like:
- Eye and skin irritant.
- Do not ingest.
- Avoid contact with skin, eyes, mucous membranes and clothing.
- Contains Chlorine Bleach and Sodium Silicate.
- Do not mix with any other products such as dishwashing liquids, cleaning products or ammonia as harmful fumes may be generated.
If eaten dishwasher powder and tablets can cause:
- red lips
- blisters
- possible breathlessness
- coughing
- swelling inside the mouth, and
- severe pain.
Sadly many of the shop bought dishwasher powders and tablets – even the “green” products – contain ingredients you do NOT want in your house or anywhere near your family.
Let’s take a look at a few…
Chlorine bleach – Bleach is corrosive, which means it can irritate or burn your skin or eyes. It can also corrode (“eat”) metals. When mixed with certain other chemicals or cleaners, it can produce toxic gases which can damage your lungs or be deadly.
If swallowed – Call a poison control centre, emergency services, or doctor.
Sodium Silicate – Contact with the eyes can cause severe irritation, pain, and corneal burns possibly leading to blindness. Direct contact with the skin may cause irritation. Inhaling mists of sodium silicates may result in irritation of the respiratory tract with symptoms such as coughing, choking and pain.
Have you ever opened the door of your dishwasher and steam comes out? Ingesting sodium silicate is unlikely; however, if ingested, it is moderately toxic and may cause pain and burns of the oesophagus and gastrointestinal tract with vomiting, nausea, and diarrhoea.
Sodium silicates have exhibited moderate toxicity to aquatic organisms and slight toxicity to terrestrial organisms.
Fragrance – The word “fragrance” can appear on a label and contain an enormous list of ingredients that a company is not required to disclose, as it is considered a ‘trade secret.’ That means a product could contain some awful ingredients and the consumer wouldn’t even know!
These chemicals could be linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies and sensitivities. Why take the risk?
Why make Natural Dishwashing Powder?
I hate the thought of those toxic tablets from the supermarkets leaving a residue on my dishes, which we then ingest as we eat off them.
Imagine how much of that stuff you would consume over time! All those toxic chemicals going into your – and even more scary – your children’s bodies.
How much better is it to know that you’re using a dishwasher powder that’s good for your family AND good for the environment?
My recipe is super-easy! We ran out of our natural dishwashing powder yesterday, so Jeremy whipped some up in under 5 minutes.
I actually write the recipe on the side of the container so he doesn’t have to keep looking up the recipe every time we need to make it. I’m going to share it with you right now…
All – Natural Dishwashing Powder Recipe
- ½ cup citric acid
- 1 cup bicarb soda
- ½ cup washing soda
- 20 drops of essential oil
I love using Young Living’s Lemon Myrtle essential oil in this recipe as it leaves my dishwasher smelling amazing. I like Lemon essential oil too. But, every third batch we usually add Thieves essential oil blend. Apart from smelling great, it helps give my dishwasher a good clean – as well as the dishes.
Thieves essential oil blend: Thieves is a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils for an aromatic blend that fills any space with a rich, spicy aroma.
It includes the naturally occurring constituents trans cinnamaldehyde, limonene, and eucalyptol. It’s known for its cleansing properties, and it neutralises and purifies odours.
If you loved this recipe then don’t forget to Pin it or share it. You can get more of my great natural cleaning recipes in my free ebook.
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