Homemade Dishwasher Caps

So after multiple washes with my homemade dishwasher caps I thought I'd offer my thoughts, comments & the recipe! I've always spent a fortune on those dishwasher tablets from the store; Finish or Cascade.  Generally they're about $6 for a box of 32.  When you run your dishwasher every day or sometimes twice a day, that adds up and it's not where I enjoy spending money.  

This was super easy and very inexpensive.  I had most of the items I needed already on hand; Baking Soda, Borax, Lemon Juice, Epsom Salt & YL Essential Oils.  My thoughts were, if it was a bust, I'd still use all of the products elsewhere in my home & I really wouldn't be out anything. 

Initially, I wasn't sure how this would turn out or if the tablets would even firm up properly.  Because it's not toxic I mixed it up right on my kitchen counter.  It would have been super cute if I'd have had some cute little molds made specifically for candies in the shape of flowers or something fun.  Anyway...the ice cube trays worked like a charm and were super cheap, less than $1.50 at Target. 

Here's my finished product.  Some crumbled a bit upon removing them from the trays because they weren't completely set but for the most part, they were all quite solid or solid enough.  I do think I'll let them dry a bit longer on the next batch in an effort to avoid this.  Upon going through almost an entire batch I've found that my dishes are very clean and the smell coming from my dishwasher is wonderful!  One thing I've just noticed in the last few days is a white film on some of my things which I attributed to the grit of this product.  I added some white vinegar to the rinse aid area and no more white residue!  Have a look below for the recipe.

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Baking Soda

1/4 Cup Epsom Salt

Lemon Juice

Lemon Oil

I also added Thieves Oil because of it's ability to kill germs!

MIX the first 3 powdered ingredients together.  In another bowl put 1 cup of the powdered mixture.  To that separate smaller bowl you'll add 4T Lemon Juice (you might see a bit of foaming), 8 Drops of YL Lemon Oil, 2 Drops of YL Thieves Oil.  

Stir to mix & add to Ice Cube Trays.  Repeat this process until all of the mixture is gone.  This should make about 32 dishwasher tablets. 

The directions said to let them firm up over night but I honestly felt that they should have set a little bit longer. 

One thing I did was gently press the mixture into the trays to help them form firmly.

You won't want to store these in plastic.  For one thing, the plastic will make them moist and Citrus oils draw out impurities in plastics.  It would defeat the purpose of your healthier dishwasher tablets of you do this. Find an old jar or put them into or your old DW tabs box.  

As always, please let me know if you're interested in learning more or placing an order.  If you're not ready to take the initial jump I'm happy to add items to my order for you at my cost.  It's incredibly easy to set up as a customer and order whenever you're in need.  The great benefit is in being a Distributor with reduced shipping and a 24% discount on all products.  

CLICK HERE to place your order at Young Living Essential Oils.