Kitchen

Kitchen Part I: DIY Dishwasher Detergent and Pot/Pan Cleaning

~ thecleansedlife ~ Leave a comment

 

I have been slowly transitioning over to home made, non toxic, Terrific Twenty list products to use in the kitchen. There is so much that happens and needs to be taken care of in the kitchen that I have decided to break it up into three parts. This first part focuses on ways to clean the dishes, pots and pans. Here is what you will find in this post:

  1. Dishwasher Detergent
  2. Basic Scrub
  3. Tough Scrub

Dishwasher Detergent

What You Need

  1. A jar (I used a 1 pint mason jar, but any size will do; just adjust amounts.)
  2. 1 part water (I used a little less than 1/2 cup)
  3. 1 part Castile Soap (I used a little less than 1/2 cup of Dr. Bronner’s Baby Hemp)
  4. 1 cup vinegar (for the rinse)

What To Do

  1. Mix the ingredients in the jar
  2. Put 1 Tablespoon of the mixture in the compartment where you usually put the dish washing detergent.
  3. Add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher or just to the bottom of the dishwasher.

Note: Do not combine the vinegar and Castile Soap; they will counteract each other. The main website I used for this recipe can be found here. Really great website. This works REALLY well. My dishes and glasses come out clean and shiny, even when the dishes have been put in without a good rinse off.

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Basic Scrub

What You Need

  1. Baking soda
  2. Half of a lemon

What To Do

  1. Place the baking soda and a little water in the pot, pan or sink that you want to clean.
  2. Use the halved lemon to scrub.
  3. That’s all!

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Tough Scrub

This works WONDERS on those tough to clean pots and pans. I don’t have any before and after pictures at the moment.

What You Need

  1. Water
  2. Vinegar
  3. 1-2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
  4. Scrub brush

What To Do

  1. Combine vinegar and water in the bottom of the pot or pan.
  2. Make sure the mixture reaches the area you want to clean.
  3. Place the pot or pan on the stove.
  4. Turn the burner on and wait for it to come to a boil.
  5. Turn off the burner and remove the pot or pan from the heat.
  6. Add the baking soda.
  7. Scrub until clean.

Note: I have seen this idea on various websites and tried it out myself multiple times. It really works. Check this website out for more detailed instructions and a second opinion.