The Dishwasher

Cleaning your Dishwasher
Okay, okay.... not the most fun post, but my dishwasher was getting yucky, and since I love my dishwasher, I knew it was time for a cleaning. In the past, I have used those expensive dishwasher cleaners they have at the store, but I found a cheaper more effective way to clean it out.

1. Add one tbsp of bleach after emptying the dishwasher. Run a full cycle. This removes any mold and leaves it sparkling clean.

2. Place a coffee cup of vinegar in the bottom rack. Run a full cycle. This cleans it out.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Secondly, I am trying out making my own dishwasher detergent. It's really simple and a lot cheaper.

Detergent
2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Baking Soda
4 tablespoons of citric acid or 4 small packets of sugar free Kool-Aid

Use 2 tablespoons per load. (1 tablespoon in the open cup and 1 in the closed locking cup).

Rinse Aid
Pour some White Vinegar into your rinse aid receptacle and your dishes will come out sparkling! (If your dishes end up covered with a white residue, you probably have hard water and need to experiment with the amount of Borax to use.)

Thanks http://frugallygreen.blogspot.com for the info on how to make this!!!