Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I am so tired of paying so much for dishwasher detergent!  I found it for a great deal many many many moons ago and bought six things of it, but those have now run out and I was forced to pay almost full price for dishwasher detergent.  I have contemplated many times on whether or not I should just stop using the dishwasher because I have so much Dawn that I have netted for free (or just tax) with sales and coupons.  Seriously, I have at least TEN THINGS of dish soap under my sink.  Whilst reading my daily email from Money Saving Mom today there was an entry on how she found a recipe for making your own dishwasher detergent, so I perused it and am thinking that it might just work. 

Ingredient list

::  1 Cup Borax

::  1 Cup Washing Soda

::  ½ Cup Kosher Salt

::  ½ Cup Citric Acid

Directions

::  Put all ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid and shake.

::  Use about 1 TB per load

::  Pour some white vinegar into the "rinse aid" compartment of your dishwasher. This will help to keep your dishes from having a "cloudy" look!

Julie also states on her site, Flitterbugs, “If you do a bit of research on homemade detergent, you will find lots of "controversy" as to how well it works. Apparently, much of this has to do with what type of water you have. Also, it is debated as to whether or not borax is "good" for the dishwasher, as it can build up in your plumbing. Dig a little deeper, and you will find that all commercial dishwashing detergents have a borax-like ingredient....they just also have a chemical to keep the plumbing clear. It is a good idea to every month or so use a regular detergent for just one cycle to clean out the buildup. Enjoy!”

I made my own laundry detergent a while back and it’s worked out great so why wouldn’t this?  I’m not sure what hubs is going to think about this venture, but why not?  I don’t think that I really spend that much on dishwasher detergent each year… let’s say an average of $4 (paired with sale and coupon) for a thing of the packets, tabs, gel packs, whatever you call them as we don’t use the liquid stuff.  One thing last for about two months, so $4 x 6 = $24 per year.  Is that really worth the time and effort to make my own?  It doesn’t sound like it takes much time or effort and I already have all the ingredients less the citric acid.  I wonder how much that is?  I could probably get away with getting the liquid detergent and probably not spend as much and cut my cost without having to worry about making this stuff.  I don’t know… I have to find out how much citric acid is first.

Here’s another helpful link for homemade dishwasher detergent.  I’ve checked out this site before and it is extremely helpful for homemade alternatives and a wealth of information.