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dishwasher detergent substitute

Jan 20th, 2010 by

Have you ever been tempted to put liquid dish soap (the kind you handwash dishes with) in your dishwasher?

Perhaps you’ve heard. Or maybe you’ve learned from personal experience. Try this, and you’ll end up with suds irresponsibly billowing out of your dishwasher. The volume of suds is quite astonishing. On the bright side, your kitchen floor will never be cleaner–once you’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time cleaning up all the suds.

So–what if you’re out of dishwasher detergent? Is there anything you can use, just until you can get back to the store?

The Damsel will permit you to use the aforementioned liquid. But you must use only a couple of DROPS. If you can’t trust yourself to stop with two drops, then just forget about the whole thing.

Also, add a handful of baking soda to the machine…just throw it in. It will help control the sudsing, and is actually a pretty good cleaner itself. Some folks even say to just skip the two drops of dish soap and use the baking soda alone.

Others make this heretical statement: Take the dishes out of the dishwasher and wash the silly things by hand. The Damsel can hardly bring herself to write such words.

Posted in Substitutions

  • http://emeraldlens.info Lady Ozma of Emerald Lens

    Wash by hands? Are you kidding me? Isn’t that why we have kids? I thought so!

    Funny story. I had some sort of sinus infection type thing and I couldn’t hardly stand up or anything else… so the kind sister missionaries came over and thought they’d do the dishes for me. And they took my super concentrated liquid dish soap and filled up the dishwasher thing, set it to run, and went on their merry way. 3 year old Caramon ran in and said “It’s a MESS!” so I dragged myself into the kitchen and I was seriously knee deep in suds.

    OOOoOOPS!

  • http://cookingwithrockymento.blogspot.com Sande Nascimento

    washing by hand. um. yuuuuucckkk…so glad your back. I have missed having input from the Damsel.

  • http://justnikol.blogspot.com Nikol

    Growing up, I never had a dishwasher. I WAS the dish washer. hee! I didn’t have an actual dishwasher until last year when we bought a house of our own. My kids have no idea how good they have it. When my oldest complains about putting stuff in the dishwasher (or emptying it), I just laugh. YOU HAVE NO IDEA, KID!

  • Miette

    After handwashing dishes for over a year, I’m proud to say I’m grateful for my dishwasher! Still its better than handwashing clothes. :)

  • http://sleepycathollow.wordpress.com/ Sleepy Cat Hollow

    Our new home has a dishwasher…but after washing dishes by hand for 15 years, I have a hard time using the dang thing.

  • Steph

    I’ve used a Tablespoon of Borax mixed with a tablespoon of baking soda before… and the dishes were clean, but I don’t know if I was doing anything to ruin my dishwasher.

  • damsel

    Steph…you won’t hurt your dishwasher doing this. There is actually a homemade dishwasher detergent recipe that is nearly like this, that many people have used. The problem is…it’s hard to find Borax, or washing soda. I’ve been looking and haven’t found it yet in my neighborhood.

  • http://thechocolatechipwaffle.blogspot.com/ Terresa Wellborn

    Thanks for your comments on my blog. They always make me sit up and listen. Your tattoos sound frighteningly beautiful (if there is such a thing). And a reminder of your strength.

    And yes, I’ve put dish soap in my dishwasher before. It was in the early days of my marriage, and we thought it’d work. Coming home from work that evening was fun, soap suds spilling onto the linoleum kitchen floor & all…

  • http://www.thecoolcoxclan.blogspot.com Gina

    Phew – I guess I learned from other’s experience.
    A dishwasher repair guy gave me this hot little tip -
    Run a little vinegar through your wash every six months or so to cut down on scum build up and too much soap hanging out in the washer……cool!
    Love your advice!

  • http://momza.blogspot.com Momza

    Been there, Done that! A bonus to having suds all over your floor–you get a clean floor!

  • http://nikkianddanny.blogspot.com Nikki

    I love your header. And I LOVE your tip. I’ve also tried one tablespoon Borax and one tablespoon Baking Soda when I run out. You can buy Borax in the laundry aisle at most stores (Wal-Mart, Albertson’s, Target, commissary) Of course, you’d have to have Borax on hand- and I don’t think non-cloth diapering people often do. ;)

    I’m going to give the liquid soap and baking soda a try with my next dish load- just for fun. Just two drops eh?

    I’m also going to run with the vinegar too like Gina suggested.

    Thanks for the tips!

  • Pingback: Old School » Blog Archive » make your own dishwasher detergent

  • http://helenpetersen.blogspot.com Hel

    Just had to let you know that I ran out of dishwasher powder (cubes) the other evening and couldn’t bring my lazy butt out of my pyjamas to go buy some more. Of course I remembered you had mentioned something about it and used your suggestion. Clean dishes all the way. Thanks Damsel!!!! I am so glad I follow you.

  • http://homemadedishwasherdetergent.co.cc/ Akeger

    Thank you for any other informative site. The place else may I am getting that kind of information written in such an ideal approach? I’ve a project that I’m just now working on, and I’ve been on the glance out for such info.

  • country girl

    I have personally used dishwashing detergent and baking soda.  My dishes come out sparkling clean.  In the compartment you normally put your Cascade, put four drops of dawn dishwashing detergent and the rest of the compartment fill up with baking soda.  It really works!

    • Anonymous

      I’m totally going to try this!
      Thanks.

    • jupiter

      I’ve been doing it this way for about a week, no spotty glasses or whatsoever, I might add the cup of vinegar on the top rack so my dishwasher gets a cleanse as well. I have hard water (with a water softener) and over time there will be a build up of residue from the water, hoping the vinegar will control that. 

  • Jmax

    We’ve tryed some of these recipes and fight having a white coating on glasses after washing.  Any sugestions?  We were using washing soda and borox.

    • Anonymous

      I’ve had the same problem. The only thing that has helped for me is the vinegar trick. Put a glass right side up in the top rack and fill with a cup or so of vinegar, then let the load run as usual. See if that helps for you.

  • http://twitter.com/Pasunepomme Pasunepomme

    Thanks for the tips!  I just found out I’d run out of dishwashing detergent *after* I’d already loaded up the dishwasher with dirty dishes.  I would have washed them by hand if I’d caught the fact that I was out first, but it was too much to ask of me to load the dishwasher, and then unload the dishwasher, all for the pleasure of washing the load by hand ;)   I’m trying a couple drops of Dawn and baking soda.  Suds-free so far!

  • Stella

    I took the glasses out to wash by hand… scrubbed them inside and out with sudsy hot, hot water — until about the 7th glass, which may have had a crack, it split and sliced my thumb — blood everywhere!  Jagged little scar reminder…  I’m going with 2 drops of Dawn and a handful of baking soda from now on!!!