Deb's Peppermint Dishwasher Detergent

Like many people, I've tried for years to develop a cheap, natural recipe for dishwasher detergent that really works. This recipe, combined with my Homemade Jet Dry Rinse, comes close in performance to Cascade, and far outperforms commercial "green" products. Kudos to thenewhomemaker.com for the tip about citric acid. (I order citric acid online from mountainroseherbs.com at $3.50/lb.) **TIP: If you have very soft water, you might want to reduce or omit the baking soda to prevent a filmy buildup. This was developed for a hard water region of North Texas.**

• Ready In: 5 mins
• Serves: 15-20
• Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

• 2  cups  borax
• 1  cup baking soda
• 1  cup  arm & hammer  washing soda
• 1⁄2 cup salt
• 1⁄2 cup  citric acid
• 2  teaspoons  peppermint oil (you can sub pretty much any essential oil)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
2. STORE IN AIR-TIGHT ZIP-LOK BAG, NOT IN A JAR! (It clumps if it gets too damp, and if it's in a bag a quick squeeze breaks it up. In a jar it becomes a rock.).
3. To use: Fill prewash and wash compartments completely, and use heat boost setting if available. Adjust amount of detergent depending on results in your area: reduce amount if you experience white residue; increase amount if dishes don't come clean. Strongly recommend using rinse aid as well.