Make your own dishwasher detergent tabs (and deodorizing disks)

Tags

DIY cleaning supplies, DIY deodorizing disks, DIY dishwasher tabs, make your own cleaning supplies, spring cleaning

My month of spring cleaning is officially over, although I didn’t get to a couple of items that really need it (ahem….wretched oven), so I’ll still tackling a few more tasks in the next couple of weeks.
Overall, I feel the month was moderately successful. I always hope to get more done, and then life gets in the way, so I suppose I’ll just have to accept that I’ll never get everything on my list accomplished. Just to make myself happy (because lists always make me happy), here’s what I did manage to get done:

• Cleaned all baseboards
• Washed most of the walls
• Cleaned all electrical outlets/light switches (how do they get SO gross?!)
• Washed all the doors
• Washed all windows (except the girls on the inside, which I just remembered)
• Cleaned ceiling fans
• Organized/de-cluttered stockpile
• Organized/de-cluttered fabric storage shelves
• Organized/de-cluttered garage
• Deep cleaned the bathrooms
• Organized/de-cluttered girls closets
• Purged/organized toys in girls rooms
• Organized/de-cluttered front room closet
• Organized and took inventory of school supplies
• Removed everything from kitchen cabinets, cleaned, organized
• Re-organized pantry (more on this later today)
• Deep cleaned the kitchen
• Made Swiffer sweeper cloths
• Made UN-paper towels
• Made wool dryer balls
• Made dishwasher tabs (see below)
• Made trash deodorizing tabs (see below)

Still on the list:

• Clean oven (grrrrr….)
• Clean out refrigerator
• Organize craft nook (it’s a disaster area)

So anyways, enough of that.  I’ve wanted to make my own dishwasher tabs ever since I started making laundry detergent, and I finally got around to it this past week.

My main concern was that I’ve never had much luck with powdered dishwasher detergent, it just doesn’t seem to clean as well as the gel tabs, but so far these bad boys seem to be doing okay.  I’ve only run about three loads though, so I’ll just have to wait and see if they continue working long-term.

DIY DISHWASHER DETERGENT TABS
(idea found here)

• 2 cups washing soda
• 2 cups borax
• 1/2 cup epsom salt
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 15 drops essential oil

Mix everything together.  It’ll start clumping right away.  Press into ice-cube trays.  Let dry for 24-48 hours.

Store in a dry place.

To use, add 1 tab and a small squirt of Dawn to each load of dirty dishes.

 So far my dishes have all come out clean and sparkling!

I also made some deodorizing disks for my trash can.  One of the worst things about the Texas summers is how stinky the trash gets and I’m constantly dumping baking soda into the bottom of the can.  Hopefully these disks will help keep the bad odors down.

DIY DEODORIZING DISKS
(idea found here)

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1-2 cup distilled water (I just boiled tap water for about 10 minutes)
• Silicone mold (or muffin tin or ice-cube tray)
• Essential oil of your choice (I used peppermint)

Add 4-5 drops of essential oil to 1/2 cup of water.  Mix the water into the baking soda, and continue to add water until it forms a thick paste.  It only took about 1 cup for me.  

Divide the paste into the silicone mold and let dry for 24-48 hours.

When they’re totally dry, pop out of mold and dump in the bottom of your trashcan.  They’re supposed to last about 30 days.  Here’s hoping.

This week has been wild.  I’m a few days behind on my last task for Project Simplify, but I should (fingers crossed) have it finished by this afternoon.

I’m excited to get it done and move on to this month’s projects – skirts!         I desperately need some skirts and I’m going to try my hand and making at least one a week during the month of May.  I hope to share my first one next week, so be sure come back for it! :)

Parties I link to: Craft-O-Maniac, Sew Can Do, Sew Chatty, C.R.A.F.T., Making the World Cuter, Skip to My Lou, Chef In Training, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Sugar Bee Crafts, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Todays Creative Blog, Tip Junkie, Mandy’s Recipe Box, My Girlish Whims, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Sew Much Ado, Ginger Snap Crafts, Southern Lovely, House of Hepworths,  The Crafty Blog Stalker, A Glimpse Inside, Delicate Construction, Tidy Mom, Thirty Handmade Days, Tatertots and Jello, Flamingo Toes, Six Sisters Stuff, Naptime Creations, I Heart Naptime