Homemade Dish Soap

I like homemade meals better than eating out most of the time, which means I probably do more dishes than I want to admit, sigh. I hate to be negative, but I really dislike washing dishes. It makes my hands super dry and my nails brittle. Not to mention, commercial dish soap are full of so many chemicals! Not only do the chemicals damage your own health, but they hurt the environment around you where the water ends up. I wanted to find a natural dish soap recipe that actually got the job done, because, lets's face it - clean dishes are a must. I went to the store and looked at the that the "natural" soaps contained a ton of chemicals as well!

Here are some yucky soap ingredients to try and avoid, and why:

• Surfactants -  Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) is a common foaming agent derived from cococut. So, although it is "natural", it contains 1,4-dioxane: an established carcinogen. 1,4-dioxane is also an environmental pollutant and is suspected of being harmful to our kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.
• Dyes - Food coloring is one of my biggest pet peeves, mainly because my son is severely allergic to red food dye. If he consumes enough of it he vomits profusely to the point of bile and near unconsciousness.  He also breaks out in hives if his skin is exposed to it. Food dyes are also known to cause behavioral issues (like ADD and ADHD) in children, and are suspected to cause cancer. They are banned in many developed countries around the world, including in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. For some reason in the United States they are still used. Ugh, I digress, I could (should will) write a completely new post on this. All and all, I'm more than happy to have the products I use be colorless. 
• Fragrance - Anything scented probably contains phthalates, which disrupts hormones. Even phthalate-free synthetic fragrances are usually petroleum-derived. 
• Antibacterial Ingredients - Totally toxic if you see "antibacterial agent" or "triclosan" listed on the ingredients label. Known to be carcinogenic and hormone disrupting. 

To avoid all of the items above, I began researching DIY dish soap recipes.  I learned that vinegar helps to cut down on spotting, and washing soda really helps loosen food stuck to plates. I put together the concoction below.  Let me know how it works for you, or if you have a recipe you swear by. I'd love to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup warm water (distilled, filtered, or boiled water only to prevent bacteria growth)
• 2/3 cup Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
• 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons washing soda (different than baking soda)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin

Essential Oils:

• 20 drops essential oil of your choice (I used Orange)

...I enjoy using citrus oils for cleaning... 

(I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

This is super simple, and I used the soap dispensing container under my kitchen sink so that I could use the solution with ease.

First, I mixed the warm water and the washing soda together, making sure that the powder was dissolved.

Then add the Castile Soap, Aloe Vera, vinegar, and vegetable glycerin. Mix until combined.

Once well combined, add twenty drops of the essential oil of your choice to the dish soap, and stir.

And that's it. Easy-Peasy! Homemade dish soap in minutes. So much less painful that it sounds.

Nerdy Extras:

I like to use citrus essential oils when cleaning, orange in particular.

Orange essential oil has a natural fresh, sweet, citrus smell. The scent alone reminds you of something freshly cleaned. The most prominent chemical constituent in orange essential oil is limonene, which makes up about 85-95% of the extract. Limonene is considered to be a powerful antioxidant and also kills bacterial. When diluted, it is a great way to clean countertops, cutting boards, or appliances without needing to use bleach or the harsh cleaning chemicals found in many products. It is also an excellent degreaser. As an added bonus, orange essential oil is excellent for supporting healthy circulation and maintaining bone and joint health, while promoting a more positive mood. So not only does it do a great job cleaning, but it has therapeutic value as well. That's a WIN-WIN in my book.

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."