Saturday, July 4, 2015

Homemade Dishwasher Rinse Aid





Dishwasher rinse aid
   
            So I ran out of rinse aid. And my dishwasher is one of those that if you do not have any rinse aid in the dispenser then your dishes DO NOT DRY! Kind of annoying I guess. But there are worse things. Well - I ran out of my rinse aid on a day that I could not get to a grocery to purchase more. NOW WHAT!!! I didn't want to run it without any rinse aid and have to hand dry the dishes later. Or deal with the spots left on the glasses. Ugg. Hate the spots.. And I  also didn't want the dishes to wait to be washed until I can get to the grocery. Especially as in this house, we do 2 or 3 loads of dishes a day. So I began my quest for what might work in place of the commercially made rinse aid. I found several that sounded great but I didn't have everything on hand for most of them. So I used the information I found and put together what I did already have on hand to come up with a replacement rinse aid that I hoped would work until I could get to the grocer. But I discovered that the homemade rinse aid seems to work BETTER than the commercially made one. And so much cheaper! I thought maybe it was just my mind imagining it - so I did go buy a very small bottle of rinse aid a few days later. When the light came on on the dishwasher to refill the rinse aid, I used the store bought and took notes.  And yes, the homemade version worked better for me. So I am going to keep using it. And saving money too. Which is a fantastic bonus. Super clean dry dishes out of the dishwasher and less cost out of my pocket. Love Love Love!!!

This rinse aid is so easy and cheap you will not believe it. I didn't- not until it worked. And worked great. There are many many recipes on the web for rinse aid. You may need to experiment with a few to find one you like. But one thing is for sure, you won't beat the price on most of the homemade versions as they are so much cheaper.

Homemade Dishwasher Rinse aid

A bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (any brand- just needs to be 3% hydrogen peroxide)
and your favorite essential oil
a glass container
a metal spoon

Pour 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide into your glass container. I usually use a measuring cup or small glass that I can easily pour the rinse aid into the dishwasher opening with. Once you have your hydrogen peroxide in your container, add 2-5 drops of your favorite essential oil. Start with 3. If you don't think it has a strong enough smell add more 1 drop at a time. Stir with your metal spoon. Now pour into the rinse aid opening and wash your dishes. You should be able to just barely smell the essential oil after your dishes are clean. If the smell is strong then you should add less essential oil to your rinse aid. You should only just barely smell it. I estimate that the cost for this amount of dishwasher aid is $0.10 cents depending on your essential oil. Maybe even $0.20 if you are using a costly oil and more drops. If you have any leftover rinse aid you can use that to clean off the front of your dishwasher. Or the refrigerator. Your sink. Cabinet top. Whatever. Or save it and add it to the dishwasher rinse aid reservoir after you have washed a few loads of dishes and can then top it off. My reservoir does not hold a large amount of rinse aid. Depending on your dishwasher you may need to double or more this recipe to fill your reservoir.

 I bought a nice large bottle of Hydrogen peroxide from my Costco for $1. The essential oils can run anywhere from $5 to $75 a bottle depending on the type and brand. You only need a few drops so a bottle will last a long time. Many of the posts I read about making rinse aid only used "antiseptic" essential oils like Lemon for the scent. In my research I have found that most essential oils are antiseptic and so I use whichever smell I like at the moment. Be that Lavender or Orange, lemon, lime, clove. I have even used a blend. Whatever I feel like the day I make my rinse aid. I only make what I need right at that moment. I do not make any ahead of time as it is just so easy to make I don't need to make it ahead. Literally takes less than a minute to make.






3 comments:

  1. I came across this old post today as I was looking for safe, non-toxic alternatives to Jet Dry. I read so much about people using white vinegar in their rinse aid compartments, and that it eventually will break down the rubber seals in the dishwasher. Would hydrogen peroxide have the same eventual harmful effect on the dishwasher?

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