Sticking it to the man, one load of dishes at a time...

My budget is almost as tight, as my ideals are high.  Its hard to find the balance between responsible feminist consumerism and not spending more than I have to, but have the internet and a love for making things from scratch.  I'm crafty as f*ck.

I am obsessed with making things from scratch myself.  Chances are, doing it myself is at least half the cost of buying it pre-made.  Along with wanting to be a responsible consumer and save money, I also have to consider all environmentally hazardous sh*t that is added to many consumer goods.  I do not want just anything going into my kid's body, whether ingested, breathed in, or absorbed through his skin.  I don't want that sh*t in my body or my husband's body either, for that matter.

Big chemical companies rake in millions, just in selling cleaning supplies.  "Green" cleaning supplies are a huge trend right now, and they cost double what plain old Windex costs.  Sometimes the ingredient lists look less than "green," with nearly as many synthetic cleaning agents in them as the regular stuff.  Also, just because its biodegradable, doesn't mean its safe to use around your kids.  Better for the earth is a step in the right direction, but either way big corporations like SC Johnson's focus is their profits.

I wanted to go eco-friendly on a ridiculously cheap budget.... so I did.  Making my own detergent, I run my dishwasher for around FOUR CENTS per load.  My dishes are clean and spotless.

Here's my recipe:  


Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (its like turbo-charged baking soda)
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Citric Acid
Jug of White Vinegar
  
Mix the borax, washing soda, salt, and citric acid together.  Store in an air tight container.

Use one tablespoon of the mix in the regular detergent compartment, and pour a little white vinegar into the rinse cycle dispenser (where you would normally put liquid jet dry).

Voila!  Dishes are cleaned for around FOUR CENTS PER LOAD.

You might be asking: Where the heck do I find all that stuff?

Most supermarkets and box stores like Target sell Borax and Washing Soda.  You can usually find them in the laundry detergent aisle.  I buy my citric acid in bulk online or through a local Frontier co-op for around $4, for a big ass bag of it.

Take that patriarchy, capitalism, and dirty dishes!