US Dollars
Homemade Dish Soap
- 1 ¾ cups boiling water
- 1 Tbsp Borax
- 1 Tbsp grated bar soap (I used Ivory, because I had plenty left over from making DIY Laundry Detergent)
- 1 Tbsp liquid castile soap, optional (I used Dr. Bronner's in Almond)
- 15-20 drops fragrance oils, optional
Heat water to boiling. Combine borax and grated bar soap in a Pyrex measuring cup (2 cup + capacity).
Pour hot water over the mixture until water level reaches 1 ¾ cup mark.
Whisk until the grated soap is completely melted.
Pour into empty squirt bottle (a funnel would help to avoid spills/splashes, but I didn't have one, so I poured reeeeeeallllly carefully).
Allow mixture to cool for a few hours, shaking occasionally. Dish soap will gel upon standing. Transfer to a squirt bottle, and add essential oils (if using). Shake well to combine.
Tip: The dish soap continues to re-gel between uses, but if you give it a good shake prior to use, it seems to make it easier to distribute. I don't mind this *too* much, because for me, having to shake before use is far preferable to having to use thin, watery dish soap.
Also - pleeeease make sure all of the little grated soap bits completely dissolve before transferring to a squirt bottle. If any little bits remain undissolved, they will make their way to the dispensing cap mid-squeeze, clog your squirt bottle, and drive you batty. I'm speaking from experience.
Credit: This recipe was kindly shared with us by Caroline Blicq of Sugar Bee Beauty. You can visit her blog here: Sugar Bee Beauty Blog