Shaker jar cleaner

One of the best all around cleaners in the home is baking soda. And if you need to wet the baking soda, use H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide for you non-science folk). I keep a shaker jar of baking soda and a squeeze bottle of H2O2 under my kitchen sink at all times  :) Make a paste with the two to clean darn near anything. It works wonders on making my sink shiny and will remove burn marks from pans.

It is really simple to make a shaker top for your jar. Using a small drill bit and your drill, make holes in a waxed ring lid.

To keep the baking soda from absorbing mosisture and clumping or getting tipped overed and spilling you will need to put a standard canning lid over your shaker lid and then secure with a lid. When ready to use, remove the band and top lid, then resecure the band to keep the shaker lid in place.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I recently ran out of my dishwasher tabs that I buy at Sam's club. They worked fine, but were a little pricey for my new budget. So I set out to make my own detergent. I like using homemade cleaners because they are cheaper and tend to work better. I already had everything I needed. Two of the ingredients are also used in my homemade laundry detergent. 

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid

Put in a jar and shake well. To use just add 1 Tablespoon to the detergent dispenser in your dishwasher. Easy peasy!!

Instead of buying expensive rinse aid, just fill the liquid dispenser with plain white vinegar. I keep vinegar in a small squirt bottle to make it easier to fill.


The cost comparison breaks down like this:
Cascade Action Pacs 95 count for $15.98 = $.17 per load
Homemade Detergent 48 loads for $2.98 = $.05 per load

Jet Dry 27.5 ozs for $9.88 = $.36 per ounce
Vinegar 128 ozs for $1.25 = $.01 per ounce

Yes, it is just pennies, but every penny adds up! Give it a try.  :)