Today its Green

As more people look for ways to reduce their exposure to harsh chemicals and embrace eco-friendly cleaning solutions, homemade dish soap has gained popularity. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s also gentle on your skin and the environment, while being tough enough to cut through grease. In this article, we’ll walk you through a simple, effective recipe for natural dish soap and explore how it works in various household conditions, including hard water.

Why Make Your Own Dish Soap?

Many commercial dish soaps, like Dawn, are packed with synthetic surfactants and chemicals that, while effective, may not align with a greener lifestyle. By making your own dish soap, you can control the ingredients and customize the formula to suit your needs, such as reducing allergens, create a zero-waste solution, or even optimizing it for hard water.

Some benefits of homemade dish soap include:

• Non-toxic: Free of harsh chemicals found in traditional soaps.
• Eco-friendly: Less harmful to aquatic life and the environment.
• Cost-effective: A few simple, natural ingredients can make a large batch of soap.
• Customizable: You can adjust the formula depending on your household’s needs.

Ingredients That Make Homemade Dish Soap Effective

To create a natural dish soap that rivals commercial products in cutting grease, you’ll first need to decide if you want a liquid or bar soap. The key will be to choose the right combination of oils and additives. The following ingredients form the foundation of an effective recipe:

• Coconut Oil: This is the powerhouse of your recipe. Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which gives it strong grease-cutting and lathering abilities. However, too much can be drying, so balance it with moisturizing oils.
• Castor Oil: Castor oil is added to boost the lather, creating a bubbly, foamy consistency that lifts grease and grime from your dishes. While not a strong grease cutter on its own, it complements the coconut oil.
• Olive Oil: Used to balance the harshness of coconut oil, olive oil adds conditioning properties, making the soap gentler on your hands. It doesn’t cut grease as well but ensures the soap isn’t too drying.
• Lye (Sodium Hydroxide): Necessary for saponification, which transforms the oils into soap.
• Water: Used to dissolve the lye and create the base for the soap.
• Castille Soap: A liquid base like Dr. Bonner is a good choice and is organic.
• Baking Soda: A natural abrasive that helps scrub off tough food residue and grime, while also cutting grease.
• White Vinegar: Known for its degreasing power, vinegar helps break down tough grease and food particles.
• Essential Oils: Lemon or orange essential oil adds both a pleasant scent and an extra grease-cutting boost. Citrus oils contain d-limonene, a natural solvent that helps break down fats.
• Sodium Citrate or Citric Acid: These additives prevent soap scum from forming in hard water, allowing your soap to work effectively even in mineral-rich environments.

How to Make a Grease-Cutting Soap Bar for Washing Dishes

For those who prefer a solid bar of soap over liquid soap, making a grease-cutting dish soap bar is an excellent option. Soap bars are not only convenient and plastic-free, but they also work well in cutting grease and grime from dishes. In this post, we’ll guide you through creating a natural dish soap bar using simple ingredients, while optimizing it for grease-fighting and use in hard water environments.

Why Choose a Bar of Dish Soap?

Bar soaps offer several advantages for dishwashing:

• Zero-waste: No plastic packaging, making them an eco-friendly alternative.
• Long-lasting: Soap bars tend to last longer than liquid soaps.
• Versatile: Can be used directly on dishes or grated and added to sink with hot water.

If you’re looking for an effective, eco-conscious, or zero waster solution then making a dish soap bar is the perfect.

Homemade Dish Soap Bar Recipe

This simple recipe combines grease-cutting ingredients to produce a long-lasting bar soap for dishwashing.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Coconut Oil
• 8 oz Olive Oil
• 4 oz Castor Oil
• 5 oz Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
• 12 oz Water
• 1 tablespoon Citric Acid
• 1-2 tablespoons Lemon Essential Oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Workspace: Safety first! Put on gloves and safety goggles, as lye can be caustic. Ensure you are working in a well-ventilated area.
2. Make the Lye Solution:Dissolve the citric acid in a small amount of water (taken from your total water amount). Set aside.Using a heat safe glass or plastic bowl, carefully add the lye to the water (never the other way around) and stir until it is fully dissolved. The mixture will heat up, so let it cool to around 100°F. Add the citric acid solution to the lye solution once the lye is dissolved, before combining with the oils.
3. Melt the Oils: In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil if it is solid. Once melted, add the olive and castor oils. Heat the oil mixture until it reaches 100°F.
4. Combine Lye and Oils: Once both the lye solution and oils are around 100°F, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils while stirring. Mix until the soap reaches “trace” – this is when the mixture thickens and resembles pudding.
5. Add Essential Oils: If you want to include lemon or orange essential oil, add it now and stir well. These oils add a pleasant scent and help break down grease due to their natural solvent properties.
6. Pour Into Molds: Pour the soap mixture into your molds and smooth out the top with a spatula.
7. Let the Soap Cure: Allow the soap to harden in the molds for 24-48 hours. Once firm, remove the soap from the molds and cut it into bars. Let the bars cure in a cool, dry place for 4-6 weeks to fully harden and develop their grease-cutting power.

Using Your Dish Soap Bar

To use your solid dish soap, simply rub a wet dish brush or sponge on the bar to create a lather. The soap will cut through grease and grime just like liquid soap. Store your bar on a soap dish that drains well to keep it dry between uses and extend its life.

Optimizing for Hard Water

If you live in an area with hard water, you might face soap scum when using natural soap. To combat this:

• Sodium Citrate: Add 1-2 teaspoons per pound of oil to bind minerals in hard water and prevent soap scum.
• Citric Acid: You can add citric acid during the soap-making process to help chelate hard water minerals, making the soap more effective.

Grease-Cutting Liquid Dish Soap Recipe

This simple recipe combines the natural cleaning power of coconut and castor oils with the grease-cutting properties of baking soda and essential oils.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Liquid Castile Soap (unscented or scented)
• 1 tablespoon Baking Soda
• 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
• 10-15 drops Lemon or Orange Essential Oil
• 1-2 teaspoons Sodium Citrate (optional, for hard water)
• Distilled water (as needed to thin the mixture)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the liquid Castile soap and baking soda until fully combined.
2. Slowly add the white vinegar. Be cautious as it may bubble.
3. Add the essential oils and stir well.
4. If using, mix in sodium citrate to help with hard water.
5. Thin the mixture with a small amount of distilled water, stirring until you reach your desired consistency.
6. Pour the mixture into a reusable soap dispenser, and give it a shake before each use.

Making Dish Soap at Home is Easy and Effective

Making your own dish soap bar from natural ingredients is an easy and rewarding way to reduce plastic waste and avoid synthetic chemicals. With simple ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, and lemon essential oil, you can create a grease-cutting bar that is tough on grime but gentle on the environment and your skin. Whether you’re tackling tough grease or simply washing everyday dishes, this homemade bar soap is an eco-friendly and effective choice for your kitchen.

Have you tried making your own dish soap or bar? Leave a comment below on your experience!