Ok, guys. I did something. I made my own dish soap.

*gasp*

I know, right? Those same thoughts running through your head, I had them too. How can someone possibly make their own dish soap? Aren’t there ingredients that we simply need? What about germs?

I agree. I wasn’t down for the idea when it first crossed my path. It’s like the toothpaste problem, I get it into my head that I can’t live without certain chemical. How will I ever keep my stuff clean and safe?

Well, I’m still alive….

And I’ve been using this soap upwards of 3 weeks.

Clearly, a chemical-free dish soap won’t kill you.

First off, this recipe came from Dr. Axe's book*. Ya, that guy. I’ve been struggling with digestive problems for a while. I felt that I had a clean eating style but, clearly, it wasn’t enough. After every meal, I was still feeling deathly ill and my stomach HURT. So after a reliable recommendation, I gave his book Eat Dirt a whirl. I’ve read 4 of these gut books but this was the best one. I know his site comes across as very Dr. Oz and Dr. Phill, but his book is completely different.

Long story short, Dr. Axe reminded me that we absorb so much through our skin. Just small amounts can lead to gut problems. When I saw that, yes it is possible to make dish soap at home, I decided why not. One more step I can take to living a chemical free life.

What I love about this recipe is that it takes minutes to make. Even my husband has made a batch. It’s essentially equal parts water and castile soap - I used Dr. Bonners - and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per cup of mixture. I tend to go a little heavier on the white vinegar because it helps with water spots. You can also add your favorite essential oils to make it smell just like Mrs. Meyers. I tend to forget this step to the dismay of my husband. For some reason, he wants all the smells.

Also, you can buy a pretty bottle to put it in. I haven’t yet, which means that I’m still using my last Seventh Generation bottle. Take that, single-use plastics. Now you know why I didn’t include the final product in the photo. I think we can all take a moment to use our imaginations.

This soap isn’t your typical dish soap, and it took me a while to get used to it. It just doesn’t cut grease like the store brands. Sometimes I need to wash a dish twice before all the grease is gone. The suds won’t hold up either. I learned that you don’t want to add water to the sponge. Scrub the dishes and then rinse them. This will help save water since you won’t be tempted to wash under running water.

Will I stick with this? I think so for the time being. I’m starting to get a little bit hooked. There are just so many chemicals in the store brands - just turn that bottle over and look. If you think about it, what did our ancestors use before Dawn was invented? Sand and castile soap was the name of the game.

But if I do go quiet on the blogging front, you’ll know what killed me. Happy making your own soap. After you’ve given it a whirl, let me know what you think.

Love Kait

*Upon further research, it appears that Dr. Axe has changed his recipe on the blog. I used the one that was in his book published two years ago. The link provided is to the new recipe. I might need to give this one a try since he specifically mentions that lemon essential oils helps to cut grease. If you do give this new recip a try, let me know what you think.