Homemade dish soap with salt, vinegar, and lemon

Dish soap can be easily made at home, starting with all-natural, yet very powerful and effective ingredients: lemon, salt, and white vinegar.

This is one of the most popular and simple detergents, effective against grease and odors, which exploits the degreasing power of lemon and vinegar.

• 3 lemons
• 400 ml of water
• 200 gr of salt
• 100 ml of white vinegar
• Immersion blender
• Marseille soap flakes for those who love foam (optional)

Preparation

• Slice the lemons, removing only the seeds and leaving the peel. Blend the lemons with the peel using an immersion blender, adding the water and salt.
• Place the mixture in a pan, add the water and thevinegar and boil for about 10 minutes, stirring. Turn off the heat: when the mixture cools and thickens, pour it into glass jars.
• The product will be thick and creamy but, as it doesn't contain surfactants, it won't produce foam. If you don't want to give up the bubbles, add the Marseille soap flakes when cooking.

How to use

• A small amount of product is enough to clean dishes well.
• For greasy dishes, simply add a few drops of detergent to the sponge and leave to soak for a few minutes.
• Homemade detergent is also great for gently cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces and floors.

Baking soda and salt

• 3 parts baking soda
• 1 part fine salt
• A few drops of lemon, orange or eucalyptus essential oil for fragrance and degreasing power

Preparation

• Mix the baking soda and salt well in a bowl.
• Add essential oils if you want to add fragrance.
• Store in an airtight jar.

How to use

• Take a small amount (½–1 teaspoon) and apply it to a damp sponge, then scrub the dishes and rinse with hot water. Baking soda also helps remove residue and odors.

Marseille soap and essential oils

If you prefer something more like a liquid soap, you can use Marseille soap as a base.

Ingredients

• 300 g of grated Marseille soap
• 300–400 ml of water
•  10–20 drops of lemon or eucalyptus essential oil

Method

• Dissolve the grated soap in hot water in a saucepan
• Stir until completely dissolved
• Add the essential oils when the mixture has cooled slightly.
• Pour into a bottle.

How to use

Using this homemade dish soap is as simple as making it.

• Pour a small amount onto the sponge or directly onto the dishes.
• Wash as you would with traditional detergent.
• Rinse with warm water.