Stolen Idea

Took this from annieofbluegables blog and am posting it because I don't wnt to lose it:

Dish washing Powder.

In a plastic container with a firmly fitting lid, mix:1 cup borax (20-Mule-Team Borax, available in any supermarket)1 cup baking soda1/4 cup salt1/4 cup citric acid (available in brewing stores among other places--if you haven't tracked it down yet but must try this formula, use two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon, or you'll dye your dishwasher! and ONLY unsweetened Kool-Aid!)30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixturePut all of it in the container, shake it up.To use, put a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher. I've found I no longer have to use the scrubbing cycle but can get by fine with the short cycle, thus saving even more money. On average, it looks like this is about 8 cents a load compared with Cascade at 22 cents a load. Compare it with EcoVer or Seventh Generation and it's a steal. I have also started putting some of this in a shaker canister--the one I have we got at a restaurant supply, it's aluminum and was made for popcorn salt. I use it to clean my sink and anything else that I'd normally use Bon Ami on. Works great, and the essential oil makes it smell fantastic.This is the site I found the above recipe on: home made cleaners