Finding a suitable brand of non-toxic dish soap has been challenging. I need to live a toxin-free lifestyle because I suffer from a potentially crippling nerve disease.
When my children were little, I was barely able to take care of them. I couldn’t cook, clean or do housework. Somehow I was still able to home school. But it wasn’t easy.
Now I can walk again. My pain is gone. I attribute this to prayer, organic food and various natural remedies. Also, all of the poisonous household products also had to go. This included my dish soap.
Castile Soap for Dishes
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It’s been really hard finding a good brand of dish soap. So I gave up and started making my own, with just three ingredients I already had at home, including liquid Castile soap I had , purchased from Vitacost. This large online health food store carries 45,000 items, at a deep discount. It also offers generous coupon codes and incentives.
A few years ago, my local grocery store carried a really good dish soap. It was totally non-toxic, and reasonably priced. Then it suddenly disappeared.
So I switched to another brand. It was simple. But it didn’t work as well as my favorite soap. Then, this went away as well.
Where to Find Non Toxic Dish Soap
I started using another brand. It looked all natural. The packaging gave every indication this was a clean, green product. So I bought some, reminding myself to do more research, when I had the time.
Unfortunately, I discovered that it was a bad choice. The Environmental Working Group gives it an “F. Of high concern, according to the EWG, is an ingredient that can potentially cause developmental and reproductive toxicity. With this product, it noted, there is also “some concern” it can cause cancer.
The takeaway lesson I learned is that labels can be deceiving. Especially when it comes to dish soap.
DIY Dish Soap With Castile Soap
I know better choices exist. Even some the Environmental Working Group would be happy with. However, these are usually not available at your local supermarket. So you have to order them online. Aside from the fact these products are expensive, dish soap is something I tend to run out of. So I needed a steady supply, which doesn’t have to be shipped from far away.
I decided the only solution was to make my own. Fortunately, I had everything I needed in the house. I’m pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to make your own naturally scented dish soap that really works. It’s not as thick as commercial soap, but it does lather and it does clean.
My homemade DIY dish soap uses natural liquid castile soap as a base. This is a mild, non-toxic soap with a base of coconut, olive and hemp oils. I’m amazing at how well it cleans. Because of this wonderful soap, which originated in the Castile region of Spain, I’ve been able to toss all of my chemical cleaning products. I don’t need them anymore.
Homemade Dish Soap With Castile Soap
Anyway, my homemade dish soap is made largely with castile soap. The peppermint castile soap I now own is made by Dr. Woods. I absolutely love this soap, and consider it one of the best deals out there. It lasts so long, and the manufacturer does not skimp on the peppermint oil. This is why diluting it a lot still works.
You could use straight castile soap on your dishes. But you don’t have to. That’s because adding a little bit of baking soda, plus a couple drops of your own essential oils (if you have any) will make one bottle of Dr Woods go a long way. If you don’t already own castile soap, the Dr Woods brand is available at Vitacost.
One thing I love about Vitacost, besides its really low prices, is the fact that it continually offers generous coupons and 1/2 price off deals on its house brands. I’ve bought house brand coconut oil and CoQ10, a relatively expensive supplement I sometimes need to take. Anyway, if you’ve never shopped at Vitacost, and you appreciate a bargain, please check out its prices. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Vitacost offers an excellent deal on Dr. Woods soap, which you can see below.
I switched to Dr Woods after using another brand that cost a lot more. It also didn’t seem to last as long as Dr Woods.
How to Make Liquid Dish Soap
My DIY dish soap is not nearly as thick as the store-bought brands. Actually, depending upon the batch, and how much baking soda you add, it can be watery. But it does clean and it’s totally non toxic. It’s made with just three simple ingredients. Here’s how I do it.
I take an empty Dr Woods bottle and add 1.5 inches of liquid castile soap. Then I fill it almost to the top, leaving an inch of space. Then add two teaspoons of baking soda and 4 drops of peppermint essential oil. You can also find this at Vitacost.
Anyway, as you can see in the picture below, my affordable DIY dish soap does lather. It has a nice clean smell. This is a photo of a newly made batch. The soap tends to thicken and lather a lot more as you reach the bottom of the bottle. You do need to shake it frequently as you’re using it.
For a variation, you can also use natural black soap instead of the peppermint soap. (This might be a better choice if you have sensitive skin.) Black doesn’t have a strong smell. But it cleans well. Black soap is not technically a castile soap. It’s made with shea butter, so it’s also very gentle on your hands. This is why I like to use it during the winter. It has a neutral aroma, so you could use it with any of your essential oils that you normally use for cleaning.
At times, I’ve also used Dr. Woods soap on my dishes without any dilution. It does work, but adding baking seems to give it extra cleaning power.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
do you mix the baking soda into the soap or does it just sit on top and the soap goes through the baking soda when squeezed out?
Hi Judy, I found myself having to shake the mixture a lot. But that was the trade off for having a non-toxic cleaning solution. You give up a little convenience. Another option is just to use Castile or black liquid soap on a kitchen sponge. This is more expensive than using regular dish washing liquid. The recipe here is a more affordable, but less convenient option.
This feels oily on my dishes… did I do something wrong?
Harmony, sorry it didn’t come out how you want it to. The solution would be to add more liquid soap and a little more baking soda. Sometimes you have to play around with these natural recipes to get them exactly how you like them. We give up something in convenience for a non-toxic solution.