DIY Dishwasher Powder

Okay, I realize do-it-yourself dishwasher soap is not for everyone.  I made it simply because I could and perhaps because I have never quite left the mud-pie making, experimentation stage of my childhood.  I often find myself thinking... I wonder if I could make that...? and then of course I have to try.  I'm not going to lie, I don't have a Pinterest account, but I have had my share of "Pinterest Fails".  This post is very funny!

There are diy concoctions for pretty much everything out there. I started here.  She mentions giving your powder an extra boost by adding dish washing liquid however, I do not personally recommend adding any dish liquid to your dishwasher ever!
This version has worked well for me and I guess because I bought all the stuff to make it, I do!  It's easy, it smells great and it does actually do a decent job of cleaning the dirty dishes with a handful of ingredients I can pronounce.  If you buy a natural, commercial variety, this may actually be worth attempting as you can make a lot of soap for a fraction of the cost. At best you have some homemade soap you MacGyvered yourself or at worst, an epic fail of your own to pin  :D

I have given some links as to where to find your ingredients, but I have absolutely no affiliation\sponsorship with anyone as I'm sure you can gather from my add-free site!

2 parts washing soda
2 parts borax
1 part salt
1 part citric acid you can pick this up at the grocery store, but I buy it in larger quantities here.
lemon essential oil (I think I use about 20 drops)

I usually use 1/2 cup each of citric acid and salt to 1 cup each washing soda and borax.  Mix everything in a glass mason jar and leave on your counter without a lid (away from pets and little people) for a couple of days stirring a few times a day or when you think of it.
I omitted this step the first time I made it and the end epic result was one solid mass of soap I had to chip out of the jar!  This step just eliminates some of the moisture and clumping the citric acid creates.  Store in your sealed jar (again, away from little people and pets) and add to any automatic dishwasher.