Ideas for Frugal Living

Yesterday I ran out of automatic dishwasher cleaner, but strangely enough I didn’t run out of dirty dishes. I wasn’t about to run out to the grocery store for only one thing, so I resigned myself to washing everything by hand.

But then I remembered this homemade version of dishwasher detergent I had seen a long time ago on some website. It’s a simple recipe, so I always remembered it in the back of my mind, in case I needed it someday.

The recipe is: Mix 2 cups Borax and 2 cups Baking Soda. So I did that. I happened to have those two things on hand.

I used 2 TBS in my dishwasher because I always use 2 TBS. But I will try 1 TBS and see how that goes. I started the dishwasher right before I went to bed last night. When I got up this morning I opened up the dishwasher to take a coffee cup out for my morning cup of Joe. The dishes are really clean. They are super shiny and squeaky clean. They look better than when washed with commercial detergent.

Borax is all-natural, but it is not non-toxic (it is also a pretty efficient bug killer after all). But neither is commercial dishwashing detergent. As long as you don’t swallow it or breathe it in, and it gets rinsed off your dishes, it seems like it is very safe option (from what info I have read on the web). As I type this I am drinking coffee out of a mug washed in this homemade version, and my vision is clear and my thoughts are no hazier than usual. But you should do your own research and come to your own conclusions about this, as I am just a Texas housewife and not a chemist. But, boy, these dishes are SQUEAKY clean!

Solar cooker update: Yesterday I made chili in my solar cooker. I put it in very early, at about 8:30 am. Throughout the day, I was a bit apprehensive because the sky was a little cloudy. I attached the reflectors and forged ahead. Periodic checks of the thermometer reassured me that the temperature was a more-or-less constant 200 degrees, a great temp for long, slow cooking.

I finally took the chili out at around 7:00 pm. It was steaming hot inside the solar cooker still, even though the sun had gone down for all intents and solar-cooking purposes. The chili was great. Thunderstorms are expected today, so I am not planning any solar meals. How sad. I’m really getting into this solar cookery.