Not all dish soaps are antibacterial. Most dishwashing liquids in the shop are just meant to lift grime off the surfaces so that leftover food and grease can be easily washed away. Unless you have dish soap that has antibacterial properties.
Unfortunately, with the rapid spread of germs and viruses, stores are quickly selling out of many household essentials, especially disinfectant dishwashing liquids. But don’t worry; if you can not find it on the shelves, there is an easy way to make a natural, antibacterial, and antiviral dish soap at home.
All it takes is just four ingredients to make your own natural, grease-lifting, germ-killing dish soap. Combining that with hot water and your cups and plates have never been so clean and sterilized before.
This article will show you how!
Reasons To Make Your Own Dishwashing Liquid
Suppose you’re new to the DIY crowd. In that case, you might be under the false impression that making homemade washing-up liquid is difficult and time-consuming.
The truth is, it’s neither of the two! Not only is making your own dish soap super easy and cost-effective, but it is also a great way to have a chemical-free, eco-friendly product with added antibacterial ingredients.
Homemade Washing-Up Liquid Recipe
Making your own natural washing-up liquid is easy to do and only requires a few ingredients. I have included a spray bottle in the mix so that, when you’re finished, you have a bottle to store your dish soap and can use it as you see fit. Being able to spray it onto any surface also makes things easier and more convenient, I think you’ll agree.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Sodium Carbonate (also known as soda ash or washing soda).
- 1.5 Cups of Hot Water.
- 3 Tbsp of Liquid Castile Soap.
- 10 Drops of Tea Tree Oil.
- 1/2 Tbsp Vegetable Glycerin.
- 16 oz Spray Bottle.
Instructions:
- Pour washing soda into a glass bowl and stir in hot water until the washing soda is completely dissolved.
- Let the water/soda mixture cool to room temperature.
- Stir in Glycerin and Castile Soap and until everything is well combined.
- Use a small funnel to pour the mixture into your 16 oz bottle.
- Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil to the bottle.
- Close the bottle shake well and use it.
- Always rinse your dishes thoroughly with HOT water.
Keep in mind that every time you use your homemade washing-up liquid, you should shake it well to mix all the ingredients, especially the all-important tea tree oil.
Also, the last step, rinsing with hot water is very important as that will finish off and get rid of all the remaining germs. To protect your hands, I recommend these Heat Resistant Rubber Gloves for dishwashing from Amazon here.
Why Is This Dish Soap Recipe So Effective?
There aren’t very many ingredients in this recipe, it’s true, but I believe that you should know everything about the few that are there, so you know why, and how, the washing-up liquid you’re making works so well, and why it’s antiviral and antibacterial, as well as non-toxic and safe for the majority of the population.
Cut Through Grease With Sodium Carbonate
Soda ash, washing soda or sodium carbonate, is an inorganic compound that has the formula CNa2O3. It is white, water-soluble (which means it dissolves in water), and classified as non-toxic. Soda ash is slightly alkaline and will dissolve easily in a small amount of water, even with human perspiration.
It is used in a wide range of products and industries, such as personal care and cleaning products, as a fungicide, herbicide, microbicide, and pH adjuster. Sodium carbonate has an excellent ability to cut through grease, remove stains, and soften water.
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Interestingly, you can purchase soda ash in bulk at pool supply stores, but, frankly, you would need to purchase more than the average family would use in many years. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is 100% soda ash and can be purchased in much smaller amounts on Amazon.
Castile Soap Is a Natural Cleaning Solutions That Really Works
One of the most versatile soaps on planet Earth, Castile soap, gets its name from the Castile region of Spain, where it was first made many years ago. Back then, as today, Castile soap was made from vegetable oil, namely olive oil, although today it can be found made from other vegetable oils like hemp, castor, and coconut.
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Castile soap is non-toxic, 100% biodegradable, contains absolutely no animal fat or animal ingredients of any kind and has no synthetic ingredients as well. Castile soap is used in many different types of cleaning products, from shampoo to laundry detergent, and, of course, dish detergent.
What makes Castile soap great for cleaning is its amazing ability to attract and capture all sorts of dirt and other types of non-water-soluble molecules. This strong grease-grabbing ability makes this soap useful on greasy pans, pots, and all hard-to-clean dishes.
In fact, it can be used to clean almost anything and is a wonderful, all-natural cleaning agent that every home should have on hand. The one above is one of the very best, which is also unscented and so great if you have a baby or young child in your home.
One of the most amazing oils in the world, tea tree oil, is made by distilling the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia plant, which is found mainly in the country of Australia. What’s so amazing about tea tree oil? Well, for starters, it is antibacterial and antiviral. Besides that, tea tree oil is an antifungal with a wonderful aroma of camphor and a leasing color also.
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Adding only the 10 drops of tea tree oil to your washing-up liquid makes it instantly antibacterial and antiviral. And, when you use it to clean any surface, you’re wiping out germs and viruses by the millions and keeping your family safe and healthy.
By the way, tea tree oil is safe to put directly on your skin, and many people do just that to treat, for example, acne, athlete’s feet, and even head lice.
Vegetable Glycerin For Soft Skin While Hand Washing Dishes
Glycerin, also known as glycerol, is a thick, non-toxic, transparent liquid. Food-grade, vegetable-derived glycerin is commonly used in many dishwashing liquids and soaps.
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Glycerin has soothing and softening properties, so it can help keep your hands and skin soft while hand-washing dishes.
Glycerin is also a solvent that is very helpful in cleansing by breaking down grease and proteins while fighting stains.
What Can Be Cleaned With This DIY Dish Detergent?
You can clean practically anything that you would normally clean with any washing-up liquid. Even better, you’ll leave behind a surface that is safe, chemical-free, and germ-free too.
From dirty dishes to countertops and tables, toys, toilet seats, bathtubs, cribs, wastebaskets, and any surface that you and your family will be touching. This recipe shouldn’t be used in your dishwasher or washing machine.
Conclusion
Making things yourself and living a more natural lifestyle takes a little bit of energy. That is true with anything worth doing, but in the end, the extra energy is well worth it.
Also, keep in mind that natural ingredients are not as potent as many chemical disinfectants; therefore hot water is the key to fish off all the germs for good.
We hope you enjoyed this article and wish you all the best in using your homemade washing-up liquid. If you have questions, need advice, or would like to leave a comment, please do so in the space provided below, and have a clean, green day!
To learn how to effectively prevent germs and viruses from spreading and keep your kitchen clean and fresh, read my latest post here: 7 Things That Are Naturally Antibacterial To Safely Disinfect Your Kitchen.