Have you ever flipped a dishwashing liquid container around to see the instructions? Have you noticed that there are none on some of the most popular brands? While marketing language about cleaning perks and fragrances are in large letters on the front and even a chart reminder on the back of the bottle, there’s not much to be said about how much liquid should be used in a kitchen sink or on a burnt pot just waiting to be scrubbed.

While dish liquid is needed for more than dishes, including degreasing a garbage disposal, is it being used correctly? Are the towels for the dish liquid the right ones for each dish? And if you were to make your own dish soap, would that homemade version work just as well as commercial brands? Find out the answers to these DIY cleaning questions below.

How to Make Your Own Dish Soap at Home

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of liquid castile soap
• 1/4 cup of distilled water (or homemade distilled water)
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 10-15 drops of essential oil for fragrance and antibacterial properties
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin for extra moisturizing (optional, ideal for dry skin)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the liquid castile soap and distilled water.
2. Slowly add the white vinegar and baking soda to the mixture. (Expect some fizzing.)
3. Add (optional) essential oil drops to the mixture. Stir well to combine.
4. Add (optional) vegetable glycerin and stir.
5. Pour the mixture into a clean bottle with a pump or squeeze top for easy dispensing.
6. Give the bottle a gentle shake before each use to ensure the ingredients are well-mixed.

Castile Soap Versus Dishwashing Liquid

Considering castile soap is literally soap, dish liquid DIYers may wonder why they can’t just use this soap by itself. Technically, you can. Vegans appreciate castile soap for being cruelty-free. It’s made from natural ingredients such as vegetable oils (olive, coconut, hemp oil), and is free of synthetic detergents and harsh chemicals.

However, dishwashing liquid is made specifically to clean off grease and grime from dishes, along with food residue. In addition to store-bought versions usually being cheaper than castile soap, both homemade dishwashing liquid and store brands are formulated to be pH-balanced to clean dishes and not damage skin. While castile soap can be used as a body wash, facial cleanser and (for some hair types) shampoo, it can still cause dryness and itchiness for people with sensitive skin.

Additionally, castile soap is concentrated so only a small amount (one to two tablespoons) should be used. When using castile soap, add the tablespoons to a bowl of warm water or a spray bottle to break it up before use. If the soap is too thick, more distilled water will be needed. Then clean dishes as you usually would.

How Much Dishwashing Liquid Should Be Used for Cleaning

While you may be in the habit of pressing the middle of a liquid detergent bottle and squeezing until the water is soapy, the truth is that a little dishwashing liquid can achieve the same soapy water appearance. You don’t have to treat dishwashing liquid like a mountain of bubble bath. For routine cleaning and a full sink of water, one or two teaspoons is sufficient. If the dish soap is concentrated, use only one teaspoon. For individual dishes in the workplace or between cleanings at home, half a teaspoon poured onto the sponge or dish is sufficient. If the dishes are greasy or oily, a two-teaspoon minimum works to cut through the grease.

Cleaning Dish Towels Matter as Much as the Soap

To avoid residue on the dishes, make sure to rinse dish towels thoroughly to remove excess detergent residue. When dish towels are cleaned on laundry day, use hot water and a healthy amount of clothes detergent to remove built-up grease and residue. While laundry may be done weekly or biweekly (and sometimes longer depending on how many people live in the household), dish towels are ideally washed every 24-48 hours minimum to remove excess food particles, grease and bacteria. (Pre-rinse the towels ahead of time if they are heavily soiled or greasy to avoid clothes stains and contamination.)

Even for light washing and very little dishes, wash dish towels at least once a week in hot water, and skip the fabric softener. Use white vinegar in the rinse cycle in place of fabric softener to soften and deodorize dish towels. (White vinegar is already a natural, eco-friendly cleaning aid, so it will also soften and remove odors on clothing too.)

“Cleaning” in dishwater is not enough. Dish towels should be cleaned with liquid detergent to make sure they’re free of contaminants and property sanitized. If the towel was used for heavy-duty cleaning, including grease and big spills, wash the towel immediately. If the towel starts to smell, even after being washed, this means bacteria is growing on it. Discard this towel.

Best Towels To Use for Homemade Dish Soap

After you learn how to make your own dish soap, then there’s the matter of knowing which towels do the best job for cleaning. For example, if someone made a body wash, it might not lather the same way on a microfiber flat towel as it would with a loofah. It’s not necessarily the soap that’s the problem; it’s the surface of the cleaning rag. The same thing can happen with homemade dish soap and incorrectly make DIYers think the soap isn’t working.

Microfiber towels are highly absorbent and work well for dishes that need to be scrubbed without scratching the surface. However, they tend to smell if not washed regularly and can hold onto food odors longer. Cotton towels are softer and more durable than microfiber towels, but they take a much longer time to dry. Flour sack towels, which are lint-free and lightweight, are good for delicate dishware but not the best at scrubbing hard stains. They’re too thin. Bamboo dish cloths are a happy medium for scrubbing and wiping, along with being eco-friendly like microfiber towels, but they are less durable than both microfiber and cotton dish towels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you use if you don’t have dish soap?

Baking soda, vinegar, castile soap, lemon juice and (unscented, without antibacterial ingredients) liquid hand soap can all be used to wash a small amount of dishes. For greasy dishes, baking soda works as a mild abrasive.

Do homemade dish soaps work?

With the right ingredients (ex. baking soda, vinegar, castile soap), homemade dish soaps are no different than ones bought in stores. However, commercial dish soaps do tend to add specialized additives (ex. essential oils, moisturizers, disinfectants, degreasers, cleansers) all in one bottle.

How do you make dishwashing liquid without castile?

No, you can also use dissolved flakes from a natural bar soap, or a baking soda and vinegar mix. Sal Suds, a natural, coconut-based multi-purpose cleaner concentrate, is another option that is biodegradable and eco-friendly.