How To Make Your Own Dish Soap

 by Kelly Laffey @ DIYLife.com

Make your own dish soap at home! Photo: sea turtle, Flickr

Making your own dish soap is a great for so many reasons. Homemade soaps tend to not dry out your skin and they work well for people who are allergic to commercial cleaners. But, my favorite perk is that you save money by eliminating dish soap from your shopping list. Dish soap can be made using liquid castile soap, soap flakes, or soap scraps -- so pick your preferred ingredient and those plates will be clean in no time!

Recipe #1: Liquid Castile SoapThis method is by far the easiest because the base is pre-made within the castile soap.

1. Grab some liquid castile soap from your local health food store. Castile soap refers to any soap that is made entirely from vegetable oil.
2. Mix 2 cups of castile soap with 1/2 cup of warm water in a recycled dish soap squeeze bottle.
3. For scented dish soap, add a few drops of essential oils.
4. Shake well before using
Recipe #2: Soap Flakes
Buy soap flakes where you usually purchase laundry detergent.

1. Combine 2 cups of soap flakes with one gallon of warm water.
2. Place the mixture in a large, non-reactive pan and warm over medium heat until the soap is completely dissolved.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of glycerin and remove from heat.
4. After letting the soap cool, add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice or 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Either of these 2 ingredients will help the soap to fight grease.
5. For a scented soap, add a few drops of essential oils. Mix well.

Recipe #3: Solid Soap Shavings
You can save even more money by making dish soap from leftover pieces of bar soap! Just be sure to chop them into very fine pieces first.

1. Place 2 cups of soap shavings into a large bowl.
2. Add 2-3 cups of hot water and let it sit overnight to soften.
3. Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth. Add more water to reach the desired consistency.
4. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice or white vinegar to help fight grease.
5. Shake well before using.