Cheap Homemade Dishwasher Detergent! $10-$15/year!

Do you feel like you buy dishwasher detergent all the time?! It seemed like we were going through the stuff like water, and it was priced like liquid gold! I decided to try the homemade stuff, which looked easy enough... and it was! So, I thought I would share this easy recipe with all of you:

• 1 c. Borax (some Target stores carry this)
• 1 c. Washing soda (I purchased this on drugstore.com, where if you get a free trial of Shoprunner.com, everything ships free!)
• 1/4 c. Kosher salt (Target)
• 2 Packets unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid (since you're buying everything else in bulk, stock up on Kool-Aid in bulk too, so you have everything you need)
• 1/2 c. Vinegar
• 3 drops Dawn dish soap

Mix together all dry ingredients. Put 2 T of the mix in your dishwasher detergent compartment, and add 3 drops Dawn dish soap (only 3 small drops - more might make it overflow!). Then throw 1/2 c. vinegar in the bottom of the washer to act as a rinse aid. Done! How easy is that?!

If you buy the normal sizes of all of the ingredients, you will pay about $10 for everything, and I figure if I do two loads each week, it should last close to a full year! (I will probably need to stock up on vinegar once or twice more during the year, so my total cost will probably be about $15/year.) My husband has already gotten used to it, and our dishes seem just as clean as ever! :)