Dishwasher Detergent Woes

This has been a really tough conversion for us. Our primary goal is to first and foremost, save money. Additionally, I would like to be green. Dishwasher detergents have consistently been problematic because of the many variables - hardness of water, amount of water needed (miserly wash cycle vs. regular wash cycle), how much the dishes are prepped before going in, what is in your rinse aid compartment already and how much build up there may already be in your dishwasher. We have been trying a whole battery of recipes and have finally settled on doing a week trial of the one below. Some things to note:

1. Here in Allouez, we have Brown County Water which is "regular" or almost soft.

2. My older Kenmore dishwasher has a built in garbage disposal (like most) but it only works on regular or pot scrubber cycles. Didn't know that before yesterday and we have been using "Water Miser" for months, so we have some build up to deal with.

3. Ditch the Jet Dry and replace with straight vinegar. Well, unfortunately for me, the Jet Dry in my machine needs to be used up before I replace with vinegar.

4. I have been using the wrong salt. Kosher, table and other salts have an "anti-caking" property. This will leave a white film. Make sure to use Canning/Pickling salt. It is a different kind of salt without the "anti-caking."

5. Citric acid helps to break down the borax and baking soda. It is safe to use because it is used in canning and other food preparation. To purchase, go to a local brew store (in GB, House of Homebrew - Dousman/Main) or order online.

Here is the recipe that has started to restore the sparkle to our dishes. After 1 cycle, everything looks great. Cycle #2 will run during my Time Of Use Savings Hours starting at noon today. Note: the extra 4 gallons of water that I will need to use (from 8 gal during Water Miser to 12 gal during Regular) is inevitable and will cost less than handwashing and use less water.

Recipe that seems to work:
4 parts borax
4 parts baking soda
1 part citric acid
1 part canning/pickling salt

Use 1 heaping tablespoon per load. Run on "regular". Air dry.

Other recipes that would probably work but not fufill our objective of being green:

First, the homemade base:
1 pt borax
1 pt washing soda
1/4 pt salt

Combine the above. Mix 2 pt above combination with 1 pt cascade.

OR

2 pts Dawn liquid dish soap
1 pt baking soda
1 pt borax