automatic dishwasher powder recipe

[shazronnie]

just discovered this!

1 spoon of soda crystals and 1 spoon of borax - it's cheap, easy, and it works!

[Bozza]

Might have to give that one a try.

[Blossomhill]

what's borax?

[Bozza]

White stuff that you get from Boots. Is the extent of my knowledge. But have used it to make a surface cleaner.

[Twiglett]

what's soda crystals?

[Bozza]

Other white stuff you get from Asda.

[shimmy21]

but is borax and soda crystals any greener than normal powder?

[Bozza]

Dunno tbh. Think maybe equivalent to non-biological. And much cheaper.

[shazronnie]

soda crystals is 51p from tesco; borax is 79p from wilkinson.

Both old fashioned traditional cleaning stuff!

[Whizzz]

info on \link{http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa091002a.htm\borax} - still a chemical !

[Whizzz]

soda crystals are a form of sodium carbonate
\link{http://www.catalogue.fisher.co.uk/scripts/search.dll?ViewMSDS&SheetNumber=21080\info here } - classed as an irritant also

[Furball]

'Borax may also be used to kill roaches, ants, and fleas. In fact, it is also toxic to people.

Don't use borax around food, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and make sure you rinse borax out of clothes and off of surfaces before use.'

Not sure I'd want to wash my plates/glasses etc with it.

[Whizzz]

this is my pet 'parp' subject but I feel I have to add - to Furballs comment - there are many ingredients in all sorts of things that when concentrated or by themselves may well be harmful BUT in the right quantities are OK to handle / use.
Soda crystals & borax may well be cheap, but I don't think its any more environmentally friendly or safer to use

[Furball]

The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. - Still not something I'd want to be washing my dishes in.

[Whizzz]

I've had a look and can't find it in use in commercial dishwasher tablets - most are made from sodium metasilicate, sodium carbonate (soda crytals) and a bleaching agent

[shazronnie]

\link{http://www.greenshop.co.uk/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.greenshop.co.uk/acatalog/Greenshop_online_Household_Borax_83.html&CatalogBody\more info on borax}