How to Clean Kitchen Sponges

I'm a sponge kind of person when it comes to dishes and cleaning my counters. To keep them clean and smelling fresh as we know they get that nasty order after awhile I actually wash mine in the dishwasher! And it works! I have normally 3-4 sitting by my faucet that I use on a regular basic. I am always throwing them through the dishwasher and when they get really worn out then I use them for cleaning floor boards ect. and toss them in the garbage. I figure this sames me a TON of money by washing them. You can also throw them in the microwave wet for 2 minutes to kill germs. I haven't tried that but do know it gets hot coming out, and I don't know if it kills the funky sponge smell.

LIQUID Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

Inside my MINI dishwasher

Part of my New Years goals we'll call it is to save money. Buying in bulk can save you money, using coupons can also save you money, but sometimes making your own saves you a lot more! One of my luxury's when we moved into this trailer was to get a dishwasher. I ended up with what you'd call a mini dishwasher, or a counter dishwasher as there is no room for a insallted one, nor a dishwasher on wheels.

Mine sits on the counter and holds a set of 6 dishes. Somedays it's easier to wash things by hand but most days yes I use my mini dishwasher.

I decided to try and make my own dishwasher detergent as lets face it, even the cheap stuff is expensive!

I used the following recipe from A DIY Family Blog

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
Pour over a mixture of

• 2 T Washing Soda (not baking soda)
• 2T Borax
• 2t. dawn dish soap
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice

Stir lightly and funnel into an empty milk jug or other gallon container. Then fill the jug almost to the top with warm water. That's it!

So far it works ok, I say ok becuase some of my drinking glasses come out a little cloudy at times, and some times they don't. It doesn't bother me though. As long as they are clean I'm all for saving a ton of money, and if you buy the washing soda and borax, these are two things you can use to make your own laundry soap. (Haven't tried that one yet.) I'm still using store bought rinse agent, which is another thing that seems to cost a fortune. After its gone I'll be using white vinegar.

If your more of a dishwasher detetgent poweder kind of person click HERE for a powder recipe.

Happy Washing!