I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before how much I dislike doing dishes. It’s basically how I introduce myself. “Hi, my name is Beth. I don’t like to do dishes. Nice weather we’re having!”
So after we perfected the homemade dishwasher tabs, I decided to add a little sunshine to my dish routine by creating this Lemon Basil Liquid Dish Soap recipe.
In the past, I had played around with using regular Castile soap for my dishes. Yes, I basically tried to use Castile soap for everything around the house. It is really great for foaming hand soap, laundry, and many other uses. But, honestly, I missed the bubbles and the lather in the sink. I’m sure it’s psychological, but I always feel like bubbles prove it’s working. Am I right? I’m probably wrong, but the lack of bubbles didn’t work for me so I went back to my old chemical dish soap.
Well, then I discovered Sal Suds from Dr. Bronner’s. Where in the world has this amazing stuff been all my NATURAL life? Here’s what you’ll love about this stuff:
- Sal Suds cleans (no, really). It does the job you need it to do on dishes, floors, laundry, and all-purpose cleaning.
- It rinses clean in hot or cold water.
- It works in soft and hard water conditions (yes, all you hard water people can REJOICE!)
- Sal Suds contains no synthetic dyes, preservatives, or fragrances.
- It’s gentle on your skin.
- It biodegrades quickly and is organic and fair trade.
I combined this powerhouse cleaner with two of my favorite oils in the kitchen: Lemon and Basil Essential Oils. I just love this combination in the dish soap because the citrus and herbal scent is so cheerful and bright. It makes my kitchen smell so … clean! Check out more essential oil suggestions below the recipe.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
Liquid Dish Soap Recipe
Yield – 15 ounces
Preparation Time – 2 minutes
Cooking Time – 0 minutes
Ingredients
- 13 ounces water
- 2 ounces Dr. Bronner’s Organic Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner
- 6 drops Lemon Essential Oil
- 3 drops Basil Essential Oil
- pint jar
- pump dispenser
Directions
- In the jar, add the water and essential oil. Then add the soap.
- Place the pump assembly on the jar and screw down tightly.
- Shake gently to stir.
- To use: Add a few drops to your dish water. A few pumps is enough for an entire sink full.
Some other fun kitchen essential oil scents you could try in this homemade liquid dish soap recipe:
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5 drops Peace and Calming Essential Oil + 4 drops Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
5 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil + 4 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
You might also enjoy these cleaning recipes with essential oils:
- DIY All-Natural Cleaning Spray
- Kitchen Cleaning Wipes
- Natural Oven Cleaner
- Carpet Cleaner & Deodorizer
- How to Clean Musty Laundry
See all of our Recipes with Essential Oils here!
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*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this website.
Is the liquid dish soap good at cutting grease?
Thank you.
Do you have to use a pump or can it be used in just a squirt tpye bottle?
We use a regular pump for this recipe. No special foaming pump required.
I can’t find this locally and it is terribly expensive on Amazon and comes from the United Kingdom. Do you have another source for it?
It’s $8.99 for a 16oz on Dr Bronner’s website, free shipping in the US for orders over $35
Do you have to use a foam type pump dispenser or will a regular pump work?
We just use a regular dispenser for this recipe.
I am using a non-foaming dispenser but the mixture is so thin that it doesn’t come out well or at all sometimes. Any suggestions for making it thicker? It cuts grease well and I like it other than the problem I have getting it out of my dispenser. It’s an xoxo soap dispenser and works great with thicker dish soaps Iike YL Dish Soap. Thanks for any ideas you can give me to thicken it up.
The link that you have attached to the Sal Suds shows that it (the product) has SLS in it (second ingredient on the ingredient list). Is there, possibly, another product that would work similar to the Sal Suds? I choose to stay away from SLS. Thank you!
You might enjoy the version we posted here. 🙂
5 Easy Ways to Replace Harmful Chemicals in Your Home
When is your book coming out?
Hi Michele! At this time we don’t have a printed book, but we do have 2 eBooks available for purchase. Check it out here: https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/store/#!/Essential-Oil-eBooks/c/21783257/offset=0&sort=nameAsc
What is a good substitute for basil?
Hello! You can try Rosemary in this recipe or even Lavender.