My Dear Readers,
It was Mother’s Day 2003, and my brother and I decide that not only would we serve our mother breakfast in bed, but we would wake up early in the morning, and do the Sunday chores before she woke up. At around 10 and 11 years old, we were committed to making this day, her best Mother’s Day. Ever.
We started by tackling the kitchen. There were dirty dishes soaking in the sink and clean dishes ready to unload from the dishwasher. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I put away the clean dishes, my brother loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, as we had seen our parents do so many times before. Now, time for the soap. We poured the dish washing soap in the compartment, careful to latch it shut and started the cycle. Now, time for the laundry.
Smart enough to separate the whites from the colors, we began by loading the whites, adding around 2 cups of detergent and fabric softener. Closed the lid, pressed start, and off we went to the next item on our list – preparing for breakfast.
On the menu were her favorite foods – coffee and toast with butter and jam! Our drip coffee maker was a breeze to program, so we scooped copious amounts of coffee into the filter, added water and pressed start.
Finally, the toast. Knowing that our mom loved crispy toast, we popped two pieces in the toaster, and began getting the breakfast tray ready. A fresh dandelion, plucked from our garden, complimented the macaroni necklace I proudly made and the recycled puzzle-frame lovingly made by my younger brother.
As we waited for the toast, something extraordinary was happening all around us. We first noticed the suds coming from the top of the dishwasher. Excitement at the first site of bubbles quickly turned into panic when they began flowing from every corner and onto the floor. Running to the laundry room to get towels to mop up the mess, the same thing was happening to our washer. Panic turned into fear when our smoke alarm started wailing as the crispy toast was turning into char.
By now, my mom had heard our excited cries and entered the kitchen. To say that we were merely terrified of being punished would have been an understatement. But as my mother surveyed the disaster around us, she burst into hysterical laughter. My trembling brother and I heaved sighs of relief. With wizardly skill, she quickly assessed the damage and we cleaned up the mess. Presenting my mother with her presents, we sat down to a wonderful breakfast of toast, jam and newly brewed coffee (of course prepared our mother).
I was reminded of this story as I was developing Castile Soap. As children, my brother and I were experimenting with our independence (with and lots of trials and errors) and we had a sincere appreciation of the time and effort our mom spent on creating a warm and loving environment. When you use our Soap, I hope you enjoy experimenting. With a variety of recipes that can be used throughout out whole home - from shower to shelf - enjoy tweaking and tinkering as you customize your experience.
Whenever I'm asked about using Castile Soap in the dishwasher, I'm remember that story, but I also remember the scene from Mr. Mom.
But in all seriousness, it's a great question, because Whole Naturals Castile Soap can be used in a dishwasher to get your dishes sparkling clean (without the fear of suds taking over your kitchen).
Dishwasher Recipe for Castile Soap
Ingredients
1 cup of water
1 cup of whole naturals castile soap
Add a few drops of essential oils of your choice (we love the citrus scent)
Prepare the mixture in a 1 Quart size glass jar with lid - and put it aside so that you can use it for your dishwasher. Add about two tablespoons of the detergent to the detergent cup. Then, run your dishwasher as normal. Enjoy your sparkly clean dishes!
If you prefer a "gel-like" consistency, here's an alternative recipe:
3 TBSP liquid Castile soap
3 cups warm water
1 cup washing soda
Combine all of the ingredients into a resealable container of your choice, and shake!
If you have hard water, it may be helpful to add vinegar - but don't add the vinegar to the castile soap - add it to the second detergent (rinse) compartment
As my own children start to show greater independence, I remember my mother's sense of humor. Wishing you and your family blessings, love and laughter!
Cheers!
