Natural DIY Dish Liquid Recipe

No, this one’s for handwashing only. It’ll create too much foam and potentially damage your machine. If you're after a DIY dishwasher option, check out our dishwasher powder recipe.

Yes - gentle and fragrance-free. It’s made from only olive oil, coconut oil ,water and the lye (the essential ingredient that makes soap - well soap!). It's a common ingredient in DIY beauty products too like hand wash or body wash. However, some people do have soap sensitivity and that I am afraid I can't help with, sorry!

You can play around with a bit of washing soda or extra coconut soap flakes - but that’s about it. Too much and it can go weird in the bottle (think cloudy, clumpy, or separated). And definitely don’t add vinegar or anything acidic - it’ll react with the soap, turn white and gloopy, and basically ruin your mix. Keep it simple for the best results.

It’s not actual slime, it’s just the effect of olive oil–based soap. Totally normal, but if it bugs you, the fix is hot water and a good rinse.If it's still not your thing, try using coconut soap flakes instead. You can get creative: press flakes into a ball for a solid soap, pop it in a soap swisher, or cut a hole in a sponge and stuff some inside. Plenty of ways to make it work for you.

There’s no hard and fast rule. Castile soap on its own has a long shelf life - usually 2–3 years or more if stored properly (cool, dark, and dry). But once you dilute it with water and don’t add preservatives, the water becomes the weak link. That’s why I always recommend making small batches - use it up within a few months.

Yes - when used for everyday cleaning, it's perfectly fine. Castile soap is biodegradable and gentle, so using this dish liquid for general cleaning won’t harm your septic system. Just to be clear though, this isn’t designed to go into the septic system directly - like those specialised septic tank treatments. It’s a cleaning product, not a septic solution

In short - soap is natural, detergent is synthetic.
Soap is made from oils and lye, while detergents are lab-made with extra foaming agents, brighteners, and preservatives. Soap is biodegradable and gentle on skin and the planet, while detergents are designed for performance, often at a cost to health or environment.

👉 Want the full story? Read the blog: Soap V Detergent

You can use the Glyerine and Xanthan Gum to thicken any water based solution - including vinegar! Yes, you can turn vinegar into a gel.

You can use the Castile soap anywhere there is a need to clean, it makes a great wool wash as it's pH is closerd to neutral. It's also the main ingredient in my dish liquid and in my foaming hand wash pump, not to mention multi-purpose cleaning spray too!