Natural dishwashing.

Maybe it's weird, but I love to wash dishes. A huge pile of dishes may be daunting at first, but it really isn't that bad. My family has never used a dishwasher, ever. As in, I am 20 years old, and I had never used one until I met my boyfriend a year ago. Yes, our house has a dishwasher. Growing up, it was used as a second pantry! We stored food in it instead of using it. We always hand wash, and I have played a role in the dish washing process since I was very young. As I've gotten older, I've found myself truly enjoying washing dishes. It's relaxing! However, when I move out this August, I will have a dishwasher in my apartment (with a roommate who will probably want to use it!), so who knows if I'll change up my routine. But as for now, this is what I like to use to wash my dishes.

Castile Dish Soap.

There are several tutorials online for turning a bar of soap into liquid soap. Just type it into a search engine and you are sure to find something. I personally take half a bar of Kirk's Castile Soap, grate it up, add it to 10 cups or so of hot water on the stovetop, and add about a tablespoon of glycerin. Once it is mostly cooled and thickened, I mix it really well with my stand-up mixer as I add about half a cup of vinegar and several drops of lemongrass essential oil. It smells lovely for dish washing! It can be added to a pump, a squeeze bottle--whatever you desire for your kitchen. So far it has worked well and gotten the dishes plenty clean.

Natural Sponges.

Sponges suck. Buying them sucks, too. My newest idea is buying one of those big (6 inches or so) natural loofahs, and cutting them into five or six sponges! I have found these at Big Lots for only $1.50--which is great, considering I'll get several sponges out of it. The best part is that I can compost it when I'm finished (assuming I used only natural cleaning solutions with it).

Cutting it into pieces can be tricky. The best method I've found is to get the entire sponge drenched, place it on a cutting board, and use my sharpest knife to cut through it. 

The sponge does not scratch non-stick surfaces, and it works really well for cleaning stainless steel. So far I'm super impressed, and I plan to continue using it. And of course, when it just isn't right for the job, I use a washcloth or rag.