Cleaning: Automatic Dishwasher Soap Recipe

Upon reading a book about being environmentally friendly, I stumbled across information about the adverse effects that chlorine has on the human life. It prompted me to search for recipes to replace my existing dishwasher soap. My soap cleaned well, but full of chlorine and we also noticed that when the dishwasher was running, every member was having trouble breathing, coughing and getting headaches. The internet proved to be the best place to find many recipes.  I tried the following recipe for several weeks in my dishwasher.

Mix and use per dishwasher load:

1 Tablespoon Borax
1 Tablespoon Baking soda

2-3 drops of dish soap (Seventh Generation brand or other environmentally friendly brand)
or
Mix equal parts Borax and Baking Soda, and add 2 Tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda
for hard water. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle

(You may try Washing Soda instead of Baking Soda)

The dishes were clean but very spotty. Many individuals suggested that vinegar should be added in the rinse compartment of the dishwasher to help with the spottiness.   Unfortunately my dishwasher does not have one so I was unable to test this theory. Another person suggested using 1 part baking soda, 1 part salt, 2 parts washing soda. I did not try this recipe. Although it is very inexpensive to make, my husband insisted that we return back to commercial dishwasher soap. I now currently use Seventh Generation brand powdered dishwasher soap.  It is more expensive than my previous soap but our family is not being contaminated when we run the dishwasher.  Also, I do use this recipe when I run out of my regular soap as it works very well in a pinch.