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Dishwasher Detergent

February 16, 2015

2843 shares

Dishwasher Detergent

This post may include affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.

So, raise your hand if the price of dishwasher detergent tablets make you crazy. Heck, even the powder detergent is expensive. But because most of us love the convenience of our dishwashers, versus washing our dishes by hand, we continue to shell out the cash for those little liquid tablets.

There are a lot of recipes out there for making your own dishwasher detergent, but most of them use Borax or are in tablet form. Let me tell you why you may want to steer clear of both of them.

First of all, there are some who would argue that Borax just isn’t something they want close to their drinking glasses and dishes. I’m not necessarily worried about that aspect. What I worry about are the spots that Borax can leave behind for those who have hard water.

And why not try and make your own tablets? It’s a great idea, but I’ve never found the perfect mold for this. The tablets you create should fit into the tablet compartment in your dishwasher. Even trying to use an ice cube tray won’t work because the tablets will be too thick. I suppose you could just fill the tray compartments 1/4 full. But then how many trays would you need to make a ton of small tablets? Would one of them be enough to even clean your dishes? Questions, questions. There is the option of just throwing the tablet into the bottom of the dishwasher, but it’s just something I would rather not do. Just because. I like things in their place. 🙂

Okay, SO today I’m sharing my own recipe for Dishwasher Detergent. There’s no guessing on how large or small to make the tablets because it’s in powder form and this recipe doesn’t contain Borax. It instead uses a special ingredient that is formulated to make your glassware clear and shiny. Perfect.

So here’s the cast of characters:

Dishwasher Detergent - A DIY detergent that's Borax-free and cleans your dishes just as well as those expensive tabs you buy at the store!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1 cup Washing Soda (You can also find this in Walmart by the clothes detergent)
  • 1 cup epsom salt
  • 1/3 cup Lemi Shine (You can also find this in Walmart by the dishwasher detergent)
  • 15-20 drops lemon essential oil (optional)

Dishwasher Detergent - A DIY detergent that's Borax-free and cleans your dishes just as well as those expensive tabs you buy at the store!

To make the detergent, place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. And, umm. . .that’s it.

And you know what, the essential oil I used is completely optional. The Lemi Shine actually has a lemon scent, but since I LOVE the smell of lemon, especially in the kitchen, I kick everything up a notch by adding some essential oil.

Dishwasher Detergent - A DIY detergent that's Borax-free and cleans your dishes just as well as those expensive tabs you buy at the store!

When you add the powder to your dishwasher, fill the compartment completely. I also like to use some vinegar in the “rinse aid” compartment for a additional natural cleaner and rinse agent. I called the manufacturer of my dishwasher to make sure it was okay. There are some dishwasher manufacturers that would advise against doing this. Reason being, the acidity of the vinegar can actually damage the rubber components in the compartment.

If you like the idea of using vinegar, an even safer bet would be to place a small cup of vinegar in the top shelf of your dishwasher, rather than pouring it directly into the rinse aid compartment if you’re unsure of whether or not it could harm your appliance.

This detergent recipe will SAVE YOU MONEY. You’ll laugh every time you pass by those expensive detergent tabs. If I were to guess how many “washings” I get out of the recipe, I would say 3-4 weeks worth. It really just depends on how often you run your dishwasher. I normally run mine once a day.

So, happy washing. I hope you try this recipe. I’d love to hear about your results in the comments!

Dishwasher Detergent - A DIY detergent that's Borax-free and cleans your dishes just as well as those expensive tabs you buy at the store!

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  1. Alice Edwards says

    December 3, 2015 at 4:43 am

    I love trying out new natural cleaning recipes! I use homemade cleaners for cleaning at home but for the dishwasher I still use store bought product. It seems really easy to make and efficient. I love natural cleaning solutions and I will definitely try your recipe! Thanks for sharing! Greetings!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 5, 2015 at 8:56 pm

      I hope you come back and let me know what you thought, Alice!

      Reply
  2. Jeanette Henderson says

    December 7, 2015 at 6:59 am

    It’s great to make my own dishwasher detergent. I never thought of doing it, but I would love to try it. Thanks for sharing:)

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 7, 2015 at 2:27 pm

      I hope you do try it! Let me know what you think, Jeanette!

      Reply
  3. Kelly says

    December 22, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Does using YL lemon essential oil not harm your plastic dishwasher?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 23, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      Hi Kelly, I’ve never run into any problems. The amount you’re using each time isn’t enough to cause harm.

      Reply
  4. 1969scrappwr says

    February 2, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    Ok! So I made the recipe minus the essential oil. My first few loads were perfect. I was so pleased. Then about load five ALL my glassware and silverware was cloudy. I mean really cloudy. So I filled the rinse aid section with white vinegar. Then I tried two more loads. They aren’t as bad but they are not like my first loads.i shake my container each time so I know my powder is mixed. Any suggestions?!?! I was so excited. Now I’m devastated!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 4, 2016 at 11:01 pm

      It could be a hard water issue. You could try adding more Lemi Shine to the recipe. 1 to 1 1/2 cups to see if that does the trick. If it is truly hard water, homemade detergent recipes may not be the way to go. Let me know if you get better results if you try again!

      Reply
  5. Jessica says

    February 6, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    Tried your recipe, exactly. Most of the detergent stayed clumped in the dispenser, and what did come out, is plastered all over the dishes. I’ve been using homemade laundry detergent and it works great. I would love to figure out a way to make this work too. Any ideas on troubleshooting? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 17, 2016 at 11:49 am

      Jessica, I’m not sure why it’s clumping in the dispenser. I’ve never had that happen. I’ve heard of some folks tossing the detergent right in the bottom of the dishwasher. I’m wondering if this might help?

      Reply
  6. Crystal says

    February 26, 2016 at 7:50 am

    I made this exact recipe without the essential oils and I love it. It works fantastic for me. It doesn’t clump up or leave any film on my dishes. I did put a silica pack in the Mason jar so it wouldn’t clump up in there, which has worked great. Thank you for this!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 29, 2016 at 11:07 pm

      You are so welcome, Crystal! I’m glad it works so well for you!

      Reply
  7. olga guiselle says

    June 2, 2016 at 1:37 am

    hola soy de Costa Rica me encanta hacer cosas en casa y ahorrar ,aqui no encontramos la sousa no se vende ,hay alguna otra receta alternativa ..muchas gracias ,saludos .

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 2, 2016 at 3:15 pm

      No estoy seguro de qué producto te refieres a así que no estoy seguro de que puedo ofrecer una alternativa. ¿Me puede dar una mejor idea de lo que allí no vendía en Costa Rica?

      Reply
      • olga guiselle says

        June 2, 2016 at 4:04 pm

        hola , gracias aqui no se encuentra el lemy shine y no se que es ese producto . Tampoco el washing soda ,puedes ayudarme con alguna otra opcion .

        mil gracias ,bendiciones

        Reply
  8. Neelima rachel says

    July 26, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    Hi sara!
    It’s wonderful to have a dish washer recipe from you. I realised how expensive is the maintenance only after i bought it recently. So, your recipe is like a SOS. I have a question. This recipe can be replaced by all three ingredients we generally use in the dish washer?( salt, liquid n powder detergent). I don’t have to buy anything else if I use this? Do I have to fill it in the compartment where we fill the detergent on daily basis? Please let me know.
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 28, 2016 at 10:50 pm

      Yes, this detergent can be used daily and it’s meant to be used in the main cleaning compartment of your dishwasher. If you’d like, you could use vinegar to rinse. Good luck!

      Reply
  9. neelima rachel says

    July 27, 2016 at 1:00 am

    Dear sara!
    Iam so glad that you shared most valuable recipe. I recently bought dishwasher not knowing expensive detergents coming along with it. My query is, the recipe which you shared is replacement for all the three ingredients which we use in the washer?( salt, liquid deter n powder deter) and do we have to fill it in the compartment where we fill the detergent powder on daily basis? Please help me.

    Reply
  10. Angie Vermillion says

    March 30, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    I have been using this mixture for three months now. All of the sudden it is leaving white residue on all my dishes, glasses, and silverware. Very difficult, if not impossible, to get off. We just lost our home and everything we owned in a house fire, so the few things we have a precious!!
    Any suggestions on how to get the white residue off? I have been using vinegar in each wash cycle.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      April 4, 2017 at 9:47 pm

      I wonder if there is some mineral deposit build up in the actual dishwasher? You could also try a hot water wash with only vinegar and no dishes inside to try and give your dishwasher a good cleaning before you run your dishes through another cycle. When you’re using the detergent, maybe try and use less – about a tablespoon- and see if that helps.

      Reply
  11. Kelly says

    July 14, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    For those of you with clumping problems, we used a handful of those dessicant packets that come packaged with shoes and other items. My husband had saved some up, so we threw them into the Rubbermaid container with the dishwasher mix, and VOILA, no more clumps!
    Don’t open the packets, just throw them in, as is.
    We have soft water, so I just pour a glug of vinegar into the bottom of the washer, use a tablespoon of the powder and put a couple of drops of lemon oil in the dispenser too. For EXTRA cleaning assurance, put 2-3 drops of liquid dishwashing detergent into the dispenser, too. Sounds like a bit of work, but we get clean, filmless dishes everytime!

    Reply
    • Sara says

      July 16, 2017 at 9:42 pm

      Thanks for all the great tips, Kelly!

      Reply
  12. Mark says

    May 18, 2018 at 6:33 am

    If dispenser is broke and have jugs of soap as I. Freeze liquid dishwasher detergent in icecube trays, one is equivalent to amount in broken trap door. Throw one in when ready to start, usually soap releases in 5 to 8 minutes, it’ll melt in time. More frugal than $150 fix.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Sara!

I’m a Mid-Western girl with a Type A personality who lives to entertain. I believe it’s the special touches that make all the difference when it comes to family, home and a happy life. Read more

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