For our first eight years of marriage, we did not have a dishwasher. We managed, but with each move I was hopeful that our next place would have a dishwasher.
When we moved into my in-laws’ basement we installed counters and cabinets that my in-laws got for free years ago when someone else was updating their kitchen. There was a place for a dishwasher, but we didn’t have one. Knowing that they pop up on craigslist and freecycle, I started watching for one. It didn’t take long.
After trying a few different dishwasher detergents and learning about the chemicals in them, I decided to try making my own. I tried and tweaked recipes until I got something that I like.
There is some controversy about Borax being toxic, so while I use it in my homemade laundry soap, I wanted to avoid it in my homemade dishwasher detergent. We don’t eat our clothes, but we do put dishes and utensils (and the food that touches them) in our mouths. Commercial detergents contain toxins that you’d never want to put near your mouth.
Recipe for Dishwasher Detergent
Do you remember back in March’s financial update when I mentioned purchasing some citric acid
- 1 cup Washing Soda (Amazon link, but it’s much cheaper at Walmart)
- 1 cup Sea Salt
(Amazon link, but you can get it locally)
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda (just the regular kind you bake with)
- 1/2 cup Citric Acid
Combine all four ingredients in a bowl. Pretty simple, right? But don’t stop there, otherwise your mixture will turn rock-hard in your container. Even though there isn’t any liquid in the recipe, the citric acid initiates a cool reaction. Instead of wasting the rock-forming powers of citric acid, we are going to harness them to create dishwasher detergent tabs, which you know are all the rage these days.
If you want a scent to your dishwasher tabs, add some essential oils, otherwise you can leave it fragrance-free (that’s what I do).
Forming Dishwasher Detergent Tabs
I’ve used a plastic ice cube tray in the past, but it can be hard to get the cubes out . The last time I made a batch, I had a flash of inspiration: use an egg carton! A Styrofoam egg carton made popping the dishwasher detergent tabs out so easy. Just push on the bottom of each one from underneath.
For each dishwasher load you’ll be using 1 Tablespoon. You can press the mixture in right away, or you can let it sit in the bowl for a while (an hour or so) to see the consistency change. Some people probably thinks this is what we do instead of watching TV. Let it sit for a day and it should become solid!
When choosing the container you’ll use as your mold, be sure to consider the size of your dishwasher’s soap compartment. The egg-carton-formed dishwasher tabs fit just fine in my dishwasher, but are too wide for my mother-in-law’s dishwasher.
Citric Acid is Cool
Considering how hard the tabs were, I was a little afraid that they wouldn’t dissolve well in the dishwasher. Boy was I wrong! When water hits the rock-hard tab, it starts to bubble and fizz, kind of like Alka-Selzer does, thanks to the citric acid and soda. The tablet breaks down perfectly!
Citric acid has other uses besides DIY dishwasher detergent. You can use it for fun kid experiments, fizzy bath bombs, homemade ice cream, sour candy, canning (instead of using lemon juice or vinegar), and keeping fruit from turning brown, just to name a few.
Price
- Washing Soda (55oz) ~ $3
- Sea Salt (17.6 oz) ~ $2
- Baking Soda (16 oz) ~ $.50
- Citric Acid
The 55 oz washing soda has about 6 cups. For the above recipe we’ll use 1/6 of the box (or about $.50). For the sea salt, we’ll use about 8.5 oz (or $.96). For the baking soda, we’ll use 4 oz (or $.12). Five pounds of citric acid is about 9 cups, so it would make 18 batches of my recipe above (or $1 per batch).
Total cost of one batch is about $2.58.
Each batch makes 3 cups of powder and there are 16 Tablespoons in a cup, so each batch will make 48 tabs. The price for each tab is about five cents!
Don’t Want to DIY?
Want to avoid the toxic chemicals in conventional dishwasher soap but you don’t want to go to the effort to make your own? I recommend taking a peek at Grove Co. They carry the natural products you’re looking for and they’ll deliver them right to your door. You’ll even get $10 off your first order as well as a free Mrs. Meyers hand soap. Oh, and free shipping. You do need to get your out-of-pocket cost to be at least $20 after all the discounts, but that’s pretty easy once you see all the great things they carry. Their prices are comparable (often cheaper) than Target, but you don’t even have to leave your house! Win-win!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. For more information see my disclosure policy.
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Is this safe for septic systems?
I may have to try out homemade dish soap again!! You should come join us tomorrow at #HomeMattersParty
It’s been over 48 hours and my haven’t formed at all 🙁
What could I have done wrong?
It’s probably not you at all Sabrina. It seems like the weather/season has something to do with it. I will have to experiment to see if I can figure out what causes it. The good news is the powder will still work great. You won’t have to worry about it becoming a solid mass if it isn’t forming into tabs. It’s just slightly less convenient to have to scoop out the powder than just pop in a tab.
Don’t know about the homemade version of dishwasher tabs but we have been told by an appliance repair person never to use the commercial type. Your dishwasher model may not heat the water sufficiently to completely dissolve the tabs and the residue could wind up ruining drain parts. (The repair guy was here for an unrelated issue.)
Mine have been setting for two days and they are not rock hard and I did it like you said to do it what do you think
Is this septic safe?
As far as I know! 🙂
I made this recipe last night. It’s been sitting for more than 24 hours and doesn’t really seem to be hardening at all. I tried spraying s little water on the top but all that happened was the top layer hardened. Not sure what I did wrong. The only thing I can think of is maybe because I used course sea salt. Any advise?
I made this recipe recently, but my tabs didn’t harden. I followed the directions exactly, and I even let them sit for 48 hours, but you can still poke your finger right through them. What else can I do to get them to harden up?
The only thing I can think of is making sure they are pressed into the containers. Also, it looks like weather and humidity has something to do with it. The reason I initially made tabs was because the powder would harden like a rock in the container. I’m sorry it’s not working out right for you. The good news is you can still use a tablespoon of the powder for a load of dishes, though I know tabs are more convenient.
I agree with the comment above about borax being alright – it contains boron which most of the North American agricultural soil is actually missing and which we miss in our diets. I looked up the MSDS sheet for borax and the toxicity is actually about the same as for salt! Obviously it’s not needed in our bodies in as high amounts as salt, but still, I’ll be glad to lick a minute bit off a plate and cutlery every day 😛
I made this and tried it several times. But I have been very disappointed in the results. I am wondering if I can use this in my laundry instead.
I’m sorry it’s not working out for you Annie. Have you tried using vinegar as a rinse along with it? I have no idea how it would do in the laundry. You could give it a try though. I don’t think it would hurt anything.
I used a rinse agent but it was not vinegar. I ran the pots and pans cycle (had only only 2 pots in the load) and the dishes were dirty. I ended up washing over half of them by hand. I used Lemi-shine dishwasher detergent booster for the citric acid. I was just wondering how this would react in the laundry. The other ingredients I know would be fine in the laundry. Thanks.
I didn’t read through all of the comments, however you need to know more about Borax. It is a very important mineral that most are missing in thier diets. If you will Google “borax and health” you will be amazed at what this missing mineral can do for us. I use it in my diet every day and it has almost cleared up may arthritis pain in a few weeks.
Made these with my mom on Friday and they don’t seem to be hardening like you describe. Any idea what we could have done differently that would cause them not to harden all the way? A couple of them crumbled completely. I had a full dishwasher and dumped all the loose bits into the compartment. The dishes look clean so the tab did it’s job. Guess I’ll call it a success. Thanks!
I’m learning that a lot of it depends on the weather, humidity, etc. If you don’t mind having to scoop your detergent the old fashioned way 🙂 then it’s not a problem (it still gets the dishes clean!). The reason for making them into tabs in the first place was to prevent the whole container of powder from turning rock solid. The good news is that if it doesn’t harden into tabs, then it’s not going to harden in the container either. Still, I’m sorry it didn’t work out exactly as you planned!
Thank you for sharing! Just made these last night and they seem to be hardening up. Is there any trick to getting them out of the egg carton? Mine seem to be holding onto the walls.
Hi Lauren, I just push on the bottom of the egg carton (each spot individually) and the tabs pop out.
I tried this recipe a couple of years ago and found that it left a fine residue on my dishes. Have you had this problem or is it just me?
Am I the only one who finds everything coated with a horrible, chalky film after using these?
May be you could use vinegar for rince? I read on another tread that it might be caused by hard water?
I am very excited to make this recipe.. I read all of the comments on it and it sounds like an efficient way to make dishwasher soap.. I will say though that vinegar will eventually eat away at the little mechanisms inside your rinse compartment. I believe vinegar is still the best way to rinse. Just use a small glass and fill it 1/4 to 1/2 full. Set it in the top of your dishwasher along with your dishes, the vinegar mixes with the water and the dishes come out beautifully. My sister learned this the hard way.. Thanks for your recipe!
Thanks for the tip Gayle!
You can find citric acid in a health food store, whole food stores. Or you can find online a soap making company for it. The ones you buy sooap making supplies. larger amounts are avaible.
Great tip Denise!
I absolutely appreciate the sharing of helpful information that help me to be able to afford these. Thank you kindly.
You’re welcome Kathee!
Where do you buy citric acid? I do make my own laundry detergent and love that but my dishwasher is another story. we rinse the dishes before loading and they can look clean going in but when they come out they have a film and are sprayed with particles of something (never looks the same) I use lemi shine all the time as well as vinegar. It improves some but not for long
HI Christie, I bought citric acid online since I couldn’t find any sizable quantity in the store. Here’s the link: Citric Acid, 5 lb
I just finished my first mini batch. Half of the one above. I didn’t have egg cartons since we don’t eat eggs but I found some tiny little backing cups at Walmart. Wilton brand from the baking and cake decorating area. These are teeny little things and are just 1.25 inches in diameter. And they hold a perfect Tablespoon! I’m hoping paper holds up to the chemical miracle that makes it a solid. I’ll let you know. Now to wait!
Thanks for the recipe and your site.
Oh goodness! My dishes are beautiful. I really tested these. I had a plate, fried eggs….bacon and toast remnants. Dried over night. Dried yolk! Add hard water. Even the spatula didn’t get scraped well. But the plate is perfectly clean and the spatula for the first time in months has no white residue on it. And no food anywhere. My glasses are sparkling as is my flatware. I’m never buying these again. My pods were half hard and half powder and worked this well. Love it!
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad it’s working well for you! Thanks for sharing your success story!
You are a genius!!! 🙂
I love it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thanks Jessica! 🙂 I hope it works out well for you!
The one question no one’s asked is most important to me – will this mix strip imagry off printed mugs? With the current soaps, we’ve noticed that mugs that always came through fine are now ending up as white mugs as the inked layer peels away (I’m referring to photo mugs and souvenir mugs). Have you noticed any stripping?
I haven’t had a problem with it damaging any of my dishes. That being said, we also don’t use mugs much (we’re not coffee drinkers) and I don’t have any photo mugs.
Where do you get sea salt so cheap?
I believe that was a Wal-mart price. My mother-in-law has (what seems like) a lifetime supply, so I just used hers.
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made the “tabs” yesterday and put them in ice cube trays. They have been sitting for 24 hours and still haven’t hardened. Any advice? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Make sure you push it down into the ice cube trays (or egg cartons) since it has lots of air bubbles. It doesn’t need to be packed in too hard, but packing it in a little helps it to not be crumbly. Another reader suggested drying them in the oven, but I haven’t tried this.
After hearing others’ experience, it sounds like climate effects the reaction. I live in a dry California climate (though it’s our rainy season now). For me, it was more of a race to get it packed in before it starts to harden. Some people who make powdered dishwasher detergent have this problem– their powder turns solid and they have to chip away at it. Maybe powdered detergent is more suited for humid climates and homemade tabs work better in dry climates.
I made these last night too, and the mixture never set. My house is very dry due to the wood stove (lots of static electricity!). I have it all sitting out on my kitchen table in egg cartons, and I am afraid to just pour it all into a container and have it all harden in there! But it sounds like when it does work as expected, it sets up immediately. I wish mine had set up into tabs but hopefully my family wont complain when they go to run the washer. I will try this recipe again so thank you for sharing!
I keep reading comments about vinegar rinse in the dishwasher. Where/when do you add the vinegar? I’d like to give it a try.
My dishwasher has a spot for rinse. It’s a round screw-off lid. You put the vinegar in there! Take a peek in your dishwasher and you’ll probably find a spot too.
The first time I made this recipe it came out perfect. I’ve made it twice since with the exact same ingredients the exact same way and both times the tabs never set. They are just loose powder. Any thoughts on what might have happened?
I don’t know Erin, unless it’s the change in weather, which it very well could be. Of course even if it doesn’t set, you can still use it as powder and scoop it out as needed, so all isn’t lost. It’s just not quite as convenient as having tabs.
I am having the same issue as the last person that posted. Mine has been sitting for 24 hours and still not hard. I live next to the beach so we have very high humidity. What can I do to get them to harden? Would putting them in the oven with the setting in low work?
I bet the dry air in the oven would help.
If you were to try putting them in the oven what setting would you use? Would the egg carton hold up? I am having the same issue of them not setting up.
I found this the other day and tried to make a batch of it tonight. Don’t know what I did wrong but it is not hardening like it should. Any ideas? I followed your recipe. I used washing soda, baking soda, coarse sea salt and citric acid. I have it in an egg tray and it has been sitting for about 3-4 hours. I can’t find where anyone else has had a problem so I am not sure what I am doing wrong. How long did it take for yours to harden?
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth! Leave it overnight and check it in the tomorrow. It can take up to a day to harden up, especially if it’s more humid where you live.
If you really like the ice cube shape, you can try using a silicone ice cube tray (you can order online from Bed Bath & Beyond). The tabs should pop out easily. You can also use the citric acid and ice cube tray to make bath fizzies. I think Martha Stewart has some recipes for bath fizzies on her website.
Great ideas Kamille!
Hi Stephanie,
I am now a fan of this recipe. I use one cup vinegar along with a tablet and my dishes come out clean and sparkling!
I have a question, though. After all of the tablets harden in the egg carton, should I leave them there in the carton or can I take them out and put in another container together?
Sarah
Hi Sarah, I usually pop them out of the egg carton and put them in a ziplock bag or another airtight container (like the plastic tubs that store-bought tabs come it). Hope that helps!
Hi Stephanie,
I love your web site, so many helpful ideas!
You said your mother in law puts the citric acid in at each wash. Do you know what the measurements are of the mix & citric acid? I made the tabs in ice cube trays because my compartment is rectangular. 🙂 I am having problems getting them out of the tray and thinking maybe I should do it like she does.
Thanks!
Hi Sharon, I just asked her and she says she puts in 3 parts mix, 1 part citric acid. Total powder she puts into the dishwasher is less than a Tablespoon. It’s not an exact science though, so you can play around with what works best for you. I hope that helps!
The first time I did it in an ice cube tray I had trouble getting them out, that’s why I opted for the egg carton. When I tried to get the tabs out of the ice cube tray, by the time I got them out they were crumbly. I but all the crumbles in a ziplock bag and used it a tablespoon at a time and it worked just fine.
I wonder if using a silicone ice cube tray would work?
A silicone ice tray would be perfect!
I will definitely give these a try at some point. I’ve always wondered where on earth I’d find citric acid. I’ve seen that ingredient in a couple of other DIY cleaning recipes, too. Thanks for sharing yours.
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂
It’s much cheaper in bulk, so if you can split it with someone, or use it for other DIY projects, it will save you money!
I tried to find citric acid locally, and the only place I found it was a tiny (8oz) bottle at the drug store for $20. I wound up ordering it online. One pound for $8.25 seems to be about the tipping point, where smaller quantities aren’t much cheaper and large quantities get more expensive.
Wow Mike! That’s a crazy price! Ordering online is definitely the way to go!
I made this recipe and was a little disappointed I could not get it out of the ice cube trays I was using . The egg cartons are a “GREAT” Idea!!!! I live in Pa and citric acid around here is usually in the canning section of Wal-Mart or our grocery store.
My grocery store has citric acid in bulk with the bulk spices.
I just found your blog and I’m really enjoying it. I am surprised, though, to see that you recommend shopping at Walmart so much. They are such an awful company and treat their employees dreadfully. Personally I’d rather spend a little more and support local businesses.
Hi Jen, I just use Walmart or Amazon as a reference point since everyone has access to them. My readers are from all over and grocery stores and local businesses vary so much by region. For what it’s worth I don’t actually shop at Wal-mart very much.
Hello!!
I just found your site today and am LOVING it!!
Quick question on this article, how do you store them? I was thinking just a small container under the sink but it may be a REAL mess if there’s a leak somewhere… 🙂
Hi Cari! You can re-use a plastic container like a gallon plastic ice cream tub with a lid or a laundry detergent container. That works for us! 🙂
Ran across this on A Bowl Full of Lemons so I had to check it out . Dishwasher detergent is so expensive so this sounds awesome. I’m going to see if I can find the ingredients next time I go to walmart.
Great Shelia!
I’ve been using homemade dishwasher detergent for about a year and a half now, and I love it. Definitely a money saver! My recipe uses kosher salt. The purpose of the salt (as I understand it) is to initiate a little more scrubbing action, so I would advice sticking with kosher salt or sea salt instead of regular table salt because the grains aren’t as big. We haven’t had any problems with our dishes being corroded from the citric acid. I find that every couple of weeks I need to run a wash with extra vinegar and a commercial dish detergent to get things really sparkly, but for the most part it works great. Instead of making tabs, I just mix all the ingredients except the citric acid in a container and use a tablespoon as needed. Then I add 1 teaspoon of the citric acid separately. This way I don’t have to deal with clumps but I don’t have any extra work. 🙂
My mother-in-law does keeps her citric acid separate until she puts it into the dishwasher too! For me, I like the convenience of just grabbing one of the tabs. Thanks for sharing your experience Sarah!
how do you store the tabs? I made this yesterday then put them in a jar and they all smooshed together and made a very large clump. I broke it all down again and re scooped them into egg cartons, but I am hesitant to take them out of the egg crates again lol.
I’m pinning this and definitely want to give it a try. Do you know if it’s septic safe? I would think so…
Found you at One Project at a Time! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, Stephanie! Love the non-toxicity of this. We use a great dishwasher soap that’s non-toxic, but it’s spendy. I’ll have to try this. I’m a little worried about rinsing due to the lower water pressure we have here, but it seems to have dissolved well for you, and we do a vinegar rinse as well, so maybe it’ll be okay, huh?
We haven’t had any problems with it dissolving! With some of the commercial tabs, I would put hot water in the compartment with the tablet to start it dissolving, but with the homemade ones I don’t have to do that!
Can regular salt be used in this?
I’m pretty sure you could substitute Epsom salt, but I’m not sure about regular table salt. If you try it, let us know how it works!
I love the idea of making your own dishwasher tabs. The only question I have is if there is an alternative to using citric acid, since it’s corrosive and can ruin flatware after long term use? (we’ve even had some issues with citrus based detergents after only one or two washes)
Most of the cleaning power comes from the washing soda, so you could try leaving out the citric acid (and just have powdered detergent) and see how it works. Personally, we haven’t had any problem with the citric acid doing any damage to our dishes as all.
I’ve used sugar free lemonade powder i(think Kool aid/Crystal Light) in the past as an alternative to citric acid and it works great. Double bonus… It’s much cheaper than citric acid!
How well is it working for you? We miss the phosphates (I know, I know..) We’ve been using the Finish powerball tabs, which at Costco come out to about 13 cents per tab when they’re on sale, but they’re still not getting our dishes as clean as we’d like (we also use a vinegar rinse and mostly rinse things before they go in.)
It’s working fine for us. We haven’t had a dishwasher long enough to compare with detergents before they took phosphates out. 🙂 A vinegar rinse is great if you’re having trouble with spots/film on glasses.
I just bought the ingredients for another recipe, but I like yours better. I got Epsom salt for the other recipe, do you think I could us it instead of the sea salt?
Also, do you use Lemi Shine? I’d rather not if you have had good results without it?
I think you can swap out sea salt for Epsom salt. Let me know how it goes! I think Lemi shine is just citric acid with some fragrance, actually, but they keep the details a trade secret.
I had to go and do a price comparison – I found a 20 pack of a Cascade tabs for just over $8. This is insane!! I’ve been meaning to make my own cleaning supplies and now I’m totally sold that I HAVE to do it.
Wow! That’s pricey, for sure!
I’ve heard of homemade laundry soap but not this. That’s pretty cool. We didn’t have a lot of success with the laundry soap. Is there any reason why you think we may find this different and do you think we should try laundry soap again?
If you like making homemade cleaning products then you can definitely work out the kinks. We think they’re both worth it!
I am so excited to try this! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome Jayleen! 🙂