30 Superior DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipes for Clean Dishes (2024)

Have you ever taken a look at all those mysterious ingredients in your dishwasher detergent? Well, studies show that even after being rinsed, a thin layer of soap residue is left on your dishes after being washed. Who wants to eat off a plate that still has chemicals on it? Not me!

Making your own DIY dishwasher detergent is the best way to know precisely what ingredients you’re putting on your dishes. It’s simple to do, easy-to-use, and on average cheaper too!

The internet has provided us with various unique recipes so you can find the perfect one that works for you! If you prefer to know what chemicals are used around your house, give a few of these ideas a try and see which one makes your dishes sparkle more and gives you peace of mind.

30 Superior DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipes for Clean Dishes (1)

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

1. Lemony Fresh

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When life gives you lemons… Make toxin-free all-natural lemony fresh dishwasher soap!

2. Dishwashing Powder

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A lot cheaper than commercially-bought detergent, you can make this simple detergent without breaking your budget!

3. 3-Ingredient Dish Tablets

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Only three ingredients to make these effective dish tabs that leave your dishes sparkly and clean.

4. DIY Dishwasher Detergent – Lemon Thieves

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A non-toxic liquid dish soapuses the sweet essences of lemon and thieves oil.

5. Borax-Free Detergent

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These (borax-free) tabs will do the job of making your dishes shine! Plus, they’re cheap to make!

6. Easy-to-Make

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Only moments of your time and a small amount of effort before you’re washing your dishes with your own homemade detergent!

7. Lemon Vinegar30 Superior DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipes for Clean Dishes (8)

Your dishes will be squeaky clean with this homemade recipe! Lemony fresh.

8. Epsom Salt

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Use the cleaning effects of Epsonsalt to create this hard-working detergent tabs.

9. Label Included

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Another variation of a homemade dishwasher detergent that includes a super cute printable label!

10. Sparkly Clean

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Want your dishes to shine and sparkle? Here’s the recipe for you to try today!

11. Citrus Fresh

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Citrus Fresh essential oils will make your dishes glow and smell amazing!

12. Copycat Finish

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Not ready to give up your commercial detergent? Here’s a copycat that you’ll be happy with!

13. Grapefruit

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The delicious scent and cleaning power of grapefruit makes this an excellent recipe to try!

14. Soap Nuts

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A liquid laundry detergent using the ever-so-talked-about soap nut! Give it a try and see for yourself!

15. Lavender

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The sweet scent of lavender will breeze over your dishes, and Castille soap will make them clean.

16. Lemon Tabs

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Give your dishes that lemony fresh cleanliness with an easy-to-use homemade dishwasher tab.

17. Kool-Aid

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Did you know you can use lemon Kool-Aid as a dishwasher detergent ingredient? Check it out!

18. Arm & Hammer

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You can use Arm and Hammer to create a very active dishwasher detergent with a boost of lemon.

19. Unique Shapes

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Put your homemade dishwasher detergent tabs into fun molds and get creative with this craft.

20. Bentonite Clay Desiccant

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If you’re like me, you might have a lot of bentonite clay around the house from other DIY projects. Let’s use it up!

21. Lemon Juice and Castile Soap

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Lemon and Castile soap are two ingredients we’ve seen in most of these recipes, and there’s a reason for that!

22. Dishwasher Powder

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Citric acid, baking soda, washing soda, lemon essential oil, these are some of the basic ingredients for this recipe!

23. Kosher Salt

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This detergent recipe calls for kosher salt to help scrub away grease and grime off your dishes.

24. Lemon, Orange, Tangerine

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Give your dishes all the citrusy freshness they can get with lemon, tangerine, and orange essential oils.

25. And Another

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Another useful dishwasher detergent tab recipe that will leave your dishes shining bright and beautiful.

26. Lemongrass

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Lemongrass essential oil is what makes these adorable heart-shaped detergent tabs smell so great!

27. 3-Ingredients

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Did you know three simple ingredients are all you need to make a homemade dishwasher detergent? And you probably already have them somewhere inthe house!

28. Citrus Fresh Tangerine

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A wicked combination of essential oils:Citrus Fresh and Tangerine. Then add some power-cleaning ingredients like Arm & Hammer washing soda, and you’ve got yourself an excellent detergent!

29. Vegan Lavender Lemon

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All-natural vegan dishwasher detergent that smells wonderfully of lavender and lemon. Your dishes will sparkle!

30. Budget-Friendly

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Dishwasher detergent can be unnecessarily expensive, but you don’t have to put up with it anymore! Make your own and save some money!

There we have it! 30 powerful cleaning detergents to make your dishes sparkle and shine. Whether you’re looking to find an all-natural replacement for your store-bought soap or you’re just looking to save a few bucks, there’s a recipe here for you!

Give a few different ones a try before you settle down with your new go-to DIY dishwasher detergent.

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30 Superior DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipes for Clean Dishes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best recipe for dishwasher detergent? ›

In a mixing bowl, add one cup of washing soda, one cup of borax, one-half cup of powdered citric acid, and one-half cup of Kosher salt. Stir well with the wooden spoon to mix and transfer to an airtight container. Label the container.

What can I add to my dishwasher to clean dishes? ›

Squeeze in two to three drops of regular dish soap, the kind you'd use to hand-wash your dishes normally. Next, pour in baking soda until the compartment is full. Then run your dishwasher on the normal cycle. Don't be tempted to use a compartment full of dish soap.

How do you make your own dishwasher cleaner? ›

First, fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with one cup of white vinegar and place it on the bottom of the empty dishwasher. Set the dishwasher to run on a hot water cycle. The vinegar will break down any remaining bits of food, grease, soap scum, residue, and any other leftover grime.

Is it cheaper to make your own dishwasher detergent? ›

Besides getting our dishes clean, the overall savings are impressive, too. Using receipts from the past month as a comparison, using either of these homemade dishwasher soap recipes saves approximately $9.50 per month, doubling my initial savings of just using the regular store brand!

How do you make the best dishwashing liquid? ›

Natural Liquid Dish Soap Recipe
  1. 2/3 cup Sal Suds.
  2. 1 and 1/3 cup distilled water.
  3. 40 drops lemon or grapefruit essential oil (or essential oil of choice)
  4. 1 TBSP washing soda.
  5. 1 TBSP table or kosher salt and 3 TBSP hot water.
  6. large pot.
  7. dish soap dispenser.
Nov 15, 2017

What is a good substitute for dishwasher detergent? ›

Instead, you can add one to two tablespoons of baking soda or an oxygen boost product, up to one teaspoon of standard dish soap, plus a teaspoon of salt (if you have hard water) to your dishwasher's soap container. To help cut grease, fill a cup with white vinegar and place it in the top rack of the machine as well.

What is the main ingredient in dishwasher cleaner? ›

For example, a dishwasher detergent uses sodium hypochlorite and sodium carbonate (simple bleach) in a chemical reaction to clean the dishes.

What can I use to naturally clean my dishwasher? ›

"Using vinegar and baking soda are easy, effective ways to clean inside a dishwasher, but do not use them together at the same time—clean with the vinegar first and then with the baking soda."

How to make your own dishwasher detergent without borax? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups Lemi-Shine or food grade citric acid.
  2. 1 1/2 cups washing soda.
  3. 1/2 cup baking soda.
  4. 1/2 cup kosher salt (used to soften hard water, you can omit if you have soft water)
Jan 22, 2022

Can I use borax instead of dishwasher soap? ›

A natural mineral element, borax is an ingredient in many commercial dishwasher detergents but can be bought on its own in a box. Simply fill the detergent cup with the borax powder.

How to make homemade dishwasher tablets? ›

Method:
  1. Mix washing soda, sodium percarbonate, citric acid in a bowl. Add lemon juice and allow the mix to bubble. ...
  2. Use a spoon to mix thoroughly.
  3. Pack a silicone-based ice cube tray with the mixture. ...
  4. Turn the ice cube tray upside-down and push out each tablet.
  5. Store tablets in an air-tight container in the cupboard.
Sep 5, 2022

Should I put vinegar and baking soda in my dishwasher? ›

"As with cleaning a dishwasher with vinegar, skip the drying cycle and let the dishwasher air dry," says Poole. "Using vinegar and baking soda are easy, effective ways to clean inside a dishwasher, but do not use them together at the same time—clean with the vinegar first and then with the baking soda."

Do homemade dishwasher tablets work? ›

What you will get with these tablets is good consistent results (as long as you're following dishwasher best practice, i.e. not overloading, not letting food get dried on before washing etc). The one thing they don't do well is clean tannin stains from tea and coffee mugs.

How do you make homemade dishwasher rinse aid? ›

Add one tablespoon spoon of citric acid powder to one-fourth cup of boiling water. Stir well until all of the powder is dissolved. Add the mixture to the automatic rinse aid dispenser and run the dishwasher cycles as usual.

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