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 homemade 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.

How to 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.

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 to use if you run out of dishwasher detergent? ›

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.

What is the best natural product to clean a dishwasher? ›

Run about a cup of white vinegar through a wash cycle very few weeks to keep the dishwasher clean. Run about a cup of white vinegar through a wash cycle very few weeks to keep the dishwasher clean.

Is vinegar or baking soda better for dishwasher? ›

A vinegar rinse will strip away any grease buildup, and the baking soda rinse will remove lingering odors. When the first cycle is finished, sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda on the inside floor of the dishwasher. Run a short hot water rinse cycle (skip the drying cycle).

What can I put in my dishwasher to self clean it? ›

Pour 2 cups (500 mL) of white vinegar into a glass measuring cup or other dishwasher-safe container and place upright in the lower rack. Run a normal cycle with the heat dry option turned off to clean the inside of your dishwasher. Do not use detergent.

How can I make a natural dishwasher at home? ›

Home-Made Dishwasher Powder
  1. One cup Bi carb soda (baking soda)
  2. One cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate, powdered, not crystals)
  3. Half a cup of citric acid.
  4. Half a cup of salt.
Jun 7, 2019

How to make your own natural dishwashing liquid? ›

Instructions
  1. Add salt, washing soda and boiled water into a jug or bowl and whisk until dissolved. 1/2 tsp washing soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 200 ml boiled water.
  2. In a separate jug or bowl, add essential oils to castile soap and stir to combine. ...
  3. Add water mixture to castile soap and stir. ...
  4. Pour into 500ml pump bottle.

What is the formula for making dishwashing liquid? ›

The formula is simple. It has 95% water, 0.63% sodium hydroxide (50% solution), 2.4% DDBSA (Pilot's Calsoft LAS-99), 1.2% cocamide DEA (Pilot's Calamide C), 0.77% sodium chloride and preservatives and dye as required.

How to make homemade dishwasher detergent? ›

How to Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
  1. Equal parts washing soda and borax (about 1 1/2 cups each)
  2. 1/2 cup salt.
  3. 1/2 cup citric acid powder.
Aug 17, 2023

Can you use Dawn instead of dishwasher detergent? ›

No, you should only use dishwasher detergent in your dishwasher as it is designed specifically for your dishwasher to clean dishes without the use of suds or bubbles. Read on to learn what to do if you accidentally use dish soap in your dishwasher.

What is the best natural dishwasher detergent? ›

the best non toxic dishwasher detergents:
  • cleancult. Detergent tablets. ...
  • ecover. Detergent powder and tablets. ...
  • pur home. Detergent tablets. ...
  • grove collaborative. Detergent pods. ...
  • seventh generation. Detergent tabs. ...
  • ecos. Dishwasher gel and pods. ...
  • mrs. meyer's clean day. ...
  • nellie's dishwasher powder. Detergent powder. Plant-based ingredients.
Aug 9, 2021

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!

Is it OK to use vinegar as a dishwasher rinse aid? ›

Distilled white vinegar is an acid that will cut through any grease or detergent residue, and help dissolve minerals left by hard water. Do not use cleaning vinegar because its higher concentration of acid can cause dishwasher seals to deteriorate over time.

References

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