Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

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I’ve posted a lot of recipes for DIY homemade cleaners, but dishwasher detergent was one I had trouble figuring out. After a little more digging, I finally figured out the secret! This homemade dishwasher detergent recipe uses natural ingredients to help you save money and get dirty dishes squeaky clean.

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent

I’d experimented with a lot of dishwasher powder recipes, but all of them left a little residue, especially on glassware. I wasn’t sure if I had too much of something or if I was missing an ingredient that would make it more effective.

Thanks to a little tip on Pinterest, I figured out the missing ingredient was citric acid. Even better, I already had some on hand from making bath bombs so I gave it a try. The result was clean, shiny dishes without residue buildup or grime.

The Magical Ingredient

As the name implies, citric acid is an acid and is naturally found in lemon juice. Adding fresh lemon juice to your homemade dishwasher detergent though isn’t really practical since it decreases the shelf life. For those with hard water (especially if you don’t have a water softener) citric acid provides natural cleaning power to beat filmy dish residue.

Most citric acid comes from fermented GMO-corn, so it’s important to check your source. The citric acid I use is food-grade, non-GMO, and fermented from cane sugar. Vinegar is made by using natural microbes to ferment fruit sugar (like apples) into acetic acid. Citric acid is made in much the same way as vinegar, except the end result of fermentation is citric acid.

I combine the citric acid with the rest of the ingredients and put the whole thing in the detergent compartment. Some people find though that it works best separately as a rinse aid. In this case, put a tablespoon of citric acid powder in the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher.

Some people instead use vinegar in the liquid rinse dispenser or in a bowl in the top rack of the dishwasher. Over time though the white vinegar can break down the rubber gaskets and hoses in your dishwasher.

How Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Works

While the natural acidity of the citric acid prevents a film, the other ingredients in this homemade detergent help clean dishes.

Washing soda, the main ingredient here, raises water pH and helps soften water. It also removes stains and grease and works as a cleaning agent. Most store-bought detergents include it in their soap recipe so you’ll often see it on the label as sodium carbonate. You can even make it yourself from baking soda.

I’ve also added salt to the recipe which also helps clean and soften water. Most recipes call for Kosher salt since it’s pure sodium chloride without any other minerals. I haven’t had a problem using regular sea salt though.

Much Ado…

The final ingredient in this dishwasher blend is borax, which has been the center of some online debate. In my opinion, borax is very much on the low end of the scale when it comes to the potential toxicity of chemicals in cleaning products. It’s a naturally occurring ingredient that I feel comfortable using in my cleaning recipes.

If not, I’ve also used enzyme cleaners like Biokleen dishwasher soap which doesn’t have borax.

Where to Buy It

Don’t want to make your own dishwasher detergent but don’t want to resort to hand washing a load of dishes either? There are plenty of healthy dishwasher detergent options now! You can even find some of these at places like Walmart, Amazon, or your local grocery store. Here are some ones I’ve used before with good results:

homemade dishwasher detergent
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4.48 from 17 votes

DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

This simple recipe is a great non-toxic alternative for cleaner dishes! Plus it takes mere minutes to make.
Prep Time3 minutes
Total Time3 minutes
Yield: 3 cups
Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

  • Stir all of the ingredients together and break up any clumps. You can use a fork to mash in the essential oils if using.
  • Use 1-2 tablespoons per dishwasher load as needed.
  • For an extra boost, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid (only a few!!!) to the powder before closing the soap container in the dishwasher.

Notes

Store the dishwasher detergent in an airtight container in a dry place.

Not Working For You?

Homemade powdered dish detergent can be tricky. Depending on how hard/soft your water is and the temperature you wash dishes at it can be difficult to find a recipe that works.

One easy fix to try is to omit the citric acid from this recipe and instead use it as a rinse agent. Put 1 tablespoon of homemade dishwasher detergent into the prewash compartment, and add 1 tablespoon of citric acid to the main wash compartment. This way, when you run the wash cycle the dish detergent will first wash the dishes, then the citric acid will help shine them.

New to Natural Cleaning?

If you’re just starting with DIY or natural cleaners, here are some other easy and inexpensive recipes:

What do you use in the dishwasher? Ever made your own dishwasher detergent? Share below!

Homemade dishwasher detergent makes natural cleaning easy. Borax, washing soda, citric acid and salt make an effective and inexpensive natural option.
Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

258 responses to “Homemade Dishwasher Detergent”

  1. martha vogel Avatar
    martha vogel

    I made this and after running several loads I can say it does an amazing job! I add vinegar to the bottom of my dishwasher and leave out the drops of dishsoap. Everything comes out clean and uncloudy. It does clump but I just bang the plastic container on the counter and shake it up and it’s good to go. The ingredients were really reasonably priced at Walmart, even the citric acid was only a few dollars for enough to make a double batch recipe.

  2. Donna Avatar

    I have been using this recipe for a few months. My first batch did clump, but I have found several ways to alleviate that. It is very important to mix the ingredients completely( I don’t use the optional essential oils). I make a pint mason jar each time, I find a small batch is less “clumpy”. I drop a silica packet(saved from shoe boxes, luggage, etc) in the jar each time. If you shake the jar when you use it, that helps to keep it clump-free. If it starts to stick to the sides of the jar, run a knife around the sides to free it up. Using a tablespoon for each dishwasher load works fine(and I have a “builder grade” machine). It takes very little effort to produce a quality result with the added benefit of saving money. I have no plans to ever switch back to commercial dishwashing products. Thanks, Katie!

  3. Lee Avatar

    I have been using this recipe for a couple weeks, and I’m so impressed! I will never go back to store bought soap again.

  4. April Avatar

    What is washing soda? Is it the same as baking soda? I hope so because that’s what I just used!

  5. Loril Avatar

    I made this For the first time and it works great! I do not have hard water where I live. No issues with a white film that some had. My glasses are sparkling and free of water marks!

  6. Laili Avatar

    Hey! So I totally agree with you on so many things you post! Have made your recipes for cleaning supplies, and love them! I just came across this recipe and I wanted to do a little research on borax and citric acid, since I was completely clueless about what is in them, and I came across an article discussing it.

    In this case, my thoughts are that my options are limited to a variation of this recipe you have provided, or a store-bought cleaning detergent. Even if this citric acid is horrible, it definitely beats the store-bought alternatives, right? But… I just wanted to hear your thoughts! Maybe you know something I don’t.

    XOXO Thanks!
    Laili

      1. Adrien Avatar

        Hi there Kate, we don’t have a dishwasher, so it’s all by hand. I’m going to try this recipe of yours and play with the salt citric acid and borax a bit. I hear a lot of people chatting about hardening….I wonder if I just added water to my mix and used it like a dishwashing liquid…what do you think. We are in our rainy season here in Zambia, so I aniticipate humidity soon. Thank you so much for your terrific site. I’m loving it to bits.

    1. Genafer Avatar

      Hi! Late to the party here, I know… I tried to follow that link to the citric acid article you mention and it has been removed. But it is worth mentioning that citric acid is made by all “citric” fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc) and is what is responsible for their tartness. Lemon juice, on average, is 4.7% by volume citric acid.

      That being said, lemons occasionally dissolve through the styrofoam of my fast-food cup when I order water with a lemon in it. So acids (all acids, even vinegar) definitely deserve an amount of respect.

      I ran across this article, and I really like it. It even mentions the citric acid that your body makes during regular metabolism: https://www.livestrong.com/article/484402-citric-acid-vs-lemon-juice/

  7. Nadine Avatar

    My first batch was brilliant – everything sparkly. Second batch was awful and greasy. I had changed brands of borax and citric acid. So, I went back to the borax from the supermarket with the safety lid. I just used it then. Still using the second brand of citric acid. Just opened the dishwasher at the end of the cycle…. BRILLIANT AND SPARKLY AGAIN. So keep that in mind… apparently there are differences in types of Borax… not sure why.

  8. Karin Avatar

    Works really well! Tried it today and I got all the dishes sparkly clean!
    Love it! Thank you for sharing the recipe! Karin

  9. Winnie Avatar

    My washing soda was quite damp (the shop where I get it from its always damp) so it reacted instantly with the other ingredients, did this happen to anyone else?

  10. Levi Avatar

    I love this recipe for dishwasher soap. The only problem is that no matter how I store it, it gets really hard and I have to take a knife to break it up.

  11. Dorothy Avatar

    I’ve tried this recipe before, but the difference is that I added ten packets of lemon Koolaid packs, unsweetened. It did clump some. I was supposed to keep it in an airtight jar so as not to clump, but I kept it in some Tupperware. I just shook it occasionally and was fine. However, I was not entirely convinced of its cleansing ability, so this time, I did two parts Borax, two parts washing soda, two parts Zote flakes, half cup salt, half cup baking soda, and only three packets of lemonade. I think the Zote flakes will probably keep it from clumping. Anyway, wish me luck!

  12. Allie Avatar

    I love the soap, first one that has ever worked for me. I just am having one problem, after I’ve run the dishwasher everything comes out clean except the door. There is like this brown runny watery stuff on the door. I was wondering if you had any ideas of a way to get rid of that.
    Thanks so much

  13. Ashley Avatar

    I’m excited and anxious to give this recipe a try. I’ve read all of the comments before-hand so am well aware that I may need to tweak a thing or two before getting things right for our hard water, older dishwasher, and the terrible humidity of the south-east.

    I don’t think we ever have sparking bright dishes but we don’t have cloudiness that some have mentioned noticing when using this recipe. We also don’t have an issue with food stuck behind because I get all of that off before even putting anything in the dishwasher. I guess I look at the dishwasher more of as a way to deep clean or sanitize the dishes and don’t expect it to do the entire job of scraping food off, cleaning, rinsing and drying. I always clean the food off and rinse before putting the dishes in the washer before-hand. I also take the trap apart on the bottom of the dishwasher every couple of months just to give it a good wash and rinse in the sink and then run the dishwasher as always just without dishes after cleaning the trap so maybe that helps.

    I’m going to give this recipe a try though because I think it’s just what I am looking for and I will report back with how it turns out for me.

    Thanks Wellness Mama for all the effort you put into this site to help the rest of us and for taking the time to share so we can have healthier homes too.

  14. Diane Avatar

    This recipe definitely did not work for me. Left a thick white film on everything which was impossible to scrub off. Took soaking my glasses in dish detergent, baking soda and vinegar and a lot of scrubbing to get it off. Some of my glasses are still a mess.

  15. Matt Avatar

    Hi Katie! I love your site and have gotten so much great information here, so thank you so much for all the work that you do!

  16. Alysha Avatar

    I found these magnets that you stick in your washer and they wash your clothes WITHOUT SOAP! I haven’t tried them yet but plan on ordering soon. My son has a terrible time with soap and detergents due to eczema. I think they will help. I was wondering if you heard of these or have tried them?

    1. Cary Avatar

      Big old scam. You can’t clean anything with magnets. Don’t waste your money.

  17. Catalina Avatar
    Catalina

    Hi, i am goint to star doing the recipe I amnew in this natural stuff, I would like to know how much do you save doing the dishwasher soap compare with the company made??
    And also I see that you also put that you also use enzyme cleaner like bioken , do you change borax with this product in your recipe? Or you just wash with the bioken.
    Thank you
    I

  18. Kitty Avatar

    I’ve been using this recipe for several months now with some adjustments for our hard water (a little extra citric acid and a little baking soda leaves our glasses sparkling) but I found our countertop dishwasher doesn’t like powdered detergent–even store bought doesn’t play nicely with the single spray arm–so I mix up my powder and dissolve it in almost-boiling water. I add just enough water to achieve liquid detergent consistency, and give it a good stir before each use to re-incorporate the settled washing soda. I’ve been very pleased with the results, and no longer have gritty bits of undissolved detergent left behind.

  19. Rosemary Avatar
    Rosemary

    Hi

    Thanks for the good ads on natural health. Well i am 44 years old and have a problem of swelling feet and ankles after i got my last child. pls advise since i have used medication to no avail.

    Rosemary

    Kenya

    1. Brenda Avatar

      500 mg capsules of Hesperidin.
      Start off with 1 per day.
      Do some of your own research.
      Work up to 2 per day if you feel like
      It may be safe for your body.
      I usually take 1 per day and in a few
      Weeks it made my feet swelling go down enough I could wear regular shoes again.
      It doesn’t work like a Rx type product. Feels much more Natural and easy on the body.
      Hope this helps!

  20. melissa Avatar

    A couple of comments.

    For hard water, double the amount of kosher salt you use.

    unsweetened lemonade packets work great as a citric acid substitute. Also helps with rinsing, and smells great.

    Regular baking soda can help cut down on grease.

    I cut the borax in half and substituted one cup of baking soda.

    Also, if using ounces….8 ounces in a cup 😉

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