DIY Dishwasher Detergent: An Easy Homemade Dish Detergent

Making DIY dishwashing detergent is so easy that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner! The ingredients for this homemade dish detergent are very inexpensive, and you may even have them on hand if you make homemade laundry detergent or any of my other homemade cleaning recipes.

You can make homemade dishwasher detergent easily and it cost much less than the store bought kind -- works great, too!

In addition to its affordability and convenience, this all-natural dishwasher detergent is also environmentally friendly — there’s no packaging to worry about discarding or recycling!

This dishwasher detergent recipe even works as a scouring powder! Just sprinkle it into your dirty kitchen sink and scrub for a cleaner, fresher sink. It even helps clean your dishwasher, so it’s like three products in one!

Jillee’s Take:

I started searching for a homemade dishwasher detergent recipe one day when I had run out of my usual detergent, and was delighted to learn I had everything I needed to whip some up on the spot. I was able to run the dishwasher right away, and since that day, this natural dish detergent recipe has gotten me out of more binds than I care to count!

Store your Homemade Dishwashing Detergent in an airtight jar to avoid clumping.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Ingredients

Here’s a quick look at the various cleaning agents and other ingredients that go into this DIY detergent.

Baking soda: This alkaline powder helps break down food grease, neutralize unpleasant odors, and helps keep the inside of your dishwasher clean.
Washing soda: Highly alkaline washing soda aids in dishwashing by converting stubborn oils and grease into water-soluble salts that are more easily washed away.
Borax: With a pH level between baking soda and washing soda, borax also helps with cleaning, deodorizing, and cutting through tough grease.
Lemon essential oil: Adding a few drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher detergent gives it a fresh, clean scent and makes it more effective at dissolving food residues.
Citric acid: Citric acid helps fight hard water and mineral deposits and increases the effectiveness of other cleaning agents.
Salt: Salt softens the water in your dishwasher and boosts the effectiveness of the other ingredients.

But Where’s The Soap?

Wondering why you didn’t see soap listed in the previous section? The answer is actually pretty fascinating! Whether you wash dishes by hand or in a dishwasher, hot water handles a lot of the heavy lifting by breaking down food residue and killing bacteria, but it isn’t very effective against water-resistant fats and proteins.

That’s where alkaline substances come in — the baking soda, borax, and washing soda in this homemade detergent are more than a match for stubborn fats and proteins. Between hot water and this DIY dish detergent, your dishes will come out clean as a whistle.

How To Make A DIY Dishwasher Detergent

Ingredients:

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup washing soda
1 cup borax*
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup citric acid**
15 drops of lemon essential oil

*If you aren’t sure where to buy washing soda, no problem — you can make washing soda in your oven!

**If you can’t find citric acid at the store, you can use a couple of envelopes of lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid mix instead.

Directions:

Storing your Homemade Dishwashing Detergent in a mason jar with a dispenser lid makes it quick and easy to use.

Add all the ingredients to an airtight container, then stir or shake well to mix. (If you live in a humid climate, you may want to add a silica gel packet to the container to help prevent clumping.)

Store this recipe in a mason jar with a pour spout to make it easier to use as a scouring powder.

Note: You may need to tweak this recipe to account for differences in water hardness. If you live in an area with very hard water, you may want to add the citric acid to your dishwasher separately (or use white vinegar — more on that shortly).

Homemade Dishwashing Detergent goes in the dispenser just like store-bought detergents.

How To Use This Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Put 1-2 tablespoons of this dishwasher powder in your dishwasher detergent dispenser. Place a shallow dish of white vinegar on the top rack to help prevent hard water spots, then run your dishwasher as usual.

I strongly recommend using vinegar in conjunction with this DIY powdered detergent, because the homemade formula lacks the sort of rinse-aids included in commercial detergents. (This and the fact that vinegar never goes bad are why I buy it by the gallon at Costco!)

BONUS: How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Tabs

With a few simple tweaks to the recipe, you can turn this detergent into homemade dishwasher detergent tablets! Combine the ingredients as listed below, pack the mixture into a silicone mold, and let it dry out completely before transferring the tabs to an airtight storage container.

Ingredients:

2 cups washing soda (or baking soda, or a mix of both)
2 cups borax
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/2 cup vinegar
15-20 drops lemon essential oil

To use your finished detergent tabs, place one in the detergent compartment, add a dish of vinegar to the top rack, and run your dishwasher as usual.

Pouring vinegar into a shallow dish on the top rack of a dishwasher.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is DIY Dishwasher Detergent?

DIY dishwasher detergent is a homemade dish-cleaning concoction made with simple, natural ingredients. Unlike store-bought detergents, this recipe relies on familiar cleaners like baking soda, washing soda, and borax to clean your dishes effectively and affordably.

Can I Use Lemon Juice In DIY Dishwasher Detergent?

Yes, you can! Lemon juice is great at cutting through food grease and has a fresh, clean scent. You can use lemon juice instead of lemon essential oil or citric acid, or include all three! (I prefer to stick to lemon oil and citric acid to avoid clumps in my detergent, but that’s just my preference.)

Are There Benefits To Using Natural Ingredients In Dishwasher Detergent?

Using natural (or naturally derived) cleaning agents can lower your exposure to harmful chemicals, reduce environmental impact, and even save you money. Baking soda, citric acid, and the other ingredients in this recipe clean dishes effectively without the need for harsh or toxic chemicals.

I Have Hard Water — How Can I Improve The Performance Of This DIY Detergent?

The citric acid in this recipe does help counter the effects of hard water, but it may not be enough if you have very hard water. It can help to use additional water-softening measures; add a few tablespoons of salt to the bottom of your dishwasher or put a dish of vinegar on the top rack.

Do I Need To Rinse My Dishes Before Using This Detergent?

It can help to scrape bigger bits of food off your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, but you shouldn’t need to do much rinsing. All detergents need a certain amount of food residue to work properly, including this one.

Conclusion

Making your own dishwasher detergent is fast, easy, and economical. This DIY detergent works well and has plenty of other benefits, so give it a try for yourself!

Have you ever used a homemade dishwashing detergent?

DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipe (Step-by-Step)

Jill Nystul

This DIY dishwasher detergent recipe fights food grease and leaves dishes sparkling, but it also makes a great scouring powder too! Follow these simple steps to make it at home.