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.

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

1. Lemony Fresh

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

2. Dishwashing Powder

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

3. 3-Ingredient Dish Tablets

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

4. DIY Dishwasher Detergent – Lemon Thieves

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

5. Borax-Free Detergent

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

6. Easy-to-Make

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

7. Lemon Vinegar

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

8. Epsom Salt

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

9. Label Included

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

10. Sparkly Clean

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

11. Citrus Fresh

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

12. Copycat Finish

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

13. Grapefruit

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

14. Soap Nuts

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

15. Lavender

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

16. Lemon Tabs

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

17. Kool-Aid

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

18. Arm & Hammer

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

19. Unique Shapes

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

20. Bentonite Clay Desiccant

21. Lemon Juice and Castile Soap

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

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

23. Kosher Salt

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

24. Lemon, Orange, Tangerine

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

25. And Another

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

26. Lemongrass

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

27. 3-Ingredients

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

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

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

30. Budget-Friendly

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 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.

Read On ›

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.

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Do homemade dishwasher tablets work? ›

In my experience, the answer is yes! These toxin-free dishwasher tabs have consistently given me good results. Most importantly, the dishes don't come out cloudy and no spots of food remain after the wash cycle is complete. If you're new to homemade cleaning products, natural ingredients have cleaning superpowers.

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 does putting a dishwasher tablet in your toilet at night do? ›

The dishwasher tablet will start to dissolve the limescale and you can continue until all marks have disappeared. It's a lucky coincidence that smol dishwasher tablets are designed to tackle hard water marks so the limescale deposits in your toilet bowl are completely fair game.