Replace Dishwasher Detergent With These Common Ingredients

Whether you’re looking for a lower-cost alternative or you just can’t make it to the store soon, this alternative to store-bought dishwasher detergent tablets is a great way to get your dishes clean.

The instruction below will walk you through how to make your own dishwasher detergent tablets with products most people already have in their homes. It is quick, cost-effective, and works just as well as store-bought dishwasher detergent.

You might be surprised not only by how simple the recipe is, but also by how few ingredients are needed. The Lemon essential oil stands out in a pleasantly refreshing way while you’re mixing the ingredients and again while the dishes are being washed.

How Do I Make My Own Dishwasher Tabs?

Dishwasher tablets can be made at home by combining baking soda, borax, white vinegar, Epsom salt, and essential oils into a mold. Once the ingredients dry you have a low-cost alternative to expensive store-bought tablets.

How Much Money Can I Save Making My Own Dishwasher Detergent Tablets?

Here I have included a table to compare our recipe with familiar brands you may find in the store.

Product	Number of Tablets	Package Cost	Cost Per Tablet
Homemade Recipe (From this post)	32	$3.26	$0.10
Finish Powerball Quantum Tabs	50	$13.49	$0.27
Cascade Complete ActionPacs	18	$5.99	$0.33
Cascade Original Actionpacs	25	$5.99	$0.24
Seventh Generation Lemon Scented Packs	20	$8.99	$0.45

 When we did the cost comparison, we were definitely pleased to see how much cheaper the homemade tablets are. Another huge bonus is the clean ingredients that you can use to make these. The commercial dishwashing detergents are loaded down with artificial chemicals.

If you’re curious how we gathered the cost to make these homemade tablets then here is a table to break down the cost.

Ingredient	Store Cost (Local Fred Meyer)	Package Quantity	Quantity needed for receipt	Cost for Recipe
baking soda	$1.19	16oz	2 cups	$1.19
borax	$5.99	65oz	2 cups	$1.47
Epsom salt	$3.49	64oz	1/2 cup	$0.22
white vinegar	$3.49	128 oz	1/2 cup	$0.11
lemon essential oil	$7.99	30ml(600 drops)	20 drops	$0.27
			Total Cost	$3.26

This recipe is very easy to whip together. Most people will have these items already in their cleaning cupboards. The only thing you need for this recipe besides the ingredients is time. The tablets require around 24-48 hours to fully set. You do not want to try and remove them from the molds early, they can crumble and fall apart. Make sure they are fully dry and allow yourself enough curing time.

Materials

• Large mixing spoon
• Small household spoon
• Large Mixing bowl
• Silicon mold or Ice cube tray*

* It’s important before starting this process that you make sure your mold size is going to fit in your dishwasher. Test this by freezing some water into the mold and checking to make sure the ice cube fits in your dishwasher’s detergent pocket.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of baking soda
• 2 cups of borax
• 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup of white vinegar
• 20 drops of lemon essential oil

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine all of your ingredients together, any order is fine. With a large spoon stir and mash until the ingredients are completely combined.
2. Scoop small spoonful’s of the mix into each indentation of your ice-cube trays. I found that using a teaspoon to push the mix down into the cubes works well. Make sure you pack the mix down tight.
3. Allow the cube molds to dry for 24 hours. Setting the molds in direct sunlight may help to speed up the drying process.
4. After 24 hours we recommend using an object with a flat surface, such as a cutting board, to lay on top of the mold to help flip it over.
5. Do not flip the tray early. Make sure the tablets feel fully dry and hardened before flipping. Otherwise your tablets will crumble and fall apart.

My Tablets are not Drying after 24 hours

Humidity can play a factor in how your mix dries. If you live in a very humid area of the world, you may need to make your mix a little on the drier side to hold together. If you find that the mix is too dry to stay together, simple add a tiny amount of white vinegar to it. The mix should be able to stick together when you press it firmly between your fingers.

Try to place your trays out near sunlight or in a warm dry place to fully dry. Keeping it in a cool dark area is not recommended as this can prolong the drying time.

Adding Dish Soap to Dishwasher Detergent Tablets

If you have really dirty dishes, a good option for getting them sparkly clean is to add a drop or two of dish soap to the tablets. This is only necessary if you have a particularly dirty load of dishes. Be very careful to only add a few drops. Too much dish soap can overflow your dishwasher. Use the dish soap with caution and only when you feel it is necessary.

Hard Water Spots and White Vinegar

If you live in an area with hard water, you may notice that over time your dishes become cloudy. This is from a harmless buildup of minerals. Hard water just means that your water has a particularly high mineral content. To avoid this you can add a half a cup of white vinegar to your dishwasher while you run a load of dishes. This may not be necessary to do every time you run the dishes. But if you notice your dishes are getting cloudy, go ahead and do a load with the white vinegar.

Mold Options for Tablets

When we made this recipe it made 32 tablets. We used the ice trays that are pictured with the ingredients. The ice trays work great for drying the dishwasher tabs. Another really good option is silicone molds. You can get them in all shapes and sizes. The number of tabs you get from this recipe will vary based on the size of the molds you use.

The biggest factor is ensuring that the tabs you make will fit in the dishwasher tab pocket. Make sure the do the ice cube test we mentioned above so you know the tabs will fit.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well my dishes cleaned up! I live in an area with hard water, so I tried the white vinegar trick. It was successful! No hard water spots or cloudiness at all. I was very pleased with how my clean my dishes cost. I am definitely keeping the dishwasher tabs well stocked in my home. Let us know if you try them out! We would love to know how the worked out for you.