I’ve posted a lot of DIY homemade detergent recipes, but dishwasher detergent is one I’ve had a hard time figuring out. After some digging, I finally discovered the secret! This homemade dishwasher detergent recipe uses natural ingredients to help you save money and keep dirty dishes clean.
Powdered dishwasher detergent
I have tried many dishwasher powder recipes but they all leave some residue, especially on glassware. I’m not sure if I’m taking too much of the stuff or if I’m missing an ingredient that would make it more effective.
Thanks to a tip on Pinterest, I discovered that the missing ingredient was citric acid. Even better, I already had some stuff on hand for making bath bombs, so I gave it a try. The result is clean, sparkling dishes with no residue buildup or grime.
magic ingredient
As the name suggests, citric acid is an acid that is naturally found in lemon juice. Adding fresh lemon juice to homemade dishwasher detergent is not practical as it will shorten the shelf life. For those of you with hard water (especially if you don’t have a water softener), citric acid provides natural cleaning power that can remove filmy dish residue.
Most citric acid comes from fermented genetically modified corn, so it’s important to check the source. The citric acid I use is food grade, non-GMO, and is made from fermented cane sugar. Vinegar is made by using natural microorganisms to ferment fruit sugars (such as apples) into acetic acid. Citric acid is made in much the same way as vinegar, except that the end result of fermentation is citric acid.
I mixed the citric acid with the rest of the ingredients and placed the whole thing in the detergent compartment. Some people find that it works best as a rinse aid on its own. In this case, place a tablespoon of citric acid powder into the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher.
Some people use vinegar in a liquid rinse dispenser or in the bowl of the top rack of the dishwasher. Over time, white vinegar will break down the rubber gaskets and hoses in your dishwasher.
How homemade dishwasher detergent works
While the natural acidity of citric acid prevents a film from forming, the other ingredients in this homemade cleaner help clean your dishes.
Washing soda is the main ingredient here, raising the pH of the water and helping to soften it. It also removes stains and grease and can be used as a cleaning agent. Most store-bought detergents contain it in the soap formula, so you’ll often see it on the label as sodium carbonate. You can even make your own using baking soda.
I also added salt to the recipe, which also helps clean and soften the water. Most recipes call for kosher salt because it is pure sodium chloride and does not contain any other minerals. However, I haven’t had any problems using regular sea salt.
Not much nonsense…
The final ingredient in this dishwasher mix is borax, which has been the focus of some online debate. In my opinion, borax is on the low end when it comes to the potential toxicity of chemicals in cleaning products. It’s a natural ingredient and I feel comfortable using it in my cleansing recipes.
If not, I’ve also used an enzyme cleaner such as Biokleen Dishwasher Soap that doesn’t contain borax.
where to buy
Don’t want to make your own dishwasher detergent, but don’t want to wash a ton of dishes by hand? There are many healthy dishwasher detergents available now! You can even find some of them at places like Walmart, Amazon, or your local grocery store. Here are some that I’ve used to good effect:
DIY dishwasher detergent recipe
This easy recipe is a great non-toxic alternative to cleaning dishes! Plus, it only takes a few minutes to make.
yield: 3 cup
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Stir all ingredients together and break up any lumps. Mash the essential oil with a fork, if using.
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Use 1-2 tablespoons per dishwasher load, as needed.
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For extra effect, add a few drops of dish soap to the powder (just a few drops!!!) before closing the soap container in the dishwasher.
Store dishwasher detergent in an airtight container in a dry place.
Not working for you?
Making your own powdered dish soap can be tricky. Depending on how soft or hard your water is and the temperature at which you wash your dishes, it may be difficult to find a recipe that works.
A simple solution is to omit the citric acid from this recipe and use it as a rinse agent instead. Put 1 tablespoon of homemade dishwasher detergent in the prewash compartment, then add 1 tablespoon of citric acid in the main wash compartment. This way, when you run a wash cycle, the dishwashing detergent will clean your dishes first, and then the citric acid will help them shine.
New to natural cleaning?
If you’re new to DIY or natural cleaners, here are some other easy and inexpensive recipes:
What do you use in your dishwasher? Ever made your own dishwasher detergent? Share it below!
