Homemade Dishwasher Detergent (Without Borax)

Easy, effective, and cheap, homemade dishwasher detergent will be your new favorite DIY! It only takes 5 minutes to make and uses just 4 simple, clean ingredients.

Clean and Affordable?!

Reducing household toxins and saving money are two of my biggest homemaking goals, but they often don’t go together. Healthy, non-toxic items are often so much more expensive than the conventional versions, so I have to work hard to balance health and finances.

When I find a healthy product or clean DIY that’s actually affordable (like homemade hand sanitizer or DIY laundry detergent), I get so excited! That’s why I love this simple dishwasher detergent! It’s not only made with natural ingredients, but it works great and is far cheaper than any other clean dishwasher detergent I’ve found .

Ingredients

• Washing soda – Provides lots of cleaning powder by cutting through grease and raising the ph of the water which helps to remove dirt.
• Baking soda – Mildly abrasive, baking soda removes food particles from the dishes.
• Citric acid – Breaks down hard water deposits, cuts through grease, and is a mild disinfectant.
• Course Kosher salt – Helps soften hard water to reduce mineral buildup on dishes. Do not use regular table salt which can clog your dishwasher!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: First, pour all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Step 2: Then, pour the mixture into a quart Mason jar or whatever container you would like to store it in.

Expert Tip: Make this detergent in a well-ventilated area. Even though the ingredients are clean, the dust from it can still cause irritation if inhaled.

Step 3: To use, fill up the prewash and main wash dishwasher compartments completely, and run the dishwasher as usual.

If you’re looking for more homemade cleaning products, check out my easy laundry powder and low-tox hand sanitizer!

Troubleshooting

Cloudy Dishes

If you have especially hard water, this dishwasher detergent may not be able to remove all of the mineral residue from the dishes which can make them appear cloudy. To resolve this, use white vinegar as a rinse aid in your dishwasher.

You can also slightly increase the amount of salt in the detergent. This will help soften the water.

Dirty Dishes

This dishwasher detergent should clean your dishes very well. If it’s not, check to see if your dishwasher filter needs to be cleaned.

Also, make sure you’re completely filling up the prewash and regular wash dishwasher compartments.

How Much Money Does It Save?

The price of ingredients and dishwasher detergents are always fluctuating, so it’s impossible to give an exact price comparison that will be relevant for you.

However, based on my figures at the time of writing this post, homemade dishwasher detergent is approximately half the price per ounce of 7th Generation dishwasher powder and slightly less than double the cost per ounce of Cascade dishwasher powder (and made with far superior ingredients).

FAQs

If you try this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Easy, effective, and cheap, homemade dishwasher detergent only takes 5 minutes to make and uses just 4 simple, clean ingredients.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Clean Living

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 quart

Author: Violet Parcha

Cost: $1.25

Ingredients

• 2 cups washing soda
• 1 cup baking soda
• 3/4 cup citric acid
• 1/4 cup course Kosher salt

Instructions

• Pour all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  2 cups washing soda, 1 cup baking soda, 3/4 cup citric acid, 1/4 cup course Kosher salt
• Place the mixture in a quart Mason jar to store.

Notes

Make this detergent in a well-ventilated area. Even though the ingredients are clean, the dust from it can still cause irritation if inhaled.

• To use, fill up the prewash and main wash dishwasher compartments completely, and run the dishwasher as usual.

• If your dishes appear cloudy, use white vinegar as a rinse aid to remove hard water residue. You can also slightly increase the amount of salt to help soften the water.
• If your dishes aren’t coming out clean, check to see if your dishwasher filter needs cleaning.

If you tried this dishwasher powder, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please make sure to come back and leave a comment and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.