I have posted many recipes for DIY household cleaner, but the dish detergent was the one I had trouble figuring out. After some digging, I finally figured out the secret! This homemade dishwasher detergent recipe uses natural ingredients to help you save money and clean dirty dishes.
Powdered detergent for dishes
I had experimented with many dishwasher powder recipes, but they all left a bit of a residue, especially on glassware. I wasn't sure if I had too much of something or if I was missing an ingredient that would make it more effective.
Thanks for a little tip Pinterest, I realized that the missing ingredient was citric acid. Even better, I already had some on hand from making bath bombs so i tried it. The result was clean, shiny plates with no build-up of residue or dirt.
The Magic Ingredient
As the name implies, citric acid is an acid and is naturally found in lemon juice. Adding fresh lemon juice to your homemade dishwasher detergent is not really practical though, as it reduces the shelf life. For those with hard water (especially if you don't have a water softener) citric acid provides natural cleaning power to defeat filmy plate residue.
Most citric acid comes from fermented GMO corn, so it's important to check your source. The citric acid I use is food grade, non-GMO and fermented from cane sugar. Vinegar is made by using natural microbes to ferment the sugar in fruits (such as apples) into acetic acid. Citric acid is produced in the same way as vinegar, except that the end result of fermentation is citric acid.
I combine the citric acid with the rest of the ingredients and put it all in the detergent compartment. However, some people find that it works better on its own as a rinse. In this case, put a tablespoon of citric acid powder in the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher.
Some people instead use vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser or in a bowl on the top rack of the dishwasher. However over time white vinegar can damage rubber gaskets and hoses in dishwashers.
How household dishwasher detergent works
While the natural acidity of citric acid prevents a film, the other ingredients in this household detergent help clean dishes.
Baking soda, the main ingredient here, raises the pH of the water and helps soften the water. It also removes stains and grease and acts as a cleanser. Most store-bought detergents include it in their soap recipe, so you'll often see it on the label as sodium carbonate. You can also do it yourself of baking soda.
I also added salt to the recipe, which also helps purify and soften the water. Most recipes call for Kosher salt as it is pure sodium chloride without any other minerals. However, I have had no problem using regular sea salt.
A lot of noise…
The last ingredient in this dishwashing mix is borax, which has been the center of some debate on the Internet. In my opinion, borax is at the very bottom of the scale when it comes to potential toxicity of chemicals in cleaning products. It's a natural ingredient that I feel comfortable using in my cleaning recipes.
If not, I used too enzyme cleaners such as Biokleen Dish soap that does not contain borax.
Where to buy it
Don't want to make your own dishwasher detergent, but don't want to use hand washing a bunch of dishes either? There are now many options for healthy dishwashing detergents! You can even find some of these at places like Walmart, Amazon, or your local grocery store. Here are some that I have used before with good results:
DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipe
This simple recipe is a great non-toxic alternative to cleaner dishes! Plus it only takes minutes to make.
Yield: 3 CUPS
-
Mix all the ingredients together and break up any lumps. You can use a fork to mash the essential oils if using.
-
Use 1-2 tablespoons per dishwasher load as needed.
-
For an extra boost, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid (just a few!!!) to the powder before putting the soap dish in the dishwasher.
Store dishwasher detergent in an airtight container in a dry place.
Not working for you?
Homemade powdered dish detergent can be tricky. Depending on how hard/soft your water is and the temperature you wash your dishes at it can be difficult to find a recipe that works.
An easy solution to try is to omit the citric acid from this recipe and use it as a rinsing agent instead. Put 1 tablespoon of homemade dishwasher detergent in the prewash compartment and add 1 tablespoon of citric acid to the main wash compartment. That way, when you run the wash cycle, the dish detergent will wash the dishes first, then the citric acid will help make them shine.
New to natural cleaning?
If you're just getting started with DIY or natural cleaners, here are some other easy and inexpensive recipes:
What do you use in the dishwasher? Have you ever made your own dishwasher detergent? Share below!
