Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Dishwasher Detergent

Many people know that they can make homemade laundry detergent but not as many know about homemade dishwasher soap.

This formula will cut grease on your dishes. You will get a better result if you fill the rinse agent reservoir in your dishwasher with distilled white vinegar. It will leave your dishes grease free, shiny, and it isn’t at all hard on your vintage and antique items.

But the major benefit goes to your wallet. It cost less than a penny a load to make, or 50 loads of dishes for just 50 cents!

Ingredients in Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Your environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent is going to have four main ingredients.

Washing Soda- This stuff has been around forever. It is a natural substance, made from salt and limestone. Scientifically it is known as sodium carbonate. It cuts grease on anything and can be used for many (if not most) of the cleaning projects in your home. Arm and Hammer puts it out in the United States. If you can’t find it at your grocers you can find it on Amazon and other places online.
Borax- Borax occurs naturally in the environment and can be mined as well as created in a lab. It is toxic in concentrated amounts, and you should keep it out of the reach of children. You can find it by the laundry detergent; Borateem is one brand.
Kosher Salt- Kosher salt is a pure salt. I use it for cooking because the food tastes cleaner.
Citric acid- You can buy food grade citric acid like Fruit Fresh or just use unsweetened lemonade packets.

Recipe for Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Mix together 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup borax, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup citric acid. Store tightly covered in a Mason Jar. Use one tablespoon per load. Add vinegar to the rinse dispenser for the best results.

By Marye Audet, Planet Green

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jon H.

7:09AM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

What is the chemical reaction with Borax and vinegar? I know you can use vinegar and baking soda to unplug drains and this foams big times. But doesn't borax and vinegar give off fumes when mixed?

send a green star

7:01AM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Borax is very good for stubborn stains. It's like a booster to cleaning. Thank you for the recipe. Going to try it out. I may even try vanilla extract instead of lemonade (unsweetened) to make things smell great.

Jacinta W.

2:36PM PDT on Mar 29, 2011

I did make this and it does work very well actually better than any commercial detergent. I stored it in a mason jar, BUT it turned so hard, like concrete, that I couldn't use it, until I put water in it, which turned it to paste. It still worked well, but would prefer to keep it dry and powder form. Any suggestions?

nikki m.

10:43PM PST on Nov 22, 2010

HOW DOES THIS WORK IN LAS VEGAS WITH TERRIBLE WATER AND A CHEAP DISHWASHER

Betty C.

8:57AM PDT on Oct 28, 2010

Looks like the info I've been looking for. Thanks for anything and everything that can help us get away from toxic chemicals that are slowly killing our world and us.

ana p.

7:10PM PDT on Oct 27, 2010

GREAT INFO!
THANKS VERY MUCH!

Elizabeth J.

4:22PM PDT on Oct 27, 2010

I am looking forward to trying this.

Laura S.

12:11PM PDT on Oct 27, 2010

Oops.

I need to correct my previous post. There is no sodium citrate in my Target brand detergent. It's actually sodium silicate.

Did I mention that I wasn't a chemist? :-)

12:07PM PDT on Oct 27, 2010

James and Fran, I no chemist, but I can tell you that my box of Target brand automatic dishwashing detergent lists both sodium carbonate and sodium citrate as ingredients. The only other ingredient listed is "enzymes". I don't know HOW the stuff works, but I know that it does.

I might try this recipe. I've used combinations of washing soda and borax before with poor results. Maybe the citric acid is the key.

A cup of distilled vinegar added to the rinse cycle helps cut down on the film left behind by hard water deposits. I don't bother with the rinse aid dispenser. I just open the door and pour it right into the machine.

Fran F.

4:38PM PDT on Oct 26, 2010

Those are very good questions, James. I wondered about the sodium as well. I think this article needed to explain the chemistry involved.