Did you know that many name-brand dish detergents contain toxic chemicals that are bad for our bodies and harmful to plants and animals?
Luckily, you can avoid toxic dish detergent chemicals by making your own. But, how do you make your own dishwasher detergent?
Check out this guide to learn how to upgrade your cleaning routine with DIY dish detergent.
1. Classic DIY Dish Detergent Recipe
As any seasoned DIY dish detergent maker will tell you, there are a lot of different ways you can make dish detergent at home. But, let’s start with one of the most tried and true recipes.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup of Borax (sold under the name 20 Mule Team and is typically found in the laundry aisle)
- 1 cup of washing soda
- 0.5 cups of kosher salt
- 0.5 cups of citric acid (can be found in the area of the grocery store where canned goods are sold)
To make this detergent, you simply need to mix all of the ingredients together and store the solution in an airtight container. You just need to use 1 tablespoon per load, and each batch will yield 24 ounces of detergent.
This recipe is safe for any automatic dishwasher. While borax and washing soda are staples of this recipe, you can substitute kosher salt for Epsom salt. If you don’t have citric acid, you can substitute 2 packets of lemonade Kool-aid or 3 tablespoons of an unsweetened lemonade drink.
The citric acid can cause the mixture to quickly form clumps, so to prevent this from happening, leave the detergent out on the counter for 1 to 2 days (making sure it’s out of reach of children and pets).
You can also add a teaspoon of rice to the mixture to eliminate some of the clumps. If you still have clumping problems after trying these tips, you can dump the mixture into a food processor and grind it up. Some people also find that storing the detergent in the fridge also helps prevent it from clumping.
2. Borax-Free Dishwasher Detergent
For those who wish to avoid using borax, you can also make a DIY borax-free dishwasher detergent that’s similar to the recipe above. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 tablespoons of citric acid
- 3 tablespoons of washing soda
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (again, can be substituted for Epsom salt or another coarse salt)
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
All you need to do is mix together all of the ingredients to make the detergent. We recommend using 1 or 2 tablespoons per load. If your home has soft water, you may not need to add the salt.
3. Natural Liquid Dishwasher Detergent
If you’re looking for a liquid dishwasher detergent, here’s a great recipe to try:
- 1/2 cup of hot water
- 1/2 cup of Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
- 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar
- 15 drops of lemon essential oil (you can also substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon juice)
- 3 tablespoons of citric acid
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
- 16-ounce container to store detergent
To make this liquid dishwasher detergent, add the water and salt to a small bowl. Then, stir the salt until it’s fully dissolved. Next, add in the Sal Suds, and add the vinegar to your squeeze container.
You’ll then want to pour the soap solution on top of the vinegar. Then add the lemon essential oil and citric acid. Give the bottle a gentle shake, and then you’ll be ready to go.
You just need about 1 tablespoon per load. Also, while you can use other kinds of salt for the above recipes, for this recipe, you need kosher salt. Kosher salt helps thicken the liquid into a nice gel.
If you can’t find Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds in-store, you can buy it online. If you need to download internet explorer to your computer so you can make the purchase, check out this guide to learn how to download internet explorer for Mac.
4. Essential Oil Dishwasher Detergent
If you’re an essential oil junkie, here’s a dishwasher detergent recipe that will allow you to incorporate a couple of different oils:
- 4 cups of washing soda
- 15 to 30 drops of grapefruit essential oil
- 5 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil
To make this recipe, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the mixture is clump-free. Then, pour the mixture into a mason jar or some other type of airtight container. If desired, you can add a clay pouch to the jar to help absorb some of the moisture.
For this recipe, you’ll want to use about 2 tablespoons per load. If the dishes are really dirty, make it 2 heaping tablespoons.
How to Make Washing Soda
As you’ve probably noticed, all of these recipes require the use of washing soda. While you can buy washing soda at the supermarket, you can also make it at home. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own washing soda:
- Baking soda
- A large baking dish or cookie sheet
- Heatproof spatula or spoon
Start by heating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spread 2 to 3 cups of baking soda across the cookie sheet. Bake it for about an hour, stirring halfway through.
In order to convert to washing soda, the baking soda will need to heat to 400 degrees, so the exact amount of time you need to bake for will vary. You can tell whether or not the baking soda is ready by its visual texture.
If it’s flat and grainy, that means it’s ready to go. If it’s fluffy and light, that means it still needs more time in the oven. Once your washing soda is ready, you can store it in an airtight container.
Are You Ready to Make DIY Dish Detergent?
Now that you know how to make DIY dish detergent, it’s time to decide which recipe you’re going to try first. Once you’ve tried out the detergent, you’ll never feel the need to go back to storebought detergent again!
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more DIY recipes and tips.
