How to make your own natural, non-toxic homemade dishwasher detergent isn’t as hard as some think and it’s effectiveness is worth it. Learn how to make your own dishwasher detergent here.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
2024 update at the bottom.
Why choose a natural homemade dishwasher detergent?
In my attempt at research on some of the most popular brand names of dishwasher detergent, it took:
- many clicks
- three websites
- one “Uh Oh This Page is Lost in Space”
- warning about how even natural products like “sunlight, oxygen, and water have unsafe limits”
for me to learn all I needed to know about the ingredient list I was looking for.
Sure that statement may be correct; however, I’m on a page called “Ingredients”. Half way down the page I’ve only been told that there are safe and unsafe parameters for all ingredients and what they don’t use.
Great! Thank you. But I am here for the ingredients list!
Certainly suspect to have so many clicks and digging to get to what I actually need. Then the ingredients are explained using the best version of each chemical compound and again with the “just like there are safe and unsafe mushrooms to eat”. Justifying the use of something they know is harmful… to WASH our dishes we EAT off of.
Let that sink in.
Jump to RecipeWe are being fed harmful chemicals from every angle.
I like data and research and I won’t sit here and say I can comprehend every aspect of it. But what I can say confidently is that I have asked God for discernment in all that I read, hear, see, and consume every day. He won’t let me down. That I am sure of.
With that said, I’m very suspicious of many things these days because trust has been broken too many times with 3 letter agencies that are supposed to have our best interest at heart, so they say.
It’s a sad world we live in where we can’t even trust our cleaning products.
Since having my eyes opened to all that is going on around us for the sake of padding someone’s pocket at my OWN health expense, it makes me a little salty to say the least.
The recipe for a safe, natural, non-toxic homemade dishwasher detergent:
Here’s what you came for:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup sea salt
- 2 tablespoons citric acid
- essential oils optional but helpful
A breakdown of these non-toxic ingredients and how they work
Baking Soda
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline compound used as a leavening agent that reacts with acid to produce carbon dioxide, or make lots of bubbles. Remember mixing baking soda and vinegar to create lava for that 3rd grade science experiment? A chemical compound known in the chemistry world as NaHCO3. That doesn’t mean much to you either, does it?
Baking soda is safe enough to clean with and eat! It’s a must have, versatile product to keep in your home.
Washing Soda
Washing soda is sodium carbonate or Na2CO3. Similar to baking soda but different!
You can actually MAKE washing soda FROM baking soda by cooking it down. That’s a lesson for another day.
This chemical is found in plant ash so sometimes washing soda is called soda ash. It softens the water to allow the cleaning agents to lift dirt & grime off but leave them in the water to be carried out with the rinse and not back on your clothes.
Though it is similar to baking soda, it is a different chemical compound and must NOT be eaten or ingested. Use caution when handling as it is a powder. It may cause irritation of eyes, nose, and throat. Be in a well-ventilated area when mixing washing soda to make a homemade cleaner, perhaps even outside.
Sea Salt
Sea salt is made by evaporating salt water. It is minimally processed so it does contain some minerals which is why it is often considered better than table salt.
Salt is a water softener and works to remove lime from rinsing waters. You may use epsom salt to do the same thing but never table salt as it is much finer in size and can block causing damage to your dishwasher.
Granule size of sea salt and epsom salt allows it to dissolve slower without blocking the softener unit of your dishwasher.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is a weak acid found in all citrus fruits.
In cleaning it helps break apart stains so they can be flushed away, provides a gentle bleaching action, and acts as a bactericide and fungicide.
Essential Oils
Optional to use. Some like EOs for their pleasant aromas, some like EOs for their powerful nature.
A citrus oil like pure lemon is a natural degreaser so adding 2-3 drops per dishwashing load is a great option. It’ll also provide a lemony fresh scent to your cleaner.
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The Recipe
In a well-ventilated area like outside, mix together all the ingredients above in a glass jar like a quart sized mason jar.
Then use 1-2 tablespoons of your natural, non-toxic homemade dishwasher detergent per dishwasher load.
Prep your dishwasher first!
Prep your dishwasher before using a homemade dishwasher detergent!
Your dishwasher may be used to heavy chemical cleaners and/or may have mineral build up. Clean out all filters and food traps well then give your dishwasher a washing with just your new dishwasher detergent before you wash your dishes.
Simply 1/4 of a cup of your dishwasher detergent sprinkled in the bottom of your dishwasher. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of citric acid to the bottom too.
Start your dishwasher for 3-5 mins then pause it to sit for 2-3 hours. Then restart your dishwasher to continue its cycle.
A natural rinse aid
To help rinse dishes and not leave any chemical residue, opt for a natural rinse aid like distilled white vinegar.
Vinegar will help your glasses not become cloudy (but there’s always a risk of this happening with natural homemade detegents).
Add vinegar to your dishwasher’s rinse aid compartment until full every load.
My Own Experience Notes:
- Add 2-3 drops of essential oil per load in the detergent compartments.
- Citric acid will activate with water. Try not to get water in your jar of homemade dishwasher detergent. Dry your hands before using scoop in the jar of detergent.
- Know your water type, hard or soft. Our well water is hard with extra minerals that cause build up. This recipe includes many water softeners to allow the cleaners to do their job when combined with my water.
- Know your cutlery and dishes and what should and shouldn’t be cleaned in the dishwasher.
- Rinse dishes well before putting into the dishwasher. This detergent cleans well but also isn’t like heavily chemical commercial detergents meant to eat away at food particles.
*Update* on this recipe
As pictured above I am using a large glass jar to mix my dishwasher detergent in, so far I have been okay. However, my homemade laundry detergent recipe which is very similar to this recipe, I mixed in a half gallon glass jar and due to it having more citric acid in it and not using a lid to keep moisture out, the glass jar BROKE!
I had to throw out my whole batch. It broke because the citric acid got moisture in it which caused the acid crystals to harden. So many harden crystals in the jar caused an expansion the jar could not handle.
Consider using a plastic container for this recipe OR adding the citric acid in per load from its own container it came in.
We also purchased a new dishwasher at the end of 2023. We opted for a completely stainless steel inside and out dishwasher. So far this detergent recipe is working well in our new dishwasher.
Cleaning out the food traps and filters frequently are helpful to the results of any dishwasher.
If you like homemade house cleaners…
DIY Face Scrub for Dry Skin may be up your alley.
Additionally, try these recipes for natural cleaning:
Balm for your wooden kitchen utensils and cutting boards
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Natural Dishwasher Detergent Powder
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 spoon
- 1 jar for storing detergent
Materials
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup sea salt
- 2 tablespoons citric acid
- 2-5 drops essential oils optional per load
Instructions
- In a well-ventilated area like outside, mix together all the ingredients above in a glass jar like a quart sized mason jar.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of your natural homemade dishwasher detergent per dishwasher load in the detergent dispenser.
- Prep your dishwasher before using a homemade dishwasher detergent for the first time!
- Your dishwasher may be used to heavy chemical cleaners and/or may have mineral build up. Clean out all filters and food traps well then give your dishwasher a washing with just your new dishwasher detergent before you wash your dishes.
- Simply 1/4 of a cup of your dishwasher detergent sprinkled in the bottom of your dishwasher. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of citric acid to the bottom too.
- Start your dishwasher for 3-5 mins then pause it to sit for 2-3 hours. Then restart your dishwasher to continue its cycle.
Notes
Affiliate Disclosure
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will always encourage shopping local, small, and direct FIRST. Johnson Home NC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. As part of this Amazon Associates program, the Website will post customized links, provided by Amazon, to track the referrals to their website. And I thank you for using these links!
