Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I’ve posted a lot of recipes for DIY natural cleaners in the past, but dishwasher detergent was one that I had trouble figuring out. I’d experimented with a lot of recipes, but all of them left a little residue, especially on glass. I wasn’t sure if I had too much of something or if I was missing an ingredient that would make it more effective.

Natural Dishwasher Detergent

Thanks to a little tip on Pinterest (courtesy of DIY Natural) last week, I figured out what the missing ingredient was: Citric Acid
Thankfully, I already had this on hand for making soothing salt bath fizzies and after birth bath fizzies, so I was able to give it a try.
The result: clean and shiny dishes… finally (and naturally).

Much Ado…

I should mention that this recipe does include Borax, which has been the center of much online debate. In my personal opinion, Borax is very much on the low end of the scale when it comes to the potential toxicity of chemicals in cleaning products. Crunchy betty provides a good summary here, but in the end, this is one you’ll have to decide if you are comfortable using.
If not, I’ve also used enzyme cleaners like Biokleen and Tropical Traditions’ dishwasher soap and both seem to work well and do not contain borax.

The Recipe:

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

 

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Homemade powdered dishwasher detergent with all natural, inexpensive ingredients.

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Cleaning

Ingredients

• 2 parts borax
• 2 parts washing soda
• 1 part citric acid (this is the kind I used)
• 1 part salt
• essential oils for scent (completely optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and store in an air tight container.
2. Use 1 tablespoon per load as needed.
3. For an extra boost, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid (only a few!!!) to the powder before closing the soap container in the dishwasher.
4. You can also add white vinegar as the rinse agent, though honestly, I forget this most of the time and it still works.

Notes

1 Part= Any Measure you want.
In other words, if 1 part=1 cup, you would use 2 cups each of borax and washing soda and 1 cup each of citric acid and salt. If 1 part was ¼ cup, you’d use ½ cup of borax/washing soda and ¼ cup of citric acid/salt.