I haven’t.
Being honest right up front there. I had many failures using natural DIY dishwasher soap a few years ago, and I’m afraid my husband will never set foot in the kitchen again if I even breathe a word of more homemade dishwasher detergent experimenting, and that would leave me with a LOT of dishes. Not cool.
I already get a scowl when our dishwasher gets super gunky – although I use and believe in this natural dishwasher deep clean method, I still had to get in there by hand and pull out some nastiness last week. I’m hoping that’s a once a year job or less!
Anyway, I’m sticking with the best natural dishwasher detergents that I enjoy, but I know a lot of people swear by their homemade detergents, and even more, are wishing they could nail one that WORKS.
In my line of work, I get a lot of advice.
A LOT.
Now that I’ve written about natural dishwasher detergents quite a number of times, I have a ridiculous number of links, recipes, and tips in my file titled “homemade dishwasher detergent recipes,” and since I’m never going to use any of them (see above), I thought I might share the wealth with you and just “start the conversation” today.
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipes
from a reader:
1 part washing soda (sodium carbonate)
1/2 part salt (regular table salt)
1/2 part citric acid
Mix together well in a mixing bowl, then ‘sift’ through a wire strainer backwards and forwards between two bowls until all the lumps are gone and it is well combined. Don’t breathe in over the bowl, it will make your eyes water.
The only ingredient that is not a food ingredient is the washing soda. I use 1 tablespoon per load, with white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment. Sometimes I put an extra 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the bottom of the machine before I turn it on, cleans the machine and gets the glasses just a bit more sparkling. I don’t rinse anything first either!
My dishwasher is stainless steel on the inside, you might want to use with caution if yours is aluminum or fibreglass (do they make dishwashers out of that?), because washing soda is not good on those surfaces, and citric acid might also be a problem, not sure.
Many readers recommended using soap nuts liquid: 
1/8 cup ground soap nuts (grind in coffee grinder and DON’T inhale)
1/4 cup citric acid
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
That detergent is the best I made at home. =) Works MOST of the time.
from Crunchy Betty:
- 1 c. Borax
- 1 c. Washing Soda
- 1/4 c. finely grated Castile Soap (optional) (do NOT use a soap that suds)
- 1/2 c. Sea Salt (optional)
- 30 drops Lemon Essential Oil (optional)
- Citric Acid (optional)
But…many in comments talk about white film on plastics!
from My Healthy Green Family (Link no longer available), borax-free:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/3 c. citric acid
- 1/3 c. coarse salt
- 10-15 drops of citrus essential oil (Optional. Orange, grapefruit, or lemon essential oils have great cleaning as well as antibacterial properties.)
- Homemade citrus vinegar cleaner
Click over (Link no longer available) to see the method and tips.
More from Crunchy Betty:
- 2 c. borax
- 2 c. washing soda
- 2 c. Lemi-Shine
- 1 c. kosher salt
Click over for the method and her thoughts on Lemi-Shine.
Her preferred method is:
2 c. borax, 2 c. washing soda, 1 c. kosher or sea salt, 3 Tbsp citric acid, and 30-50 drops of lemon or grapefruit essential oil.
From a reader via Facebook:
from Our Homemade Happiness:
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent for Hard Water:
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent for Soft Water:
Click over to see the method, cost analysis, plus a GREAT bulleted list of homemade dishwasher detergent troubleshooting tips.
Do You Fill the Rinse Compartment with Vinegar?
I still do it, even after I read Adrienne’s expose on how the vinegar is eating the plastic dishwasher parts, darn it all. Appliances just aren’t made to last nowadays.
What do you think???
Why Don’t the Name Brand Dishwasher Detergents Work Like They Used To?
When the government took phosphates out of all detergents in fall 2011, they basically put all the big name brands on level playing field with the “natural” brands, since they had been trying to avoid phosphates for years. In my opinion, I’m guessing this put the natural brands ahead of the game.
Dishwasher detergent without phosphates tends to work “okay” at first, then cause major white buildup on glassware and plastics in particular. It’s a huge bummer, and exactly what we experienced when we thought Biokleen detergent was the answer to our prayers…and then it wasn’t.
Here’s some more fascinating info readers have shared with me about this issue:
- Consumer Reports demonstrated the phosphate-free dishwasher detergent problems
- And here’s a coupon blogger who sought to find detergents that still have phosphates. She also details that household use doesn’t seem to really be the problem with the algae “bloom” in the Gulf of Mexico and believes that phosphates truly aren’t a problem to use. You can decide for yourself.
Most people who have played with natural detergents say that adding a bit of citric acid takes care of the white film problem.
Here’s a tip from a reader on redeeming Biokleen:
Open biokleen tub, sprinkle about 1/3 to 1/2 pkg of lemon koolaid into biokleen tub and gently stir. After you’ve used the top layer (about an inch or 2), add more and gently (b/c it’s powdery) stir. The lemon koolaid is mostly citric acid. That is what cuts the rest of the film that biokleen tends to leave after the initial honeymoon period.
You can also just buy citric acid but I prefer the koolaid b/c you can smell the lemon and when you don’t smell the lemon anymore that is when you know you need to add more. I’ve done it this way for almost a year and still works great!!!
Here’s my comprehensive list of all my favorite cleaning products, from floor to ceiling, and my natural dishwasher detergent brands review.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post from which I will earn some commission. See my full disclosure statement here.
One has to be careful with a lot of the commercial dishwasher detergents, because they have “enzymes” in there, or they state “amylase” and/or “protease”, which are genetically engineered. I’ve quit using my eco-max dishwasher tabs for that reason, and my laundry soap, and those gmo-enzymes are added to some flours too, and are listed in the ingredients. One fellow I know says that it’s the gmo amylase that caused him to have sores all over his body and to have chronic pain, and that all stopped after quitting eating flour with those enzymes.
That’s so interesting David, I’ve never heard that before. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome. Hearing about the amylase was something I had never heard before, either, so I’m always happy to hear new things. GMO’s are being used to create fragrances, enzymes, and who knows what else. It’s possible that it’s because of those GMO-derived microbial enzymes, that clot casein enzymes in milk differently than natural enzymes, that has caused casein allergies in people. GMO’s are bad bad news.
Here’s a decoding, of the ingredients in Tropical Traditions. Be sure to comment, if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Sodium citrate – is a natural, occurring acid byproduct, as part as fruit concentrate production. It’s not a petro-chemical 🙂
Sodium Carbonate, is considered toxic, but for the most part. It’s just high heated baking soda, and is renewable. It’s not really a concern, for the environment, and is one of the better things.
Sodium Percarbonate, is Dried Baking soda, mixed with a stabilized Oxygen Gas (hydrogen peroxide), it is toxic if ingested, and can cause some pretty bad burns, if touched. But, it is biodegradable, and considered Green.
Surfactants, is a very vague term, but generally it’s always a petrochemical.
As are “rinse agents” & sodium silicate. Silicate is actually very toxic as well, and there’s a lot of questions regarding it’s biodegradability, but, it’s not too bad. It really is needed in there, to prevent spotting and, to keep metal from corroding, but, I do wish they could find a greener replacement for it.
The Rinse Agents, though, and Surfactants, are considered “petrochemicals” because, they’re made from non-renewable petroleum based products, and often are not biodegradable, or easily removed in waste water treatment. Some are Biodegradable, but, normally they’ll be listed as such, these aren’t. 🙁
A surfactant is anything that binds to fat. Homemade goat milk soap is a surfactant. Detergent is a surfactant. SLS is a surfactant. Most surfactants used in eco brands are plant derived, usually from coconut oil. Not a petrochemical. Sodium silicate is made from sand. It’s a mineral. Not biodegradable because minerals never are. Natural though. Rinse agent is a very vague term. It might be a petrochemical, it might not. It usually consists of a surfactant, alcohol, and / or citric acid. All of which could easily be plant derived. Without more information you have no basis calling everything petrochemicals.
Out of curiosity, have you ever evaluated the “green-ness” of these commercial dishwasher detergents, that claim to be green.
I’ve called P&G before, and obtained a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for Cascade and it was an almost replica of Seventh Generations.
Phosphates (the only real harmful ingredient) we’re banned years ago, and unless you purchased Gel Detergents, none of them should have even an ounce of Chlorine in them.
Also worth noting, a lots of these Green Cleaners, are full of Petrochemicals, that aren’t biodegradable at all. I’ve even found some commercial detergents on store shelves, that were greener than ecovers.
It’s really something to look into…
Michael,
I agree, it IS something to look into. 🙁 (and I’m sorry your comment got lost for a few weeks! I’m digging out!)
I haven’t really spent enough time doing exactly what you said, and I’m sure there is some “greenwashing” going on. I just added an update to my dishwasher detergent review post about my mom’s experience with etching glasses with Cascade after using Ecover successfully for a few years – she switched right back! So that at least makes me feel good. I also know that Tropical Traditions, for example, has crazy high standards. I hate to trust others to do the research I should be doing…but sometimes I have to. So I’m fairly confident that their brand will be super-green.
A question: As we try to evaluate without spending an hour on each one, what are “petrochemicals” as far as how you locate them on an ingredients list? Petro means made from petroleum, I get that – but how do you know they’re in there?
Thanks for pushing my thinking! I appreciate the nudge, even though I don’t want to research this stuff…someday I know I need to!
🙂 Katie
When I have more time, I’d love to post what I know.
What I would do is (if the company actually list All of there ingridents) was one by one, lookup what they do with Google.
It’s quite time consuming, but you really learn a lot. And think about it, a lot of detergents contain “rinse” aids, that stay on, after the detergent goes down the drain, and have to last past the rinse cycle to keep things spotless.
These chemical cocktails, are made out of crazy ethyl alcohol combinations, and are considered “toxic” if ingested.
That’s what scares me. I know Vinegar probably does a job on rinsing them all away, but you can never be too sure..
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I use Biokleen and have for several years. When I started seeing film and buildup on my dishes it was because my dishwasher needed to be cleaned, not because Biokleen stopped working. Hubby cleaned everything out and my dishes are sparkling again.
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Washing soda technically is still food!!! It is just baking soda Baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. It is still baking soda. Just baked. 🙂 I have done a ton of research on soaps the past 2 years. If you must, make your own washing soda!!! 🙂
I like that you acknowledge that the ingredients should be EDIBLE. Personally I won’t use the washing soda since you said it’s not edible. I find it amazing that people don’t realize that anything you wash your dishes with, you end up eating a little bit of. So, over time you are eating ALOT of what you wash your dishes with.
Heather Micola There is a link in the post to Mountain Rose Herbs, but I also see it wherever you can buy cheesemaking supplies, often health food stores, sometimes canning sections in regular stores, and of course, lemon Kool Aid! 😉
Phosphates ARE a problem from households. The largest contributor to phosphate pollution is “non-point” pollution. In other words, polluters not easily pinpointed. Not factories or other obvious sources. That leaves homes and agriculture. Ag is big, but households have historically been right behind. It is shameful, in my opinion, and definitely not stewardship, to seek out a pollutant to avoid a film on dishes.
That said, I’ve used Seventh Gen liquid dishwasher detergent for quite a few years, and while it doesn’t do as well with stuck on food as Cascade Complete, I’m not afraid to use a little elbow grease for the sake of my family, and the 7th Gen does a pretty decent job.
When I run out and need an emergency cupful of detergent, I put just a couple drops regular dishsoap and then fill the cup with vinegar. Works like a charm, but I only use it for a couple loads, I know regular dishsoap isn’t good for the dishwasher.
And I cannot see how vinegar, diluted with rinse water, would be hard on dishwasher parts? Harder than these chemicals we use otherwise? I will look into this more, but somehow that seems unlikely. Thanks Katie, for the roundup, even thought you aren’t up for a change yourself!
Dawn,
I agree wholeheartedly! I’m glad the government banned them, and now the companies need to figure out how to do whatever Ecover is doing, phosphate-free, to get dishes clean. Guessing citric or some sort of acid, in the right proportions to the type of water, is the key. Good for you to hold fast to your convictions! 🙂 Katie
I personally think it has everything to do with your water. My homemade dishwasher detergent works GREAT… but my water is perfect. If it’s very hard or very soft I think you have trouble.
My dishwasher never leaves film. Oh wait. That’s right. I don’t use it. LOL
I kicked it out. All hand washing for this gal. 😉
Me too! At least then I know I only have to wash them once!
I’m right there with you, Katie. I’ve tried several homemade detergent recipes and none have worked well. Thanks for being honest!
So, I made this dishwasher detergent by mistake and it works awesomely. No cloudiness, no problems. You do need to pre rinse the yucky stuff (dried egg yolks, etc).
4 parts Borax
4 parts Washing Soda
1 part Acid Blend
Let sit in open container for 24 hrs, stirring ever time you think of it. Use 1 TB and vinegar in an overturned cup on the top rack.
NOTE: Acid blend is something that I use in winemaking. It has citric, tartaric, and malic acids in it and I ran out of citric acid one time and used it! Worked VERY well.
Christa, yes, white vinegar. Vinegar added to the soap dispenser won’t work, because chemically it doesn’t jive with the other products and will leave a film. But as a rinse agent it works great!
Makes sense…only my dishes are covered in so many gunky deposits/grease! 😉 We don’t pre-rinse, so that makes a huge difference. 🙂 Katie
I’ve never thought about it before, but this does sound interesting. I’m gonna have a play with this recipe 🙂
A lot of the recipes combine an acid (like citric acid) with a base (like castile, baking soda, or washing soda). Chemically speaking … the two agents will simply neutralize each other. However, using a base/neutral combo with an acid in the rinse cycle is generally pretty effective.
I admit, I pre-wash with an eco dishsoap. I don’t prerinse or rinse; I just fill a tub with “sudsy” water, brush everything off, and load them in the dishwasher. Baking soda in the wash compartment (I bet coarse salt would help) and vinegar in the rinse. It works.
I do something similar, only I just use the borax, washing soda and salt. I use Lemi Shine also because our water is so hard. Vinegar in the rinse spot.
Yes, and I love it! No more film on my dishes like I used to get! We live in AZ where the water is very very hard. I use washing soda, boric acid and kosher salt mixture, 1 TBS of that and one TBS of citric acid. I will also put vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser or in an upside down cup on the top rack. If the proportions are off, my dishes get cloudy. Again, our water is insanely hard, so I would imagine proportions would differ elsewhere.
Borax, Washing Soda and Citric Acid = Great looking dishes!
I don’t really think phosphates are a problem either from what I have read. There’s phosphates in cheerios and people feed those to their babies. I use Cascade for commercial use because it still has phosphates. It’s the same as the old stuff we used to get. I have to special order it online six boxes at a time. I’ve tried all the homemade ones, many natural ones, and the dishes and dishwasher were disgusting. Nothing worked. So this is my one weakness, but again, I really don’t think it’s a major problem to use the phosphates.
funny, i was thinking about you last week, wondering if you had figured out what to use as your dishwasher det. What brought you to mind was I was struggling with my dishwasher detergent, so much so that thought it was the dishwasher and that I was going to have to buy a new one. Then, I started using ecover and now I see that’s what you are using. 🙂
No 🙁
I have also used Branch Basics.
Where can citric acid be bought?
grocery store canning section, I think.
I tried My Healthy Green Family’s recipes. The first one worked well for a while, then my dishes started to feel gritty. Then they replaced the baking soda with washing soda. I tried that version but was awful on my dishes. I gave up and use Ecover.
Lara white vinegar?
I have tried a mixture of borax and washing soda and it leaves a film. I will need to try some of these other ideas.
so timely! I just ran out of dishwasher detergent yesterday and won’t make it to the store for a couple days.
To my dispenser I add 1TBS Borax, 1TBS washing soda, 1TSP kosher salt; mix it with 1 TBS water and then add a couple of drops of blue Dawn. Works great! (I add vinegar and lemon to my rinse agent dispenser).
yep – borax-free too (washing soda, baking soda, salt and citric acid)
yes
yes, i do! 🙂 it works wonders…and it’s so much cheaper!
These recipes sound interesting… I was so happy when I finally found Ecover (thanks for the recommendation!) since every other natural detergent hadn’t worked well for me and I had gone back to Cascade in desperation.
FYI, I once called the company that makes Borax to see if it was safe to use in dishwasher detergent and they said they don’t recommend it because it is too harsh and can scratch your dishes.
Lately i have not added any detergent. Between the hot water and heat my dishes are sterilized. Detergent works as a surfactant to dislodge gunky deposits.
No. But somewhere I saw to use a SMALL squirt of liquid dish soap (like if you were going to hand wash) and fill the soap dispenser with baking soda. I’ve been doing that for a few weeks and it works great.