Make your own DIY dishwasher tablets right in your kitchen. They are so easy to make and they really do work!
DIY Dishwasher Tablets
It seems that I am the only one in my family who knows how to use the laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. Whenever my family tries to run the dishwasher, they'd yell, "How many scoops of this white powder and how many cups of the vinegar? And where do I put them in again?"
And I'd mumble under the breadth, something like, "If I have to tell you how to do it a thousand times, I'll do it myself!"
Sound familiar?
Well, truth be told, this is partly my fault since I don't make it that easier for them to figure out how to use my crazy concoctions. "1 tablespoon of Washing Soda (No, the jar that's in front of the baking soda), 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (Yes, the blue box that says Kosher....and yes, pour the vinegar IN the covered....") By this time, I march into the kitchen and take over. *sigh*
Finally, I came up with an ingenius way for them to feel "successful". Ok, so that I don't have to repeat myself a thousand times. Now, they have no excuse for not being able to run the dishwasher because all they have to do is to drop a tablet (a hockey puck, as my hubby calls it.) in the machine! Yes, I'm that evil. *Snicker*
Here is my Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Tablets formula so that your family too can use the dishwasher without bugging you.
Jump to:
Intro
What are DIY Dishwasher Tablets?
These tablets are perfectly-measured packs of dishwasher detergent that you can use when you wash your dishes. If you are trying to live in a toxin-free home, these are perfect! They are made with completely safe ingredients.
I'll share the entire tutorial in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, I have some helpful tips and information I wanted to share.
How To Use Homemade Dishwasher Tablets
Use one tablet for each load. Then, add vinegar to the second compartment with a door and close it. This way, vinegar will be released when the second washing cycle starts and will act as a rinse.
Don't add vinegar to the bottom of the machine at the beginning of the wash, as some other posts suggest. Washing soda and vinegar will neutralize each other and it will not act like a detergent. This goes for adding vinegar to any soap making recipes.
Ingredients
Washing Soda
If you don't to buy any, you can make your own washing soda out of baking soda.
Salt
You can use any kind of salt that you want, as long as it is Kosher. Save the pricy sea salt for cooking.
Low-Sud Dishwashing Liquid Soap
If you buy commercial dish soap, make sure it's SLS-free.
Muffin Pan
I used a metal muffin pan. You can use a silicone muffin pan - this makes it easier to pop them out. You can also use ice cube trays. Since this formula is for washing dishes, you can just rinse them afterward and continue using them for food.
FAQ
This recipe will make about 12 tablets.
You might have to leave your muffin tin or mold out in room temperature air for longer. I always leave mine overnight. The longer you leave it, the drier it will become.
Store them at room temperature in an airtight container. You can store them in a zippered plastic bag or a large glass jar with a lid.
While this formula is safe for washing dishes, it's not SAFE for ingestion. Keep all cleaning products away from children. This formula is definitely safer than commercial detergents but still, keep the tabs in fido jars like pictured above since kids can't get into them. Also, the jar keeps the moisture out.
Related recipes
Ok, I'll admit. I like these tablets too. It's pretty darn easy to pop a tablet into the dishwasher instead of measuring different things. But I'll still dedicate this DIY to my kids and hubby who now have no excuse for not loading the dishes!
⭐️ Have you tried this recipe? If you love this recipe, give it "5 star" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card! We appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
DIY Dishwasher Tablets
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup Kosher salt
- 6 teaspoon low-sud dishwashign liquid soap
- ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- Mix the washing soda and kosher salt in a mixing bowl.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoon into the each muffin mold. You should have enough to fill the entire muffin evenly.
- Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of Dishwashing Liquid Soap to each cup.
- Add about 1-2 teaspoon of water to each cup.
- Mix the dishwashing liquid soap, water and the powder. The powder should just get wet, not liquidy or runny.
- Press the mixture down.
- Leave the muffin pan to dry for at least 3-5 hrs or overnight. The longer it stays, the drier it will get.
- When it’s time to take them out, gently, drop the muffin on a hard surface, to give it a good (but gentle) jolt. If you use the silicone mold, you can pop them out easily. Same with the ice cube tray.
- Store them in an air-tight container.
Notes
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Krista says
I love this idea!!! I am unfamiliar with Low Sud Dishwashing Liquid Soap. Can I use Castile Soap instead?
Dr. Karen Lee says
Krista, If you use Castile Soap, it may leave a film on your dishes and you may need to use additional vinegar for rinsing. Try it and see if your water will tolerate Castile Soap. I've used Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly dishwashing liquid soaps and they worked fine for me. But you can try Castile and experiment.
Krista says
I appreciate you getting back to me! I have heard that castile soap can do that so I think I will give your suggestion a try!
Stacy says
Is it necessary to make tablets because
it seems time consuming and you have to wait for them to be ready for
use. Longer it stays dryer they get, you say, so eventually at some
spot they will be dry enough to fall apart. So, my idea is to mix all
the ingredients and store in a jar. When you need to load the
dishwasher just add 2 table spoons of the mixture and voilà. Do you
think it is a good idea?
Stacy,
Dr. Karen says
JessicaSHH Thx for reading Jessica! Hope you'll try it!
Dr. Karen says
@Recipes to Nourish It's so easy peasy AND non-toxic! Hope you try it!
Dr. Karen says
ReneeKohley Thx Renee!
Dr. Karen says
Megan Stevens You are welcome! Thx for reading!
Dr. Karen says
JensPlantains YES! It's very cheap to make your own. I forgot to mention that in the post.
Dr. Karen says
[email protected] Talk Thx Anna! Now they don't have an excuse! I can probably do the same with laundry powder too. But I have baskets for diff powders so I'll leave that alone for now.
Dr. Karen says
natfitfoodie Thx for reading!
Dr. Karen says
@Chloe If you have your favorite homemade powder recipe that uses washing powder, try adding water to it like I did. It'll harden and you'll end up with solid tablets like these.
Chloe says
Great idea! I've tried something similar before, but my homemade powder worked better. I'll have to try this recipe.
natfitfoodie says
I love DIY recipes like these! Thanks for sharing!
[email protected] Talk says
I have the same problem in my house with everyone asking me how much to put in the dishwasher. I love the convenience of dishing washing tablets. I can't wait to make these. You are the queen of washing machines and dishwashers!
Pinning and FB sharing.
JensPlantains says
Great recipe! And super frugal...LOVE!!!
Megan Stevens says
I had no idea!!! Thank for this!
ReneeKohley says
Oh NEAT! Love this!
Recipes to Nourish says
So cool! I've never thought of making my own before. What a great idea!
JessicaSHH says
Very neat idea!!!
Dr. Karen says
@linda spiker LOL...."totally toxic tablets"...I had to read that twice. This will change your world Linda! So easy. So cheap! and TOTALLY NON-TOXIC! 🙂
linda spiker says
I use totally toxic tablets in my new dishwasher. I need to try these!