Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent 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’d 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 Tbsp of Washing Soda (No, the jar that’s in front of the baking soda), 1 Tbsp 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.

Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Tablets

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Washing Soda (I buy this kind – via affiliate from Amazon)
• 1 Cup KOSHER SALT (You can buy any brand as long as it’s Kosher. Save the expensive sea salt for cooking)
• ~ 6+ Tsp of Low Sud Dishwashing Liquid Soap (If you buy commercial dish soap, make sure it’s SLS-free. When I run out of my own soap, I buy this Dishwashing Liquid Soap which is very low in suds – via affiliate from Amazon)
• ~1/2 C of  Warm Water
• Muffin Pan (as pictured) is what I used but you can use silicone muffin pan (makes it easier to pop them out) or ice cube trays. Since this formula is for washing dishes, you can just rinse them afterwards and continue using them for food. 🙂

Instruction

1. Mix the washing soda and kosher salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Scoop out about 2 Tbsp into the each muffin mold. You should have enough to fill the entire muffin evenly.
3. Sprinkle about 1/2 Tsp of Dishwashing Liquid Soap to each cup.
4. Add about 1-2 tsp of water to each cup.
5. Mix the dishwashing liquid soap, water and the powder. The powder should just get wet, not liquidy or runny.
6. Press the mixture down.
7. Leave the muffin pan to dry for at least 3-5 hrs or overnight. Longer it stays, drier it will get.
8. 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.
9. Store them in an air-tight container.

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. You can find the fido jars like this HERE. (Affiliate via Amazon)

How to use the tablet

Use one tablet for each load. 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 in the beginning of the wash, like 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.

Look Ma! Clean dishes!

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!