Making DIY dishwashing detergent is so easy that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner! The ingredients for this homemade dish detergent are very inexpensive, and you may even have them on hand if you make homemade laundry detergent or any of my other homemade cleaning recipes.

In addition to its affordability and convenience, this all-natural dishwasher detergent is also environmentally friendly — there’s no packaging to worry about discarding or recycling!
This dishwasher detergent recipe even works as a scouring powder! Just sprinkle it into your dirty kitchen sink and scrub for a cleaner, fresher sink. It even helps clean your dishwasher, so it’s like three products in one!
Jillee’s Take:
Table Of Contents

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at the various cleaning agents and other ingredients that go into this DIY detergent.
- Baking soda: This alkaline powder helps break down food grease, neutralize unpleasant odors, and helps keep the inside of your dishwasher clean.
- Washing soda: Highly alkaline washing soda aids in dishwashing by converting stubborn oils and grease into water-soluble salts that are more easily washed away.
- Borax: With a pH level between baking soda and washing soda, borax also helps with cleaning, deodorizing, and cutting through tough grease.
- Lemon essential oil: Adding a few drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher detergent gives it a fresh, clean scent and makes it more effective at dissolving food residues.
- Citric acid: Citric acid helps fight hard water and mineral deposits and increases the effectiveness of other cleaning agents.
- Salt: Salt softens the water in your dishwasher and boosts the effectiveness of the other ingredients.

But Where’s The Soap?
Wondering why you didn’t see soap listed in the previous section? The answer is actually pretty fascinating! Whether you wash dishes by hand or in a dishwasher, hot water handles a lot of the heavy lifting by breaking down food residue and killing bacteria, but it isn’t very effective against water-resistant fats and proteins.
That’s where alkaline substances come in — the baking soda, borax, and washing soda in this homemade detergent are more than a match for stubborn fats and proteins. Between hot water and this DIY dish detergent, your dishes will come out clean as a whistle.
How To Make A DIY Dishwasher Detergent

Ingredients:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1/2 cup washing soda
- 1 cup borax*
- 1/4 cup coarse salt
- 1/4 cup citric acid**
- 15 drops of lemon essential oil
*If you aren’t sure where to buy washing soda, no problem — you can make washing soda in your oven!
**If you can’t find citric acid at the store, you can use a couple of envelopes of lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid mix instead.
Directions:

Add all the ingredients to an airtight container, then stir or shake well to mix. (If you live in a humid climate, you may want to add a silica gel packet to the container to help prevent clumping.)
Store this recipe in a mason jar with a pour spout to make it easier to use as a scouring powder.
Note: You may need to tweak this recipe to account for differences in water hardness. If you live in an area with very hard water, you may want to add the citric acid to your dishwasher separately (or use white vinegar — more on that shortly).

How To Use This Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Put 1-2 tablespoons of this dishwasher powder in your dishwasher detergent dispenser. Place a shallow dish of white vinegar on the top rack to help prevent hard water spots, then run your dishwasher as usual.
I strongly recommend using vinegar in conjunction with this DIY powdered detergent, because the homemade formula lacks the sort of rinse-aids included in commercial detergents. (This and the fact that vinegar never goes bad are why I buy it by the gallon at Costco!)

BONUS: How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Tabs
With a few simple tweaks to the recipe, you can turn this detergent into homemade dishwasher detergent tablets! Combine the ingredients as listed below, pack the mixture into a silicone mold, and let it dry out completely before transferring the tabs to an airtight storage container.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups washing soda (or baking soda, or a mix of both)
- 2 cups borax
- 1/2 cup coarse salt
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 15-20 drops lemon essential oil
To use your finished detergent tabs, place one in the detergent compartment, add a dish of vinegar to the top rack, and run your dishwasher as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions
What Is DIY Dishwasher Detergent?
DIY dishwasher detergent is a homemade dish-cleaning concoction made with simple, natural ingredients. Unlike store-bought detergents, this recipe relies on familiar cleaners like baking soda, washing soda, and borax to clean your dishes effectively and affordably.
Can I Use Lemon Juice In DIY Dishwasher Detergent?
Yes, you can! Lemon juice is great at cutting through food grease and has a fresh, clean scent. You can use lemon juice instead of lemon essential oil or citric acid, or include all three! (I prefer to stick to lemon oil and citric acid to avoid clumps in my detergent, but that’s just my preference.)
Are There Benefits To Using Natural Ingredients In Dishwasher Detergent?
Using natural (or naturally derived) cleaning agents can lower your exposure to harmful chemicals, reduce environmental impact, and even save you money. Baking soda, citric acid, and the other ingredients in this recipe clean dishes effectively without the need for harsh or toxic chemicals.
I Have Hard Water — How Can I Improve The Performance Of This DIY Detergent?
The citric acid in this recipe does help counter the effects of hard water, but it may not be enough if you have very hard water. It can help to use additional water-softening measures; add a few tablespoons of salt to the bottom of your dishwasher or put a dish of vinegar on the top rack.
Do I Need To Rinse My Dishes Before Using This Detergent?
It can help to scrape bigger bits of food off your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, but you shouldn’t need to do much rinsing. All detergents need a certain amount of food residue to work properly, including this one.
Conclusion
Making your own dishwasher detergent is fast, easy, and economical. This DIY detergent works well and has plenty of other benefits, so give it a try for yourself!
Have you ever used a homemade dishwashing detergent?

DIY Dishwasher Detergent Recipe (Step-by-Step)
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Mason jar or other airtight container
Ingredients
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1/2 cup washing soda
- 1 cup borax
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup citric acid
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
- To use, add 1-2 tablespoons to the detergent compartment of your dishwasher.
- Place a shallow dish of white vinegar on the top rack to combat hard water.
Video

So very much like this detergent recipe! It’s good for our planet, it’s less expensive than most – especially the “good for the environment” ones, And it cleans the dishes well! Just don’t scrimp on the amount. I tend to and it doesn’t clean as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When tweaking the recipe to work best for your dishwasher and/or water type. Where do you start? We have city water and a older dishwasher. I like the easiness of this recipe, but my cheap plastics have a white film on them and the rinsing cycle doesn’t seem to be working despite using white vinegar. TIA!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try replacing the baking soda with washing soda. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! I’m going to try that!
I would love to have a liquid recipe for dishwasher soap. I don’t use powder in my dishwasher or washing machine. The powder will build up and cause problems later on. Would love it if you come up with the liquid version.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks,
Nelda
I’ll start working on one!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As I don’t use borax can you suggest an alternative to use??? And do you think these ingredients are safe for a dishwasher with a stainless steel tub???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How could you make this into a liquid? I have a septic and can’t use powders, but I would love to make my own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All of the ingredients in this recipe are septic safe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I actually add a spritz of vinegar to the dry ingredients then pack into ice cube trays to dry. Then I have pre measured blocks to put into dishwasher!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this great idea and recipe…but I love the measuring spoon you’re using! Where’d ya get it?? :D
Thanks!
Valerie
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Greenville, SC
I got it from a TJ Maxx – sorry, it can be hard to find the same thing twice there! Good luck :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Why Kosher salt? Why is it different from regular salt?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It has a more course texture, so it works as an abrasive :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wish you had a printable version of these recipes. I would like to take it with me when I go shopping. I have a note book of all your recipes that are my favorites. I have to delete or make smaller all of the pictures that are copied otherwise I have 3 to 4 pages.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is a “Print Friendly” button, but I don’t think its working. I’ve tried it twice this morning, and it didn’t work either time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Babs, sorry it’s not working for you! May I ask what browser you’re using?
Babs, if you go to http://www.printfriendly.com/, enter the url. You should be able to print from there. I copy the URL to my clip board then go to printfriendly…I have it bookmarked/favortied cuz I use it a lot! http://www.printfriendly.com/ is an awesome site!
Good luck.
If you click on the green button that says “Print Friendly,” just above the comments, it will bring up a print preview. From this screen, you just click on a picture or paragraph to delete it, leaving only what you want – just the recipe! Let me know if you have any questions! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Linda, I have “copy and pasted” text into my word processor (I use Open Office, it’s free) That way you can print what ever you need/like. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is different than your other dishwasher detergent recipe. Does this one work better?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It just depends on your dishwasher and how hard your water is. I like this one better with the washer I have now :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was wondering the same thing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Remember those huge fish kills where millions of fish died? That’s why the government banned phosphates. They’re a major biohazard.
I have very hard water and I tweaked your original dishwasher detergent recipe (citric acid, kosher salt, washing soda, borax and 2 tiny drops of blue Dawn ). I throw a half-cup of white vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher. I used to listen for the rinse cycle but I’ve discovered it works whenever I put it in. My dishes are squeaky clean with no residue.
I agree with the poster who said Sun Oxi from dollar stores works better than Oxiclean. I’ve discovered so does sodium percarbonate (the primary ingredient in Oxiclean), and it’s much cheaper.
I buy sodium percarbonate in bulk, and also sodium carbonate (soda ash), which is washing soda but much cheaper. I also buy bulk citric acid and sodium tetraborate (Borax). All of these are much less expensive in bulk and no reason to pay for a brand name. Make sure you buy products that are food grade and the same strength as the store brands and you’ll be fine.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just FYI: Soda ash and washing soda are NOT the same thing. Washing soda is chemically similar to baking soda (not identical). I read someplace that you can bake baking soda at 400 degrees (F) for a while and it chemically changes to washing soda. Soda ash is a swimming pool chemical and also helps “fix” dyes in fabric.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here’s a post about making your own washing soda! http://ogtbj.com/1FQcJaS
I started using the Cascade tablets with Dawn in them, add about 1/8th tsp of TSP and I have not had any problems, my dishes come out perfect. I used to use about a tsp and had problems with a white film. I reduced the amount of TSP and get great cleaning power with no film.
I also do not pre-rinse my dishes, I scrape off the food and just put them in. According to Consumer Reports, commercial detergents have enzymes that react with the proteins in food, so they work better if you don’t pre-wash your dishes. Consumer Reports also talked about common problems with dish washers not working well can be related to how you load dishes. My husband loves to lay pots and pans flat and large bowls face down which blocks the water jets from reaching all areas. If you are having trouble with clean dishes these are things to consider.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.this left a film on my plasticware
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would the salt have to be “Kosher”, or can it be just regular salt?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The kosher salt is great for the texture, it works as an abrasive :-) You can definitely try it without!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where did you find the dispenser tops for the canning jars? Those are great! I wish I had success with the diswasher soap, it is the only homemade cleaner I have been disappointed with. Cloudy glasses, not cleaning well in general. I had to go back to store bought.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just click on the words “this container” in the post, right next to the picture of the container. Did you try changing your recipe a little bit? Small changes can make a huge difference!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi I know this is an older post but those tops and jar are not available with that link anymore. Any suggestion? Thx!!
I have actually started selling a similar one in my new shop! https://jillee.co/2GKGZ0y
About the spotty dishes. A repairman told my Mom when they start to get spotty to use a treatment called Dishwasher magic. It’s available at Walmart and it works.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Question about the vinegar.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1. The splash of it, do you add it to the powder compartment?
2. The small cup of it, do you actually fill it, and place it in the top rack, or just pour it onto the items in the top rack?
3. I noticed in your other post you just splashed it into the bottom of the dish washer…could we do that and then also add a splash into the powdered compartment?
Thanks so much! :)
I use it in the dispenser for the Jet Dry (I forget what it’s called in my washer), that seems to work well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can just put some in a cup or small bowl in the middle of the top rack, or do like the other gal said and put it in the spot that holds the jet dry stuff.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You do not add the vinegar to the powder compartment, just a splash in a small cup, not filled, on the top rack. You can try the bottom, too, it just depends on how exactly your dishwasher moves water around. Try both and see what works best for you! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been making my own detergent with a recipe much like this, but with more washing soda. I found that even with vinegar in the rinse, my glasses became cloudy. I had to soak each one in straight vinegar to get them clear again. When I switched to baking soda instead of washing soda, the problem went away, The small amount in this recipe may not cause the same problem, though. Also, as a side note, the “pot marks” on my Corelle dinnerware went away as well, so now my plates are nice and white! Yay!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for commenting Mary!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ll give this one a try for the sake of experimentation, but my experience with homemade detergents has been my glasses are left spotty, vinegar and citric acid notwithstanding.
The only thing that I’ve truly found to get my dishes and glasses clean and spotless is the OxiClean-type powders. While I used that brand originally, I found the dollar store version actually does just as good a job (if not better) for a quarter of the price or less. A 16 oz. container costs $1, and at 1 tbsp. per load you get 30+ loads from a container, or about $0.03 per load.
It should be remembered, though, *why* almost everyone has problems getting their dishes and glasses clean these days: the government forced detergent manufacturers to remove phosphates from their formulas, so now the products don’t work anymore.
I did try adding phosphates back into my homemade recipes in the past using TSP found in big box DIY stores, but that left a white film on everything so it was quickly abandoned.
As I said, the only thing I’ve found that consistently works are the oxygenated cleaning powders, and the dollar store ones are tops. But in the spirit of experimentation, I’ll give this one a shot.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Rugged Homestead, When you say Oxiclean powders, is this a dishwashing detergent you refer to or a general cleaner. I’d like to try it since I’ve have a similar experience with homemade cleaners and fails with so many store bought ones since the phosphates were removed-the one i use is so expensive to buy. Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you ONLY use the OxiClean powder, or do you add other things into the powder compartment?
Also asking, do you mean OxiClean powder, the same that you use in your laundry?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have the same issue which is why I abandoned any homemade dishwasher soap. It is the only DIY cleaner that I have found not to work. Do you use the ‘oxy clean’ type powders solo in the dishwasher? I’m going to hit the dollar store. I had to wait until I had a coupon to buy the name brand as it is so expensive.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you live near a restaurant-supply store, they still sell dishwasher detergent with phosphates. Amazon sells it too. Seems the government made an exception for commercial food operations.
I have a dishwasher less than one year old and it STINKS. Literally stinks. The repairman told me that is leaves about a gallon on (standing!) water (by design!) under the filter after it has been run.
I always rinse my dishes before loading them, and I’ve checked for any food-related clogs in every part of the dishwasher that could possibly accommodate them, and nothing.
Sprinkling a packet of lemonade drink mix helps, but it’s a real inconvenience and is going to add up $$
I’m going to get some dishwasher detergent with phosphate to see if that makes a difference.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would definitely suggest cleaning your dishwasher! I have a post about it here: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/how-to-clean-your-dishwasher.html
Thank you very much Jillee…I dont have a dishwasher but this sounds an excellent heavy duty cleaner wearing gloves….cheers Margaret
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