
Now that we’ve all mastered the DIY laundry detergent let’s get some dishes done! My favorite part about the DIY Naturals recipe for dishwasher detergent is that it uses the same ingredients as the laundry detergent with only 2 extras.
Dishwasher Soap recipe
· 1 cup borax
· 1 cup washing soda
· 1/2 cup citric acid
· 1/2 cup kosher salt (for scrubbing action)
Use 1 Tbsp per load
Each batch yields 24 ounces of detergent.
You can find borax and washing soda in the laundry aisle of your grocery store. I ordered the citric acid on Amazon via the link provided. I substituted Sea Salt for kosher salt but that is the only deviation I made from the original recipe.
For a DIY rinse agent, simply fill the compartment with white vinegar.
Dishwasher Soap recipe
· 1 cup borax
· 1 cup washing soda
· 1/2 cup citric acid
· 1/2 cup kosher salt (for scrubbing action)
Use 1 Tbsp per load
Each batch yields 24 ounces of detergent.
You can find borax and washing soda in the laundry aisle of your grocery store. I ordered the citric acid on Amazon via the link provided. I substituted Sea Salt for kosher salt but that is the only deviation I made from the original recipe.
For a DIY rinse agent, simply fill the compartment with white vinegar.

Confession; I didn't know a dishwasher had a rinse agent dispenser until very recently {so that's what that knobby thing is?}. Just unscrew, add 1 cup white vinegar and replace. If you can't believe I don't know what a rinse agent dispenser is you may be under a false notion.

An update from my original post; The citric acid causes the detergent to seize up a bit. It wasn't bad the first week or so but got harder and harder as time passed. When I first tried this it wasn't hard enough but waited just a couple more days and it worked like a charm. I made my own little cubes of detergent using a silicone ice cube tray {$1 @ IKEA}. Each cube is exactly 1 Tbsp of detergent, exactly what you need to run your dishes. I let the trays sit overnight and then popped them out in the morning. Now I just open the container, grab a cube, pop it in and press start!
If you do make your own laundry detergent & dishwasher detergent and store in similar containers I suggest labeling them as such. It’s hard to tell them apart once mixed unless you keep in distinct places in your home.
Our dishes are clean, shiny and look great! And my mind is at ease knowing we are saving money and not introducing unnecessary chemicals into our home. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out for you!
If you do make your own laundry detergent & dishwasher detergent and store in similar containers I suggest labeling them as such. It’s hard to tell them apart once mixed unless you keep in distinct places in your home.
Our dishes are clean, shiny and look great! And my mind is at ease knowing we are saving money and not introducing unnecessary chemicals into our home. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out for you!