I have begun experimenting with making our own household cleaners and products. Having these baby girls has got me questioning the safety of ingredients that are included in so many commercially produced products. Plus, I have discovered that I can make these products for so much cheaper than I can buy them.

When we ran out of dishwasher detergent, I decided to try my hand at making my own and I found this recipe on DIYNatural. All of the ingredients are easily obtained at the grocery store (except citric acid, but I used Lemi Shine, found in the dish detergent aisle, and had great results). According to the cost breakdown in the original article, I have a cost savings of $0.09 a load on the detergent and am saving 6650% on the rinse agent.  This detergent works well. The dishes come out clean and spot free but we do need to rinse the dishes somewhat before putting them in the dishwasher. I have found that what works best for us is to put one scoop (1 tbsp) in the “pre-wash” and 1 scoop in the “main wash” compartments.  This detergent will clump up. I followed the instructions and stirred it several times a day for the first few days but it still clumped. I broke up all of the clumps, threw in a bit of white rice, and that seems to be working well now.  Next time, I am going to try forming tablets in an ice-cube tray.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent and Rinse Agent

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid or Lemi Shine
• 1/2 cup kosher salt (for scrubbing action)

Use 1 Tbsp per load (you can use a heaping tablespoon if you feel the need, but we do not).

Each batch yields 24 ounces of detergent. We recommend storing in a container you were going to dispose of anyway, like an old yogurt container or coffee can you can fit it under your kitchen sink. Feel free to double the batch, or multiply to create any amount you’d like.

For a DIY rinse agent, simply fill the compartment with white vinegar

A few notes:

• If you are unsure where to find these products, Borax and Washing Soda are found in the laundry aisle, and Lemi Shine can be found in the dishwasher detergent aisle of your grocery store.
• Refer to this article from Crunchy Betty if you are unsure of the of the safety of Borax.
• What is Lemi Shine? According to the Lemi Shine faq page, “Lemi Shine Original is an all natural dishwasher detergent additive that is made of all natural fruit oils and acids.  It contains no phosphates or harsh chemicals.”