These DIY dishwasher tabs are both convenient and work incredibly well. Premade dishwasher pods are all-natural, suitable for tackling hard-to-clean dishes, and of course, eco-friendly.
This post was originally published April 1, 2019
There is nothing worse than a dishwasher stacked full of dirty, grimy dishes only to realize there is no dishwasher detergent left to clean them with!
It looks like we’ll have to resort back to the days of handwashing dishes. So roll up those sleeves and get lathering.
I have found myself in this position one too many times before. And to be honest, I don’t mind handwashing dishes; I’d just like it to be on my terms, not after I have the dishwasher loaded with every intention to run it.
DIY dishwasher tabs
Dishwasher tabs, or pods, as they are often called, are about the most convenient little nuggets for washing dishes.
It’s a matter of placing one tablet into the soap compartment and running the cycle. And by making your own dishwasher tabs, you can ensure it will be a natural, eco-friendly dishwasher detergent.
All homemade products on this website use simple, natural ingredients.
Today is no different; we’ll be making homemade dishwasher detergent tabs that work just as well as conventional soap tablets and take no time to make.
How to make dishwasher tablets
Making dishwasher tablets is about as easy of a DIY as it gets. It really is a matter of stirring together the ingredients and then letting them harden in a mold.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.
Tools to make things a little easier
You can make these dishwasher pods using old ice cube trays or silicone molds.
I prefer using silicone molds because they are just the right height to fit into most soap compartments, and the pods pop right out without sticking.
These are my favorite silicone molds.
For storage, use an airtight container.
Ingredients:
- Washing soda
- Borax
- Epsom salt
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Lemon essential oil
Instructions:
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir well.
Now, slowly add the liquid. If you opt for vinegar, you will get some bubbling action as the vinegar reacts with the washing soda, so don’t be alarmed.
Once the bubbles subside, stir everything in well, then add the drops of lemon, stirring it in as well.
Finally, transfer the mixture into the molds, packing firmly with your thumb.
Allow the molds to sit overnight to make sure the pods are completely dry before popping out.
Do not rush this step. The dishwasher tablets must be completely dry, or they will crumble when removed from the molds.
How to use dishwasher tabs
Place one pod into the soap compartment per load. If you have hard water, add 1/2 a cup of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher to prevent streaks and cloudy dishes.
A little about the ingredients
WASHING SODA: Washing soda is a natural household cleaner used for a number of cleaning purposes, such as a stain remover or a laundry detergent. In addition, washing soda neutralizes and eliminates odors.
BORAX: Borax has been used to disinfect, whiten, and kill mold and mildew for many, many years. It is used in all sorts of cleaning products, and it is very good at cutting grease and removing stains.
EPSOM SALT: Yes, the same Epsom salts used to relieve sore muscles and aching joints.
Those same Epsom salts work incredibly well in a natural dishwashing detergent to remove hard, cooked-on food from pots and pans.
The salt also helps prevent hard water deposit buildup, which can negatively affect performance.
VINEGAR: Vinegar will naturally disinfect your dishes while providing shine. Adding vinegar to your dish soap or dishwasher will prevent the dishes from coming out looking cloudy.
In addition, vinegar is helpful in eliminating leftover soap residue or white streaks from hard water.
Learn how I use vinegar to get rid of the mildew smell from my washing machine.
LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL: Lemon oil is very cleansing and purifying. It will add that clean scent to your dish soap and purify it simultaneously.
Why homemade dishwasher tabs
Homemade dishwasher tabs use natural ingredients, so there is no worry about keeping potentially hazardous cleaners in the home.
This soap does not contain any phosphates making it a much better option for our waterways.
It’s cheaper! These pods come out to cost less than 5 cents a wash!
How to clean a dishwasher
It is important to clean a dishwasher, not just during the regular dish cycle. This is especially important to do before switching over to these homemade dishwasher pods.
Over time, mineral deposits will build up, caking the sides and racks of the dishwasher.
The added vinegar will help break down some of the buildups, but as many readers have pointed out, those minerals don’t often get washed away but redistributed back onto the dishes causing white streaks or a light haze.
To prepare the dishwasher for the new pods, run a cycle with citric acid. 1/4 cup will be plenty for most households; use up to 1/2 a cup for really coarse buildup.
Simply add the citric acid to the bottom of the dishwasher and run it through a normal load.
Follow up by running another cycle with one of the dishwasher detergent pods. And that’s it!
It may help to run a 1/2 cup of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher every couple of months to help prevent mineral buildup.
Have you ever made your own dishwasher pods before? How did they turn out? I hope you loved them. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comment section below!
Some more of my favorite DIYs
- Stain remover for white marble
- Wood floor cleaner
- Beeswax furniture polish
- Foaming toilet cleaner
- Natural oven cleaner
- Garbage disposal deodorizer
DIY Dishwasher Tabs
Homemade dishwasher soap pods are convenient, safe, and effective.
Materials
- 1 cup of washing soda
- 1 cup of borax
- 1/4 cup of Epsom salt
- 1/4 cup of vinegar or lemon juice
- 20-25 drops of lemon essential oil
Tools
- Silicone molds
- Storage container
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients into a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the vinegar or lemon juice if using and stir in well. (the vinegar will bubble some as it reacts with the washing soda).
- Add in the lemon essential oil and continue mixing until well combined.
- Press the mixture firmly into each mold with your thumb until it's well compacted.
- Allow the pods to harden for at least 24 hours before removing them from the molds.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
Brittany says
Thanks for all you do.You have saved me so much money and have taught me so much.. I enjoy watching you on YouTube .
lauraascher says
Thank you so much for following along with me!! I am so glad you are finding my content helpful!
Dori says
Hello, is vinegar and washing soda neurtalizing each other? One is Acid and one is alkali. Sorry for my English
CJ says
I was taught that vinegar and baking soda make a toxic acid and gives off fumes that are also toxic to breathe. And therefore, should not be mixed together at home. Did anyone else learn this in chemistry class? Please let me know.
Kat says
I use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning all the time. I never learned that it is toxic. It seems fine to me.
Lisa says
You’re thinking of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and vinegar not baking soda. Vinegar and baking soda are a great combination. The reaction causes foam and bubbles that loosen grease and grime. Bleach and vinegar tho, deadly.
Ben says
To answer your question, yes. Mixing washing soda and vinegar will neutralize both, severely reducing their respective abilities. Mixing them during the cleaning process may help in certain situations (introducing one or the other into the “mess” and then adding the 2nd may loosen said “mess” via the reaction), however cleaning with them after the reaction has happened is not much better than cleaning with water (which is quite effective in many situations). Either alone is better than both together, despite them doing different things.
Audrey says
Wondering if these pods can be used in stainless steel dishwasher
Laura says
I am not exactly sure, I don’t have stainless steel. I need to check into this!
Jackie says
I made my first batch and love, love, love it. Is there a certain size or weight each pod should be to properly clean the dishes? Standard ice cube trays are much larger than the decorative (Heart) silicone trays I used.
Laura says
I am so glad you like it! I would stick with the smaller trays if you think it is working well!
Dee Raymond says
Love your website! Ive made so many things for myself and family. I think you are awesome for all you do and taking care of your family with safer and more natural things. KUDDOS to you!
Laura says
Thank you so very much for the sweet comment!! I am so glad you are enjoying my content!
Kristy says
Isn’t borax bad also they give it a D
Laura says
After a lot of research I find it to be safe in to use for this recipe. It is a very conservational ingredient for sure, so definitely do what you find is best for you!
Mandy says
The appliance tech who installed our new dishwasher warned us to NEVER use dishwasher pods, commercial or homemade. If the water doesn’t get hot enough to dissolve the pod ingredients completely, the outtake hose can become clogged. Worst case scenario: service call + voided warranty. I don’t use anything but liquid dishwasher detergent after that heads up.
Laura says
Thank you so much for sharing!!
Abbey says
You have a silicon mold, it’s pink, in your Amazon store. Do you know about how many pods at that size this would make?
Laura says
Around 12
Abbey says
Thank you!!
Abbey says
Would I be able to use half of the circle of the stainless steel molds from the toilet cleaner bomb post for these dishwasher pods?
Laura says
I think it will be hard to get them out of those without breaking them.
Judy says
Why did my soap not dissolve in my soap dispenser? And can you use this in stainless steel inside dish washer?
Laura says
Try adding 1/4 cup of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher.
Ashley says
Hello Laura,
Wow, this is awesome! I recently wondered if there was a way to make these at home. Then, I found you on Pinterest. Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe and I will definitely be trying this soon. All the best!
Laura says
Thank you so much!
Lisa Hachey says
Hi Laura – trying this for the first time ! My mixture looks very dry compared to yours. Also, how many pods should this make? I have a tray with 10 spots and I have not used half the mixture.
I also have a stainless dishwasher so I hope it is ok to use them. Will do a load tomorrow. Fingers crossed 🙂
Laura says
You can add more liuquid to get it to be the right consistency.
Nancy says
I think it’s a great idea to make everything you can at home. However, a installation tech advised me not to use white vinegar in my dishwasher and not to use pods, because in my area the water isn’t hard to use the pods. Some of you may want to check that, before problems occur.
Laura says
Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
I love this idea and will most definitely give it a try. However the 5cent per pod is misleading. It is 0.42 cents per pod here in Canada excluding the price of the vinegar Epson salts and oils. Those are items I already have.
Laura says
I didn’t think about different countries. Sorry about that!
Morgan says
Hi! I just made these for the first time and used one in my dishwasher.. but my dishes came out with a powdery coating. I tried to run another cycle with just water and nothing is removing the coating. Any suggestions?
Laura says
Add a little vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher before running the cycle.
Joanne Taylor says
Mine too, washed them 2x now and they’re so cloudy!
Gilliana says
Hi Laura,
I just recently made up a batch of dishwasher pods from your recipe. Unfortunately, it did not get rid of the tea stains in he cups. Help please!
Laura says
Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the dishwasher before running.
Mandi says
Can this be made as a powder and then just add the vinegar to the dishwasher separately? I would prefer to just scoop in the powder instead of making it into pods. Thank you!!
Laura says
Yes, you can break it up and make it a powder if you prefer.
Eileen says
I made this pod but it’s not working well to clean the dishes. Glass type cups/plates are having white cloudy marks and those things are all over the dishwasher. Do you have any tips to make this beyond the recipe? TIA
Laura says
Yes, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the bottom of your dishwasher and it will fix that.
Marci Lee Pittman says
Is there an easy way to print this recipe?
Laura says
At the bottom of the post is a recipe card that you can print.
Kayla Copeland says
I made these and used them with vinegar in the bottom of my dishwasher and my glasses were still coming out cloudy and lots of dishes not clean…….I even tried filling my rinse aid compartment with vinegar and no change…..?
Went back to my cascade pods and everything is sparkling and clean again……..what do I need to do different????
Laura says
I am sorry it is not working for you. With so many comments of it working well for some and not for others, I think it has to do with hard or soft water.
Linda says
These did not harden up for me and I followed the directions to a T. But…the loose powder should still work fine. Next time I will add lemon juice in addition to the vinegar.
Ashley says
I am finding my silverware does not get entirely clean, my glass cups are all cloudy, and my dishes feel like they have a powdery residue on them when I use homemade pods. I really want to do homemade pods but I feel like I have to rewash what I put in the dishwasher.
Any thoughts what could be causing this?
We use filtered well water if that helps
Laura says
Add a little vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher to help with that.
Meredyth says
Do you think I could use eucalyptus or tea tree oil instead of lemon oil? thanks
Laura says
Tea tree would be great too!
Jesica Carleton says
I’m wondering, if the lemon (being a fresh food product) spoils if not refrigerated…?
Sarah Krueger says
These homemade dishwashing pods are leaving my glasses and dishes, all white from a heavy film.
Beth says
What size are the molds you use? I’m just getting started on my DIY cleaning products adventure and want to make sure I have the correct size for the molds. Does it make a difference as far as the mold size goes or is it a case by case type of thing depending on the dishwasher and water type?
Laura says
I have the mold I use linked in the blog post. The size only matters so it can fit in your soap dispenser. If they ar too big, you can always cut them in half.
Joanne Taylor says
These left my dishes very cloudy. I made them exactly as directed 2x too.
Lynne says
Can you make this so it is just a powder, so omit the vinegar or lemon juice?
Laura says
I have not made it that way!