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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.
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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
Pro Tip: You will need to wear a mask and gloves to avoid handling and inhaling borax.
Recipe Instructions with Pictures
Step 1: Wearing a mask and gloves, combine the dry ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir well.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: Once the bubbles subside, stir everything in well, then add the drops of lemon, stirring it in as well.
Step 4: Finally, transfer the mixture into the molds, packing firmly with your thumb.
Step 5: Allow the molds to sit overnight or up to 24 hours to make sure the pods are completely dry before popping out.
Pro Tip: Do not rush this step. The dishwasher tablets must be completely dry, or they will crumble when removed from the molds.
Storage
Store in a heavy-duty plastic container that is safe for essential oils.
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 homemade stain remover or a homemade powder laundry detergent. In addition, washing soda neutralizes and eliminates odors.
BORAX: Borax has been used to disinfect, whiten, cut grease and kill mold and mildew for many, many years. It is used in all sorts of cleaning products, though it’s not safe to breathe in its pure state, which is why I don’t use it in certain DIYs, such as my homemade mold spray.
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 homemade 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 as you can see in my homemade daily shower cleaner.
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
- DIY stain remover for white marble
- Homemade wood floor cleaner
- DIY beeswax furniture polish
- DIY foaming toilet cleaner
- Homemade natural oven cleaner
- Homemade garbage disposal deodorizer
DIY Dishwasher Tabs
Equipment
- Silicone molds
- Heavy-duty plastic storage container
Ingredients
- 1 cup of washing soda
- 1 cup of borax
- ¼ cup of Epsom salt
- ¼ cup of vinegar or lemon juice
- 20-25 drops of lemon essential oil
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.
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?
Add a little vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher before running the cycle.
Mine too, washed them 2x now and they’re so cloudy!
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.
I didn’t think about different countries. Sorry about that!
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.
Thanks for sharing!
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 🙂
You can add more liuquid to get it to be the right consistency.
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!
Thank you so much!
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?
I think it will be hard to get them out of those without breaking them.
Why did my soap not dissolve in my soap dispenser? And can you use this in stainless steel inside dish washer?
Try adding 1/4 cup of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher.
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?
Around 12
Thank you!!