I finally gave making my own dishwasher detergent and rinse a try and I’m so happy with the results. As for cleanliness, I do not see a difference in how my dishes were coming out before with store-bought detergent compared to now using a homemade dishwasher soap and rinse.
I really like this recipe and think it cleans the dishes very well.
It is also very frugal because making your own dishwasher detergent and rinse costs a tiny fraction of the amount that store bought detergents and rinses cost.
My only complaint is that I didn’t get citric acid right away and my glasses were extremely foggy.
The citric acid added to this recipe helps the glasses get squeaky clean instead of leaving a foggy look to them. Whether you have this “fog” or not without the citric acid depending on the harness (and therefore mineral content) of your water. Harder water will leave mineral deposits on your glasses. Citric acid helps by causing the minerals to not bond with the surface of the glass.
Citric acid combined with the rinse really makes the difference.
I’ve heard of people not being happy with homemade dishwasher soap, but they were either not using citric acid, or were not using the vinegar rinse. Together they make a great glass cleaning team; making glasses shiny.
As a double bonus, the vinegar rinse not only leaves the dishes sparkly, it really cleans the dishwasher out.
Dishwasher Detergent
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid (or “LemiShine”)
- 1/2 cup salt (for scrubbing action)
- Use 1 Tbsp per load. More is not necessary. Remember that it is the water softening power that does the biggest trick.
Dishwasher Rinse
The rinse is really a no-brainer. One ingredient. That’s it. It works wonders!
Ingredient: White Vinegar
Directions: Add white vinegar to your rinse dish or outlet until full for a clean rinse and clean dishwasher.
