DIY Powdered Dishwasher Soap So EASY!

Ok so here we go with another homemade soap recipe. I just made this today and am currently running my first load of dishes with it so I still have yet to see how it works. I did a mid cycle peek and things are looking good so far. Typically I use those gel packs or the compressed powder bricks and just throw it in the main cycle area but with this I did a 70/30 split between the main wash(70) and the pre wash(30). I have also decided to hand out some samples of the dishwasher soap and laundry soap to some friends to have them try it out and requested that they each give me a short review on each one. I will be posting those later as I receive them :)

Here's the How To:

Home Made Dishwasher Detergent

2 c borax
2 c Arm & Hammer washing soda
2 c lemi shine*
1 c kosher salt


I found the borax, washing soda at my local Walmart, I had these on hand already from the laundry soap recipe and you can refer to that post to see my costs. I found the lemi shine at Smith's but i'm sure it could be found elsewhere. They were in the laundry and dish soap section. The fresh fruit protector can be found in with the canning supplies, you can buy plain citric acid in lieu of this but I chose this for the silicon dioxide anti-caking agent that's in it. Some folks have also been known to use unsweetened lemonade drink packets for the citric acid. But you should find them in similar places in a similar kind of store. Kosher salt was with the baking items.

Borax and Washing Soda

Kosher salt, lemi shine, and preserving agent

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed.
2. The citric acid in the lemi shine will make everything get a bit hard. The first time I made this I put it directly into my container and it all got really really hard. I had to use a knife to get it out. So I suggest letting this mixture sit out in a bowl for a couple of days, stirring often. You will still get a few little "balls" of detergent, but that is just fine! You just don't want it all in one big piece! Believe me, this is the best way to go!!
3. The lemi shine suggests running an empty dishwasher cycle with just that in order to clean your dishwasher. I followed their directions for good measure!
4. Fill your rinse aid spot with white vinegar. (This is sooo much cheaper then your typical rinse aid and makes a big difference in how your dishes will turn out!)
5. Use 1 tbs of detergent per load of dishes. I do about a 30/70 split with 30% in the pre-wash spot and 70% in the wash spot. If you don't have a prewash spot, you can put it all in the wash spot.

*You can experiment with the lemi shine amount. The original recipe I found and modified called for only 1 cup but said to add more if you have hard water.


This recipe was originally obtained from Simply Designing and slightly modified by me.