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Home » Cleaning

Published: Apr 12, 2013 · Updated: Sep 16, 2022 by Carole Jones · 106 Comments

DIY Dishwasher Tablets

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Homemade dishwasher soap tablets are an easy to make recipe and are very inexpensive at 3 cents a piece!  I’ve been using this recipe for years and love them.  This continues to be one of my most popular recipes year after year!
Homemade Dishwasher Soap - DIY Tablets Recipe
 
Providing financially for a family of 8 is always a balancing act.  When my older kids were babies, I couldn’t believe how much money it cost to provide for their basic needs.  If only I could go back to those cheap days!  Babies don’t even compare in cost to teenagers and college students.
 
*KA-BOOM*
 
That is what happened to my budget once my kids hit high school.  College made a sound that is only audible to creatures in another realm.
 
As a result, I am always on the search for simple ways to cut my expenses.  You already know how much I love obsess over my DIY cleaning and laundry products.  Yes, they are extremely cheap compared to the store bought stuff, but the fact that they work great has me permanently converted.
Homemade Dishwasher Soap - DIY Tablets Recipe
I am proud to introduce you to my newest DIY product that I have added to my repertoire.  Homemade dishwasher soap in tablets!  I decided to give them a try because I already had the products on hand from my other recipes. What could it hurt, right?  I am now converted and have I mentioned they only cost 3 cents each!  I think that beats the enormous price I was paying for my tablets before 🙂
Homemade Dishwasher Soap - DIY Tablets Recipe

This homemade dishwasher soap mixes together really quick and I learned through experience that you need to be sure they are wet enough to form or they fall apart.  Also, to keep them from sticking to your hands, I have found wet hands makes it so much easier.  If you have sensitive skin, you might want to wear disposable gloves when forming the tablets.  When forming your first tablet, be sure it fits into the dispenser of your dishwasher.  Flat rectangles work for mine, but every machine is different!

Want more great DIY cleaning products?  Here are our favorites!
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Homemade Dishwasher Soap Tablets

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Make your own tablets at home that are inexpensive and easy to make!

  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 22 tablets 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 C Borax
  • 1 C Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
  • 1/2 C Epsom salt
  • 3/4 C lemon juice

Instructions

1.  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Add the lemon juice and mix completely.  You want the mixture to be wet enough to mold without falling apart.  Add additional lemon juice if needed.
2.  These dry very quickly so working quickly and one at a time, portion out a tablet around 2 tablespoons.  I used a small cookie scoop.  With wet hands, form the tablet into whatever shape needed to fit the soap dispenser in your dishwasher.  Place on a sheet of wax paper and let dry for a few hours before putting in a storage container.  If a tablet happens not to fit into the dispenser, just toss it in the bottom of your dishwasher.

  • Author: Carole Jones
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Cleaning
  • Method: No bake
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 tablet
  • Calories: 0
  • Sugar: 0
  • Sodium: 0
  • Fat: 0
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 0
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 0
  • Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: how to make dishwasher tablets

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thecarolejones on Instagram and hashtag it #mykitchenescapades

Categories: Cleaning

Filed Under: Cleaning
106 Comments

About Carole Jones

Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

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Comments

  1. Lisa says

    August 08, 2013 at 5:58 pm

    Tried this recipe and I loved it! Do you mind if I link your page to my blog? I have a DIY section and I’d love to include this (crediting you, of course!) Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Carole says

    August 08, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    Glad you liked them Lisa and I would be honored to be on your blog. Thanks for your comment!

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    August 08, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    Thanks so much! Here’s my post, if you’d like to read it: https://shoestringmom.com/2013/08/07/homemade-dishwasher-tablets/

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    August 23, 2013 at 12:18 am

    For those that asked…ACV cannot be substituted for the lemon juice. You can use vinegar (any kind) to help with the spots, but you MUST have some form of citric acid (aka the lemon). I’ve made a dry mix with lemon kool-aid before, and it worked fine. Anything with citric acid will work.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    August 27, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    In Germany you cannot buy borax for personal use anymore because it might be harmful for the unborn. Maybe one should consider this, at least if someone’s pregnant?!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 09, 2019 at 11:36 am

      More harmful than alcohol?
      I’d l8ke to see studies on that. It’d be good to know. Even though 8m WELL past that t8me in my life

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        November 09, 2019 at 11:38 am

        Siiiigh, I’m sorry I didn’t proof that better. It’s hard to see the tiny letters (and numbers apparently) in the reply box.

        Reply
  6. E.M. Williams says

    September 07, 2013 at 5:59 am

    I like this idea im gonna try it, but why couldn’t you just use like a small-ish ice tray or something similar and mash the mix into the cube slots… does this make sense to anyone else?

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    September 08, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    I tried this yesterday and it was way too wet to form. Woke up this morning to dried tops, but the bottoms were super mushy. I took the link back to the original recipe and it calls for 8-10 tbsp. of lemon juice instead of 3/4 of a cup, so I will try that next.

    Reply
  8. Alicia F says

    September 13, 2013 at 11:14 am

    I just tried this last night and this morning I went to put them in a container and they crumbled… what did I do. I did use parchment paper not wax could that have done it?

    Reply
  9. Ouisher says

    September 13, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    I just made these & mine too were really wet. I just kept adding
    equal-ish amounts of the borax and washing soda & 1/2 amount(s) of epsom salts. (Per the recipe). It finally got to the point where I could form them. Assuming I make these again, I will use 1/2 the amount of lemon juice & just add more little by little if necessary. Hope they work!

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    September 26, 2013 at 11:43 am

    I made them and also found a white film on dishes. I also used white vinegar in the rinse cycle. What do I need to do?

    Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    September 26, 2013 at 11:47 am

    Made these they looked great. But left a white film on dishes. I also used white vinegar in the rinse dispenser. Except for the film no problem.

    Reply
  12. Auntie Stina says

    September 29, 2013 at 7:52 am

    I assume that these take the place of dishwasher detergent?
    How do they compare with liquid dishwashing soap? (we get the costco kind)

    If you put them in the closing dispenser of the dishwasher, do you put something in the open section?

    Reply
  13. Carole says

    September 29, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    Yes, these can go in your compartment or you can just toss one in the bottom of the dishwasher as well. Nothing goes in the second container.

    Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    October 07, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    I made these wonderful tablets and they turned out great. I also use white distilled vinegar as a rinse and my dishes were to filmy and dirty to use. I also tried the citric acid in place of lemon juice for a powdered form and same results. I had to wash again with 1/3 jug of vinegar and no soap to get them looking half way decent. We do have hard water, but the ready made tabs worked just fine. I did want to save money……

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    October 07, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    I made these wonderful tablets and they turned out great. I also use white distilled vinegar as a rinse and my dishes were to filmy and dirty to use. I also tried the citric acid in place of lemon juice for a powdered form and same results. I had to wash again with 1/3 jug of vinegar and no soap to get them looking half way decent. We do have hard water, but the ready made tabs worked just fine. I did want to save money……

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    October 15, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    I too made my own using this recipe but I have to say as much as I wanted this to work, over time my dishes looked horrible. I couldn’t get the white film off of plastics and other things unless I hand washed it afterwards. My dishes didn’t look clean and the glassware started to get a cloudy, filmy look over time. Yes, I used vinegar in the rinse compartment. I also tweaked the recipe by trying TSP, additional water softener and also citric acid powder but to no avail. I have now went back to using store bought detergent and my dishes are once again clean looking. I really wanted this to work as I’m big into homemade EVERYTHING! But some things just are not worth the buck or two that you save…this is one of them.

    Reply
  17. Jennifer Simas says

    October 19, 2013 at 2:03 am

    Just made these! Didn’t get all the stuff off dishes… 🙁

    Reply
    • Shannonshannon says

      July 24, 2016 at 3:13 pm

      Add a bit more salt into the compartment and try that.

      Reply
  18. Sue B says

    November 18, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    Is 20 the amount that this recipe makes?

    Reply
  19. Carole says

    November 18, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    If you look at the recipe Sue, it shows that it makes about 22 tablets.

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says

    December 29, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    My mugs are left with the tea stains after dishwashing. How do you solve this problem?

    Reply
  21. Lynda Benson says

    December 31, 2013 at 12:13 am

    I have everything but the borax…this is pure genius and can’t wait to try 🙂

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    February 13, 2014 at 3:18 am

    This recipe is absolutely fabulous. I subbed kosher salt for the Epsom and it worked great! I used a 1T cookie scoop and plopped them into ice trays, shook to flatten. This was in the morning. By that night, they were ready. I used one tonight and the dishes came out sparkly clean with no residue. Love this recipe!, thank you!

    Reply
  23. Callie says

    February 21, 2014 at 12:57 am

    I made these last night and used one today. I packed the mixture down into ice cube trays. They set really well over night and got hard. Then I just popped them out. Easy Peasy. I made them a little smaller than the Finish tabs bc I was afraid of the residue others talked about. It worked GREAT!! No residue and much cleaner than with the Finish tabs. Thank you so much for this idea.

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    April 18, 2014 at 4:24 am

    you need to add vinegar when it in the ice cube try, this will stop the residue on your dishes. also add Lemi Shine to your recipe, this wills top the spotting. Mavis of One Hundred Dollars a Month has a really good recipe for these.

    Reply
  25. ramas samar says

    May 10, 2014 at 4:19 am

    Your articles don’t beat about the bushes these are actually exact t to the purpose.

    Your writers are extremely fantastic that have made easy to understand everything for us.

    Reply
  26. Jennifer says

    May 26, 2014 at 8:59 am

    I would be very concerned about the use of Borax. According to EWG, it is rated an F for toxicity. High concerns for reproductive development and some concern for respiratory/asthma and skin allergies. Here’s the link: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/2507-20MuleTeamBoraxNaturalLaundryBoosterMultiPurposeHouseholdCleaner

    Reply
    • Carole says

      May 26, 2014 at 12:42 pm

      Thanks Jennifer. I will check it out.

      Reply
  27. melissa says

    June 30, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    Carole, you are a GENIUS!!!! I made my first tablets today….I used my little cookie scoop and ended up with the exact number you said. But more important than that, THESE REALLY WORK!!!! They are SUPER easy and quick to make and work REALLY well!! You are nothing short of a blessing to all of us Moms out here that are desperate to save money for our large families. Keep up the good work and THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Missy:)

    Reply
    • Carole says

      June 30, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      So glad you love them Missy! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience -Carole

      Reply
  28. Danielle Haehn says

    July 05, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    I love how cheap it is to make these. Unfortunately there’s a white powder/film on everything. I even used white vinegar in the rinse cycle on the first run. I done an extra rinse cycle and there is still a white residue on everything 🙁 I really want to use these. Any suggestions of what else to do?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      July 05, 2014 at 1:23 pm

      Danielle- I think those who have hard water struggle with the white residue. I’m not sure how to deal with that because I’ve never had experience with hard water. So sorry!!

      Reply
  29. Amy says

    July 14, 2014 at 4:13 pm

    I have had great success with these so far. I’ve made them twice. The first time I made them the 3/4 cup of lemon juice concentrate made them super watery, but the 2nd time, it was the perfect amount. It may be a matter of adding it in a little at a time.
    In my case, after so long sitting in a airtight container under my sink, my “tablets” basically crumble, and stay in crumbles for the remainder of the time I use them. This has happened both times I’ve made them. Luckily, I am able to just use a tablespoon and scoop it into my dishwasher dispenser and it works just as well. But I have yet to figure out why they are crumbling. 🙂

    Reply
    • Carole says

      July 14, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks for your comment Amy! My only suggestion would be to press your tablets together a bit more firmly. I have some that fall apart as well, but most stay together for me. -Carole

      Reply
  30. john says

    October 28, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    Would there be residue from the Borax on your dishes?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 28, 2014 at 12:37 pm

      Some people who have hard water have said that there is a white residue left on some dishes

      Reply
  31. Leann says

    December 13, 2014 at 8:52 am

    I made these and it left a horrible white residue on my plastic and glass. It also left a white film on the inside of my HE dishwasher. We do not have hard water. I was very disappointed. I had to run a cup of white vinegar through 2 quick cycles to get rid of the film inside the washer.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      December 13, 2014 at 8:59 am

      That is disappointing Leann! I know some readers have had the white residue and others these worked perfectly.

      Reply
  32. Shannon says

    July 24, 2016 at 3:09 pm

    Smush the ingredients into ice cube trays and they fit pretty well into the dishwasher compartment.

    I had a different reciepy that used lemon koolaide but no one sells koolaide near me anymore so lemon juice such a better idea. Also gonna add a drop or two or essential oil because I really like the lemoney smell.

    Thanks I’m so making this right now.

    Reply
  33. SiGee says

    April 05, 2018 at 12:51 pm

    I use these and love them! Our water is hard so I do add a few drops of Dawn and half a cup of vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      April 05, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      I’m glad you made them work for you!

      Reply
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