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!
Homemade Dishwasher Soap Tablets
Make your own tablets at home that are inexpensive and easy to make!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 22 tablets 1x
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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
Lisa says
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!
Carole says
Glad you liked them Lisa and I would be honored to be on your blog. Thanks for your comment!
Lisa says
Thanks so much! Here’s my post, if you’d like to read it: https://shoestringmom.com/2013/08/07/homemade-dishwasher-tablets/
Anonymous says
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.
Anonymous says
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?!
Carolyn says
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
Carolyn says
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.
E.M. Williams says
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?
Anonymous says
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.
Alicia F says
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?
Ouisher says
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!
Anonymous says
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?
Anonymous says
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.
Auntie Stina says
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?
Carole says
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.
Anonymous says
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……
Anonymous says
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……
Anonymous says
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.
Jennifer Simas says
Just made these! Didn’t get all the stuff off dishes… 🙁
Shannonshannon says
Add a bit more salt into the compartment and try that.
Sue B says
Is 20 the amount that this recipe makes?
Carole says
If you look at the recipe Sue, it shows that it makes about 22 tablets.
Anonymous says
My mugs are left with the tea stains after dishwashing. How do you solve this problem?
Lynda Benson says
I have everything but the borax…this is pure genius and can’t wait to try 🙂
Anonymous says
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!
Callie says
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.
Anonymous says
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.
ramas samar says
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.
Jennifer says
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
Carole says
Thanks Jennifer. I will check it out.
melissa says
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:)
So glad you love them Missy! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience -Carole
Danielle Haehn says
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?
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!!
Amy says
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. 🙂
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
john says
Would there be residue from the Borax on your dishes?
Some people who have hard water have said that there is a white residue left on some dishes
Leann says
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.
That is disappointing Leann! I know some readers have had the white residue and others these worked perfectly.
Shannon says
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.
SiGee says
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!
I’m glad you made them work for you!