I have tried a handful of homemade dishwasher detergents. I hated most of them. I have always bought the liquid variety and wanted to make a copycat. I tried, but it left a film on my dishes and cups that had to be re-washed. So I gave up and tried making powder detergent. It worked much better but clumped up and got hard as rocks. So….what is the solution? Homemade dishwasher detergent tabs. YES!! I love them, and they clean just as good as a commercial detergent.
Here is what you need:
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/4 cup salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup lemi shine (You may have to search, but it is sold at Wal-Mart.)
Dump everything into a bowl. The vinegar will cause a little fizzing.
MIx until everything is moist and there are no more dry spots.
Scoop 1 tablespoon at a time into ice cube trays.
Press it down firmly into the mold.
Set them aside to sit overnight.
Pop the tabs out of the tray.
When it is time to do a load of dishes, put your tab into the detergent container and pour about 1/4 cup of vinegar into the pre-rinse department. (I have tried to do dishes without the vinegar and they are spotty every time….so go ahead and just use it!)
