DIY dishwasher tablets: a review of the best homemade “recipes”

Tablets used to wash dishes in a machine cost a lot of money. This is one of the reasons that makes you think about an alternative.The second reason is the chemical composition. The tablets contain substances harmful to health and the entire ecosystem.

Homemade detergents made from inexpensive and harmless ingredients will help solve the problem. How and from what to make dishwasher tablets with your own hands? This is exactly what we will discuss in our publication - here we will provide effective recipes for homemade tablets and consider the intricacies of their manufacture.

Composition of tablets for dishwashers

Before we start making dishwasher tablets, let’s find out what they consist of and argue the feasibility of our idea. Most buyers do not look at the composition and buy products, trusting advertising.

Manufacturers claim that the harm from household chemicals is minimal, forgetting that with the combined effects of the components it increases significantly.

The most dangerous components are chlorine and chlorine-containing substances, formaldehydes, phosphates and phosphonates, surfactants and hydrochloric acid. Many of them are included in dishwasher tablets. Even with repeated rinsing in hot water, chemical compounds are not completely cleaned from the dishes.

Statistics confirm that up to 0.5 liters of detergents enter the body of each person per year. This happens due to poor rinsing of the dishes.

Chlorine and its compounds can cause a number of diseases, such as hypertension, allergies, anemia and other common ailments. For this reason, some chlorine-containing substances are prohibited in EU countries.

Surfactant - substances that connect water and fat molecules, so they clean surfaces well, but at the same time they break down human skin fat.

Divided into three types:

• anionic – the most effective, cheapest, but also harmful, as they tend to accumulate in the body;
• cationic – cause less harm and have a bactericidal effect;
• nonionic – the most harmless, 100% biodegradable.

Frequent and abundant use of household chemicals containing surfactants leads to decreased immunity, degreasing and aging of the skin, and the development of allergic reactions. The action is enhanced by phosphates, which promote the penetration of substances through the skin into the blood.

Accumulating in vital organs, they lead to dysfunction. According to sanitary standards, the amount of surfactants should not exceed 5%.

Making tablets for PMM with your own hands

Having familiarized ourselves with the composition of the tablets, we come to the conclusion that this product is not harmless and it makes sense to spend time making it yourself.

Baking soda and juice squeezed from lemon in the tablets make them absolutely harmless. Soda ash can also be used as a detergent component.

Homemade detergents are also cheaper than factory-made ones.

Ingredients for homemade preparations

To make your own dishwasher tablets at home, you will need simple and affordable components:

• Baking soda – 2 cups.
• Water - 1 glass.
• Salt - 1 glass.
• Citric acid - 1/2 cup.

To form tablets, you need silicone or plastic ice containers.

One glass of soda is poured onto a baking sheet and the oven is placed for half an hour at a temperature of 200 degrees. To prevent the soda from burning, stir it during the heating process. Removed from the oven, it acquires a looser and more matte consistency, suitable for forming tablets.

The ingredients for the preparation of tablet detergents must be thoroughly mixed to a homogeneous plastic mass, from which it is easy to form tablets of the desired shape

Pour soda from the oven into a bowl, add a glass of regular soda, citric acid and salt. Everything is mixed and a little water is added. The mixture will foam, you need to wait until the foaming process stops and add a little water again. This is done several times.

Then everything is thoroughly mixed and placed one or one and a half teaspoons into ice molds. This must be done quickly, as the mixture thickens quickly. Leave the molds for half an hour, then take out the homemade tablets and put them in a jar, close with an airtight lid.

Popular soda-based recipes

Let's look at several popular recipes for making homemade dishwasher tablets.

Recipe #1 - salt, soda, borax and lemon juice

To create tablets according to this recipe, take:

• 150 g soda;
• 500 g of magnesia (Epsom salt);
• 200 g of borax (sodium tetraborate);
• 40 g lemon juice.

The mixture of dry ingredients is mixed with lemon juice and poured into molds.

The containers are installed in a dry place. Dried tablets are ready for use. You can also add baby washing powder to the composition; one glass is enough.A few drops of any essential oil, preferably citrus, will add a pleasant fragrance to the detergent.

Recipe #2 - baking soda + powder

Take 7 parts of regular powder and 3 parts of soda ash. It is recommended to use dishwashing detergent and filtered water as a binder. Fill the molds with the mixture. After drying, the tablets are ready for use.

Soda ash is a natural product obtained in several ways: from natural or nepheline raw materials, by carbonization of sodium hydroxide and by the ammonia method

Recipe #3 - powder, soda and washing liquid

Baby powder - 8 parts, soda - 1.8, dishwashing liquid - 0.2 parts. Mix everything and form tablets, filling the mold with the mixture.

Children's powder is less aggressive and removes protein contaminants at temperatures no higher than 40 degrees. Children's powder tablets are used in a mode not exceeding the specified temperature.

Eco-friendly powder for washing children's clothes does not contain phosphates, surfactants, zeolites and other harmful components. The powder is based on safe natural soap

Recipe #4 - powder, soda + glycerin

Combine washing powder (160 g) with soda ash (40 g), add glycerin (5 g). Mix and place into molds.

Recipe #5 - mustard, soda and water

Combine a mixture of two tablespoons of finely ground mustard powder and one spoon of soda with 1.5 tablespoons of hot water, stir, and place in molds.

One of the options for making a drug from a mixture of mustard powder and soda is demonstrated in the video:

Recipe #6 - salt, powder and vinegar

Mix 3 tbsp. spoons of salt with 2 tbsp. spoons of powder and 1 tbsp. spoon of concentrated 70% vinegar.

Comparison of factory-made and homemade tablets

The main differences between ready-made and homemade tablets, as already noted, are the composition and price.Industrial household chemicals contain harmful components and are much more expensive.

The substances that make up the compressed tablets do not dissolve simultaneously, but at a certain moment. When using them, dishes are washed and refreshed, and the car is maintained.

Let's consider the main categories of factory-made tablets, differing in chemical composition and price:

• Relatively inexpensive basic tablets consisting of three components.
• Ecological biodegradable tablets without phosphates. Ideal option for allergy sufferers.
• Capsules are tablets in a dissolving shell.
• Universal multi-component tablets, to the basic composition of which are added components for cleaning crystal, antimicrobial substances, rinses, fragrances, etc.

Expensive tablets are more effective and safe compared to cheap industrially produced analogues.

We discussed in detail the characteristics and features of the most popular industrially produced tablets in these articles:

• Fairy tablets for the dishwasher: review of the line + customer reviews
• Finish tablets for the dishwasher: review of the line + customer reviews
• Somat tablets for dishwashers: varieties, customer reviews, advantages and disadvantages
• Biomio tablets for the dishwasher: customer reviews, pros and cons, instructions for use

Criterion #1 - quality of washing

In terms of cleaning quality, the homemade product is closer to the basic tablets. When testing homemade tablets, it was found that their effectiveness is almost as good as that of inexpensive factory-made products.

Biodegradable, eco-friendly tablets, like those made by yourself, do not contain harmful substances, but are much more expensive and guarantee excellent results.

Modern 3-in-1 or 7-in-1 tablet detergents are effective provided that they are used in new-style machines that have the ability to recognize them. The most popular brands are Finish, Somat, Bio myo and a number of others

The capsules provide high quality washing and are convenient in that the soluble shell provides protection from accidental ingress of moisture. Comparison of washing results with multi-component tablets is not in favor of homemade tablets. The former are much more effective, as they contain basic and additional components.

Criterion #2 - component composition

The cleanliness of the dishes and the machine itself in the composition of the tablets is ensured by:

• detergent as the main component;
• salt to soften water and protect the inside of the machine from scale; if it is missing, stains, whitish deposits and smudges remain on the dishes;
• rinse aid that enhances and consolidates the effect of the detergent;
• an anti-scale agent that prevents the formation of limescale if the water in the water supply is hard;
• a degreaser that breaks down the greasy layer that settles inside the machine;
• deodorant that eliminates unpleasant odors;
• additional substances of various effects.

The composition of homemade tablets is limited to a set of improvised means used in the household.

Soda, citric acid and other ingredients are universal tools that cope well with the tasks.

The components in the factory tablets act sequentially, starting to work at the right moment.Self-made tablets do not have this technology.

Homemade dishwashing tablets are cheaper and safer, and their composition can be adjusted to suit your needs.

There are also negative aspects to this:

• overusing liquid dishwashing detergent will have a negative impact on the quality of washing and may damage the machine;
• an excess amount of soda will cause the tablets to dissolve poorly;
• Excess citric acid can cause damage to plastic parts.

The dosage of industrial tablets, unlike homemade ones, is regulated in accordance with GOST, TU and other standards.

Criterion #3 - manufacturing complexity and cost

Self-made tablets do not have an ideal appearance - this is another argument not in favor of home-made analogues. Factory-produced products look much more aesthetically pleasing.

When choosing factory-made tablets, you do not have to waste your personal time on selection, searching for ingredients and manufacturing.

When mixing the mixture for tablets, you must take safety precautions. Gloves and a mask will protect you from the aggressive effects of soda and powder on mucous membranes.

An ordinary tablet weighing 16 grams, obtained industrially, costs 9-10 rubles. Multicomponent products are even more expensive. The cost of homemade tablets, based on the price of the ingredients, is significantly lower. A simple calculation shows that you will spend 54 rubles for 31 tablets, that is, one tablet will cost 1.75 rubles.

Criterion #4 - packaging of two tablet options

Industrial and home-made dosed packaging has a number of common advantages. They cannot be scattered, spilled or overloaded.They do not take up much space and are easy to store. Ready-made tablets are stored in their original packaging, while home-made tablets are stored in a closed glass jar or plastic container with a lid.

Hand dishwashing detergents should not be used in machines. At the same time, the active substances of tablets, powders and gels used in dishwashers have a negative effect on the skin of the hands

The dosage composition of factory-made tablets is regulated by regulatory documents, while homemade tablets are regulated by recipes tested from our own experience.

Tablet detergents clean dishes no worse, and often better, than other detergents.

Conclusions and useful things to see on the topic

The process of making a dishwasher tablet with your own hands and washing dishes using a homemade tablet:

A video with instructions on how to independently produce an extremely cheap product for PMM:

How to make tablet detergent quickly at minimal cost:

If you trust manufacturers and believe in magical formulas that ensure your dishes are perfectly clean, and you don’t care about the price, choose ready-made tablets. There is another option: stock up on inexpensive dishwashing tablets in the dishwasher one evening. How aesthetically pleasing they will be depends on the correct ratio of ingredients and the forms in which the mixture will be placed.

Want to share your recipe for effective homemade dishwasher tablets? Write the recipe and specifics for preparing tablet detergent, add unique photos of the finished product in the block under this article.

If you want to express your opinion on the advisability of using homemade tablets, express your point of view in the comments to this publication.