DIY Dishwasher Tablets. The secret ingredient in this homemade dishwasher detergent leaves dishes and glasses sparkling clean, with no clouding or spotting.
For years I’ve been making many of my own household cleaners, my favorite is the laundry detergent, but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to experiment with making my own dishwasher detergent.
Our dishwasher’s manufacturer suggested using dishwasher tablets, more specifically the ones from Finish. Besides having to come up with a good dishwasher detergent recipe I had to find a way to bind the detergent together to form tablets.
After experimenting with several online recipes I came up with the best homemade dishwasher tablets, ever! The secret to these amazing tablets is something that I’ve been using in my dishwater for years – Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing.
My grandmother always had a bottle of liquid bluing in her laundry room and her whites were the brightest I’ve ever seen. When I had a family of my own Mrs. Stewart’s became a staple in my laundry room as well.
For those of you that have never heard of liquid bluing, it a non-toxic, bio-degradable liquid that you add to your wash water. It restores whiteness without harming fibers like bleach does.
It has several other uses as well, I’ve been using it in my dish water ever since I read the label and found out how it adds shine to your dishes.
Adding Mrs. Stewart’s liquid bluing to the dishwasher detergent doesn’t just help to shine the dishes but it also acts as a binder so that you can make tablets!
When you mix the liquid bluing in with the dry ingredients it become a dark blue. However, as the tablets dry the blue color will fade.
HINT: To dry, place the ice cube trays in a warm area. I like to place them in the trunk of my car on a hot day. They will be completely dry within 24 hours.
- 2 cup washing soda
- 2 cup baking soda
- ½ cup epsom salt
- 6 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Mrs. Stewart's liquid bluing
- Combine dry ingredients
- Stir in wet ingredients, mix thoroughly.
- Measure 1 tablespoon of mixed ingredients into each compartment of an ice cube tray.
- Pack it down and place in a warm place for 48 hours or until completely dry.
Use 1 tablet per load.
Store in a dark, dry place.
Fluster Buster Tip: The right tools for the job
- Large Mixing Bowl, 20-Quart
- Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Stainless Steel Measuring Spoon
- Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Have you ever used liquid bluing?
