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    Home

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets

    by Jessica 144 Comments

    I've been making my own dish tabs for years, but recently I tried a new recipe that is sooo much easier to make than the one I've been using. You only need 3 ingredients to make these homemade dish tablets. They will leave your dishes clean and sparkly and will help save you time and money!

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    I made a quick video showing how easy they are to make in real time...check it out below!

    What you will need to make Homemade Dish Tablets:

    You can click the links to find the products listed below...these are affiliate links that I may receive a commission for if you buy.

    1 Cup Baking Soda

    ¼ Cup Citric Acid

    1 Tablespoon Dish Liquid (any brand will do)

    Silicone Ice Cube Tray 

    Airtight Jar or Container

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Start by adding one cup of baking soda to a large bowl.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Add ¼ cup of citric acid.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Add 1 tablespoon of dish liquid.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Mix well using a whisk or you can use your hands like I do...I just think it is easier to mix it well this way.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Push the mixture into silicone ice cube molds. I used two different molds so I could use all of my mixture.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Wait about 10 minutes and level them off with your hand. They expand just a little bit, but much less than the old ones I used to make. Once you level them off, they shouldn't expand much more.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. They will harden like store bought dish tablets. Now just flip your molds over and push the tabs out.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    They are ready to use! Use one tablet per load of dishes. Just place directly in your dishwasher and run a normal washing cycle.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Store them in an airtight container and keep them dry until time to use them. Happy cleaning!

    3 Ingredient Homemade Dish Tablets Recipe - Make easy and inexpensive dish tabs in minutes with a few household ingredients. This cleaning hack will leave your dishes sparkling clean!

    Want to add a little cuteness to your homemade cleaning solutions? Grab my Free Printable Cleaning Labels HERE!

    Free printable cleaning labels and tons of DIY cleaning solutions and recipes

    Looking for more home tips and cleaning recipes? Find hundreds of them HERE on my Home Tips Page!

    Tons of Cleaning Tricks and Home Tips from Mom 4 Real

     

    « Back To School Morning Routine and Breakfast Idea
    Homemade Oven Cleaner and How To Get Your Oven Clean Inside and Out »

    Comments

    1. Frances Steele says

      August 08, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Where can I buy the Citric Acid????

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        August 08, 2016 at 10:22 am

        Hi, Frances! You can usually find it in the canning section of the grocery store near the canning jars, or you can buy it here online... Citric Acid

        Reply
        • Riti says

          February 04, 2017 at 8:41 am

          They are easily available at any Indian grocery store, if you have any nearby. They are cheaper than somewhere else.

          Reply
        • Dana says

          April 27, 2017 at 4:40 pm

          Can YOU just add aa tablespoon instead of using molds?

          Reply
          • Aaryn says

            July 22, 2018 at 10:38 pm

            I had the same question. I've seen other recipes almost identical that leave in powder form. Given that and therefore assuming it's okay, the follow up question I had was how much powder per load. And your suggestion of 1 tablespoon seems to be about spot on, as in a separate comment Jessica said that this recipe makes about 20-24 tablets, and there is 1.25 cups of dry ingredients, so 1.25 cups / 20 tablets = 1 tablespoon. Hope that is helpful if anyone else is looking for this answer!

            Reply
        • Caylee says

          August 07, 2017 at 9:37 pm

          Is itric acid necessary? Or is there anything I can substitute it with? I have baking soda and Dawn dish soap would it be okay to just make them from that

          Reply
          • brian says

            January 18, 2018 at 7:49 pm

            You could also use acetic acid, but ypu need an acid to start the chemical reaction with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to generate the carbon dioxide that helps clean your dishes

            Reply
          • Jane says

            February 17, 2018 at 11:35 am

            No. An acid is needed for the baking soda to be activated & work.

            Reply
        • Tracy says

          May 05, 2018 at 10:04 am

          I regularly make and sell bath bombs and I buy my citric acid on Amazon. For single recipes of toilet bombs or others provided here the small bottles from grocery store is perfect! Hope that helps you

          Reply
      • Alicia says

        November 08, 2016 at 10:36 pm

        Check with local health food stores. It would be found with seed sprouting supplies.

        Reply
      • Jocelyn elona says

        November 11, 2017 at 10:59 am

        Can i use vinegar instead of citric acid?

        Reply
        • brian says

          January 18, 2018 at 7:54 pm

          Vinegar in its liquid state will immediatly catylize the reaction, generating carbon dioxide. You want that reaction to happen IN the dishwasher, as it helps clean your dishes. Vinegar is just watered down acetic acid, so you could distill a dry crystalline solid acetic acid from vinegar and use that, or just buy anhydrous(dry) acetic acid.

          Reply
          • Michael Grayson says

            April 17, 2019 at 4:28 pm

            I have used the inside of apple cider vinegar capsules with luck as a replacement for the citric acid! And the bottle was super cheap. Only downside is having to break open the capsules.

            Reply
      • Stephanie says

        December 03, 2017 at 9:53 pm

        Walmart has it.

        Reply
      • brian says

        January 18, 2018 at 7:47 pm

        I can find it in the baking section in my grocery store

        Reply
      • Beth says

        January 22, 2018 at 9:42 pm

        I was going to ask the same question. Where do we find citric acid

        Reply
        • Nicole R says

          June 15, 2020 at 2:01 am

          i found it at Walmart where they have the Mason jars for canning. I was looking in the spice aisle. thank goodness for the Walmart app. it'll tell u exactly where its at. Good luck

          Reply
      • Teresa says

        February 03, 2018 at 2:36 pm

        Walmart has it, some grocery and hardware stores. I ordered mine on ebay and amazon.

        Reply
      • Gina says

        February 24, 2018 at 6:37 pm

        I don't know when you asked your question, but it can be purchased on Amazon.

        Reply
      • Natalie says

        July 24, 2018 at 6:32 pm

        I couldn't find any at my local store, so I just ordered online (Amazon).

        Reply
      • La says

        October 11, 2018 at 6:30 pm

        Walmart by Canning Supplies

        Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 25, 2019 at 8:47 pm

        They have some at Hobby Lobby

        Reply
      • G5 says

        December 26, 2019 at 4:59 pm

        Hobby lobby

        Reply
    2. Kari says

      August 08, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      What do you mean "place them directly in the dishwasher"? My dishwasher has a two-part soap dispenser with a covering lid where I place tablets? Place there, or just "toss" in the dishwasher before starting?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        August 08, 2016 at 5:22 pm

        Some of the molds that I have used don't fit in the dispenser. If it fits, you can add it there, if not, just toss it in before you start your dishwasher!

        Reply
    3. Tracy says

      September 04, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      How big of a tab do you use per load? I have a few molds and they are all different sizes.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 05, 2016 at 10:44 am

        Hi, Tracy! Mine are about the same size as an ice cube. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    4. Janna says

      September 05, 2016 at 1:09 am

      Does it leave a film? I made some with Baking soda , salt, borax vinegar and it leaves everything with a white film:( thanks

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 05, 2016 at 10:43 am

        That's the greatest thing about these tablets...no film since they don't contain too many ingredients!

        Reply
        • Judy says

          December 20, 2017 at 9:04 am

          Can you use these in a dishwasher

          Reply
        • Becky says

          June 25, 2018 at 11:10 pm

          Hi there! I made these per the recipe & I am actually getting a film. We have REALLY hard water & no way to soften it. Is there a coordinating rinse aid you can make & use? Or is there something else I can do? Maybe add a little more acid or dawn?

          Reply
          • Jessica says

            June 27, 2018 at 8:41 am

            Hi, Becky! Try adding vinegar or store bought rinse aid to your dishwasher. There should be a compartment that you can fill. It should help with hard water spots!

            Reply
          • Pibe says

            December 29, 2018 at 10:02 am

            Make sure the salt dispenser is always full. It helps to make water soft

            Reply
    5. Jessica says

      September 06, 2016 at 10:40 pm

      Do you think regular plastic ice trays will work?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 07, 2016 at 7:17 am

        Absolutely...regular plastic ice trays will work perfectly! Thanks for asking!

        Reply
    6. Grace says

      September 11, 2016 at 6:54 pm

      Can you explain what the citric acid does for the dishes? I've never made these so I'm curious what an ingredient used in canning would contribute to the cleaning process. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 12, 2016 at 7:24 am

        Citric acid is used to remove lime particles and help with hard water. Hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Jessica says

          September 12, 2016 at 7:25 am

          You are using about 3/4 cup in the recipe, so any size jar will do. Hope this helps!

          Reply
          • Latasha says

            September 21, 2016 at 8:30 am

            How many tablets come out of one batch?

            Reply
            • Jessica says

              September 21, 2016 at 8:48 am

              Hi, Latasha! It depends on the size of your tray. I usually get 20-24 tablets out of each batch. Hope this helps!

          • angie says

            January 15, 2017 at 9:47 pm

            Are you to use 1/4 cup of citric acid or 3/4 cup?

            Reply
        • Juliet says

          October 28, 2017 at 10:02 pm

          Hello Jessica,
          Couldn't figure out how to leave a new comment.Just got a new apartment with my husband a kids so these well work great a buget friendly! I think I figured out to help puffing up. I add 2 1/2 tbsp dish soap ,2 cups baking soda to 1/4 cup cetric acide, mixed the baking soda and dish soap in the citric acid seem d to help. Thanks so much for this diy

          Reply
      • Stephanie says

        December 20, 2018 at 3:44 am

        Where we used to live, the tap water turned the inside of my dishwasher orange. I was able to get rid of it by running a load with just citric acid

        Reply
    7. Sarah says

      September 24, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Can you use castile soap for the dish soap?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 24, 2016 at 9:42 pm

        Hi, Sarah! You can absolutely use Castile soap instead of dish soap...you may need to add a little more to get the right consistency though. Great idea! ~Jess

        Reply
      • Elizabeth Walsh says

        October 14, 2021 at 7:30 pm

        So when it puffs up and you scrap off the top, should you pack it down? Or leave it?

        Reply
    8. Suzanne says

      September 28, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      How many batches can I get out of the bottle of citric acid?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 28, 2016 at 2:25 pm

        Hi, Suzanne! At least 2-3 batches from the small container of citric acid that I showed.

        Reply
    9. Suzy says

      October 10, 2016 at 7:21 pm

      Do these really work as well as regular tabs?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        October 10, 2016 at 8:26 pm

        I sure think so!

        Reply
    10. Becky Lamboley says

      October 30, 2016 at 12:38 pm

      I tried making them and they didn't harden. Very soft and crumbly. Help, what did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        March 10, 2019 at 4:10 am

        I had the same issue but managed to fix it the second time (I think, I'm still waiting for it to dry) In the second time I added only two teaspoons but one at a time. I added one tsp, mixed it in, then added the second and mixed that in. That gave me a much more stable mixture that seems to have worked like the instructions say it should.
        Good luck!

        Reply
    11. Candace says

      November 06, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      do you need finish to reduce spotting? or do you jot have a problem with it when using this?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        November 06, 2016 at 7:22 pm

        I use vinegar as a rinse aid and it works great to keep spots away! ~Jess

        Reply
        • DEAN says

          July 31, 2017 at 10:19 pm

          DEAN SAYS AT

          HOW MUCH VINEGAR FOR THE RINSE AID?

          Reply
          • Pat says

            September 10, 2017 at 6:20 pm

            Just fill the place where you would put a rinse aid, with vinegar.

            Reply
        • Tonia says

          February 12, 2018 at 9:17 pm

          Young Living has an essential oil that you can add to the vinegar rinse. It helps with spots and also helps clean your dishwasher. It is Jade Lemon

          Reply
    12. Michelle says

      November 18, 2016 at 12:51 am

      My tablets won't stop expanding. I'm I doing something wrong?

      Reply
    13. Janice says

      November 23, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      Hi Jessica,
      Just found you on Pinterest. I have allergies and therefore am eliminating as many toxins in my house as possible (they exist everywhere don't they?!) I have been looking for a dish tab cleaner and found yours. I like your idea except that store boughten cleaners have toxins in them :-(
      I am wondering if u think substituting Castille soap would work in its place? For me....that would satisfy my need to use products that are pure.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        November 23, 2016 at 4:56 pm

        Absolutely, Janice! Castile soap will work great! I'm with you on eliminating as many toxins as possible...good luck! ~Jess

        Reply
    14. Diane says

      December 07, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      I would like to know how to get the baked on stains off the upper part of my microwave?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 08, 2016 at 9:41 am

        Hi, Diane! Try making a paste using baking soda and water to use to scrub it off.

        Reply
      • Heather says

        February 09, 2017 at 11:14 pm

        Pour a little bit of vinegar in a cup and microwave it until it boils. Turn off the microwave and leave the door closed for 3-5 minutes, so the acidic steam can work to loosen the gunk on the inside of your microwave. Open and wipe clean. No scrubbing.

        If you have no vinegar, boiled lemon water works also

        Reply
        • Jessica says

          April 25, 2017 at 5:10 am

          I do this all the time for my microwave. If the gunk been sitting for a while, I will let the vinegar sit for at least an hour after warming before wiping the microwave clean. This does wonders.

          Reply
      • Angi says

        January 23, 2018 at 9:26 am

        I take put a bowl of lemon water in the microwave and run it for 2 minutes (small bowl), everything usually wipes right off afterwards. You can also put bakin soda in a bowl, add vinegar and while it's foaming use a toothbrush to scrub off the baked on stuff. I do that on my oven door (sprinkle baking soda then spritz with vinegar) and it comes clean even better than when using commercial oven cleaner

        Reply
      • Billie says

        January 07, 2020 at 2:04 pm

        Put a cup of vinegar or lemon juice in microwave and turn it on for 1 minute. Let it cool and everything just wipes right off.

        Reply
    15. Chellsea says

      December 26, 2016 at 9:04 am

      If I don't have citric acid can I replace it with something else?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 26, 2016 at 9:46 am

        Hi, Chellsea...the citric acid is really needed for these. They help to harden the tablets and also help get the dishes sparkling clean. Hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Rhonda says

          January 28, 2017 at 8:25 pm

          Could you use lemon juice instead of the citric acid?

          Reply
      • Heather says

        February 09, 2017 at 11:19 pm

        Citric acid works really well, but some say lemon kool-aid and or lemon juice works also... I was just worried about the yellow dye staining my machine

        Reply
    16. Mrs. Carol Duchscher says

      January 01, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      How long do they keep for. Can you make a lot and keep it stored in a jar or a reusable dishwasher tablets container

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        January 01, 2017 at 7:09 pm

        They should keep for up to 6 months. I make a large batch and store them in an airtight container and keep them under my sink. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    17. Marlene says

      January 05, 2017 at 11:56 am

      I have the same problem as Michelle- but notice no replies for her or the other one that had a problem with them not hardening. Posting those replies are helpful for others as well. Thank you!!

      Reply
    18. Kathy T says

      January 16, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Love the thought of the 3 simple ingredients but I'm having a terrible time with the mixture foaming up. I've been working for 15 minutes and it's still foaming and not packing into mold. Any ideas how to stop this. I used dawn simply clean, soda and citric acid. Thanks for your time

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        January 16, 2017 at 8:21 am

        HI, Kathy! I usually walk away while it is foaming up and come back once it has stopped. Then I swipe away the excess and fill another tray...it just makes more. Different dish liquids make foam more than others, so times may vary. Hope this helps! ~Jess

        Reply
      • Jayna says

        January 07, 2020 at 2:50 pm

        For the foaming issue, I tweaked the recipe by using 1/2 cup citric acid and only 1 tsp of liquid dish. My tabs puffed up some but did not foam out of control like they did with the original recipe. I used the Ecos brand of liquid dish but I plan to try Dr. Bronner's liquid soap in my next batch to test it out.

        Reply
    19. Sheila says

      January 21, 2017 at 9:55 am

      Hi there... I'm just wondering, the inside of my dishwasher is stainless steel, are the dishwasher tabs safe to use?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        January 22, 2017 at 8:02 pm

        Should work just fine...all of the ingredients are safe for stainless steel!

        Reply
    20. Elizabeth says

      January 25, 2017 at 9:00 am

      Where can I buy your jars and other containers and ive trays?

      Reply
    21. Lindy says

      February 01, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      Hello! I was looking to see what dawn soap had in it and noticed the dawn soap label specifically says not intended for dishwasher use. Would you recommend any other soap to use as replacement?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 02, 2017 at 7:58 pm

        Hi, Lindy! They are really referring to the fact that you aren't supposed to use a great deal of it in the dishwasher. There isn't enough used in each of these to affect it. The only reason you shouldn't use much is because of the sudsing. No worries with these!

        Reply
    22. Heather says

      February 09, 2017 at 11:32 pm

      These tabs work really well. I've tried a few recipes, and so far this one is the best. I have hard water so I added some salt to this recipe, but even without the salt it worked. No grease at all, no yucky film... It did swell up alot, but it stopped after a little while, I just removed the excess and made more tabs... One recipe like this will give you about 1 regular sized ice cube tray full (approx. 14 tablets) I multiplied it by 4 and filled 4 trays

      Reply
    23. Valerie says

      February 18, 2017 at 9:20 am

      Will the acid and dish soap break down the plastics and rubber inside the dishwasher over time? These sound awesome and I have all the ingredients. I'm just concerned about the long term effects. How long have you been using them?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 18, 2017 at 9:48 am

        Hi, Valerie! No, they won't...citric acid is in sooo many products that we buy at the store and is actually really mild. It causes a fizzing action and helps remove stuck on foods and stains from your dishes and your dishwasher too! Hope this helps! xoxo Jess

        Reply
    24. Stephanie says

      March 02, 2017 at 2:15 pm

      I do not have a dishwasher!! Can I use the Dish Tablets in a sink full of hot water! I love the idea of them.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        March 02, 2017 at 2:22 pm

        TO be honest, dish liquid is all that you need for a sink full of dishes, but you could sure give it a try! xoxo Jess

        Reply
        • Stephanie says

          March 02, 2017 at 3:12 pm

          O.k thanks. I am going to try them. I have a white kitchen sink and it may just help with keeping that cleaner also.

          Reply
    25. Chez says

      March 18, 2017 at 8:47 pm

      Hi Jessica! Just giving your recipe for these tabs a try, I've tried another type but they left a film on a lot of my dishes & left some very spotty. I was wondering if I can swap the baking soda for washing soda? I feel like with our kind of water the baking soda my have been what left a film. What do you think? Thanks!

      Reply
    26. Kevalyn says

      April 16, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      These tabs work so well. I also added a few drops of lavender, lemon and orange essential oils to recipe . They smell so good and leave my dishes clean. I used a regular ice cube tray to mold. They are slightly larger than the brand I usually purchase but I haven't had any issues with leftover residue . Will definitely make more of these instead of purchasing tablets.

      Reply
    27. Melanie says

      April 29, 2017 at 3:31 pm

      These work amazingly well! I was literally taken back by how much cleaner my dishes and dishwasher were than with the store bought stuff! Unfortunately my tree nut allergic son had an allergic reaction around the time I mixed these and I realized later that the citric acid had a tree nut cross contamination warning. I've been unable to find citric acid that is tree nut free. Does anyone know of any?

      Reply
      • Becky says

        June 30, 2017 at 9:50 am

        If I were you I'd play around with the baking soda, dish soap, and I would add some lemon essential oil. If you mix a dryer mixture you should at least be able to form the soap with a mold. It may not be hard though. Maybe even use a small ice cream type scoop (small) to put into dishwasher instead of molding. Just a thought

        Reply
    28. Aairyn says

      May 11, 2017 at 8:29 pm

      Holy moly I've been reading all these comments and I would just like to say that you are a real trooper with all the replying and advice! I love these tablets, just came back for the recipe again to make a new batch. Thank you!

      Reply
    29. JoAnne says

      May 17, 2017 at 11:03 am

      I made these for the first time a few weeks ago. When I put the mixture into my ice cube trays, it kept expanding longer than 10 minutes. So much was coming out, that I had to repack the ice trays. Once they finally stopped expanding, I let it be for several hours. When I tried to take them out of the ice trays, just about ALL of them crumbled into a giant mess. I did one batch with blue Dawn and one batch with the Meyer's Lemon Grass soap. They both came out like this. What could I have done wrong?

      Reply
      • JoAnne says

        May 17, 2017 at 11:08 am

        I should mention that I made these for my toilet. I do plan on also making them for my dishwasher once I run out of the store bought detergent.

        Reply
    30. Rose says

      May 19, 2017 at 7:22 am

      I have just made this recipe twice but it turns to a fuzzy liquid, does it set over a period of hours? Your pictures dont look liquid like mine do.

      Reply
    31. Jean says

      July 03, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      The three ingredients for the toilet bombs and dishwashing tablets seem to be the same, is that right?

      Reply
    32. R says

      July 05, 2017 at 9:27 pm

      I just made these tonight, I have to let them sit overnight but so far I'm optimistic! They've been sitting for about 30 minutes. The consistencylooks similar to your photos, although they aren't rising like you mentioned. I hope that won't affect how well they work.

      Reply
    33. Monique says

      July 06, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      Just made these and they keep expanding no matter how often I scrape the overflow.......what gives?????

      Reply
      • Crystal says

        April 15, 2018 at 4:35 pm

        I love this recipe but I also find it hard with the expanding. So, I changed the way its molded. I mix all the ingredients and leave them in the bowl to expand. I wait until it not expanding much anymore, then I take a tablespoon measuring spoon, put some mixture in it and pack it down real hard and then tap it out. It makes a tab that's round on one side and flat on the other and then I let the tabs sit out in the air until they dry and harden and then I put them in an airtight container.

        Reply
        • Kim says

          May 09, 2018 at 4:57 pm

          wll try this method next time, thanks for sharing ;)

          Reply
        • T says

          January 28, 2019 at 1:44 am

          Awesome!

          Reply
        • Sloane says

          November 30, 2022 at 11:23 pm

          I have had this same issue whenever I use Citric Acid in most of my diy products but after MANY fails I think I found the trick to getting these to not bubble up as much. For me what has worked best is when you are adding any liquid to the citric acid to to add the liquid as slowly as possible little by little with constant mixing while adding the liquid.

          Reply
    34. Chris says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:50 pm

      Hello Jessica,
      Thank you for what you do. I love thieves all purpose cleaner. Any suggestions on how I can incorporate it into the dishwasher tabs?

      Reply
    35. Donna says

      August 04, 2017 at 6:28 am

      You don't have to make squares...get a small coffee scoop and scoop one scoop into the dishwasher soap dispenser and close it. Start washer!♥️

      Reply
      • Alexandra Anderson says

        December 01, 2017 at 6:00 pm

        Do you just keep the rest in an airtight container when you do this? Does the mixture get too hard to use if you didn't mold them? Also, do you use a tablespoon per load of dishes or? Thanks!

        Reply
    36. Tori Rockwell says

      November 08, 2017 at 9:41 am

      I halved this recipe added some orange essential oil drops and put it in my stinky washing machine. No more stinky machine and no more aour laundry! Never buy cleaner pcks again.

      Reply
    37. Denise says

      January 22, 2018 at 6:34 am

      These work like magic! Thank you so much for sharing!! I'll never buy them at the store again

      Reply
    38. Christine says

      January 26, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      This sounds awesome! I would really like to make them, but my husband said he is worried about the drain getting clogged and likes the ones we buy because he thinks they've put research into it to make sure it doesn't do that. I know that this is almost the same thing as what they make just without all the chemicals. You can even see on top of the tabs that there's dishsoap in them, but how can I convince him? Is there an article you can point me to? I've tried googling it already and no one seems to know what I want.

      Reply
    39. Jessica says

      March 09, 2018 at 4:28 pm

      I just made a another batch of your toilet bombs. I didn't realize this was the same recipe. They work so great can't wait to try them in the dishwasher. Thank you.

      Reply
    40. Tammy says

      May 20, 2018 at 7:11 am

      Hi Jessica,
      I have made these a couple of times now and can not get them to harden. I have also watched the video several times. Are you loosely packing them in the trays? I love how they clean. I have just been scooping the cleaner into my dishwasher but I really want this to come out correctly and cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. What are your thoughts?

      Tammy

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 20, 2018 at 8:38 am

        Hi, Tammy! Sorry you are having so much trouble. It may just be that you live in a different climate and they need less liquid. I put mine in while wet, and then dry them overnight. They should definitely come out hardened. Try less liquid and see if that helps!

        Reply
    41. Sarah Vacca says

      June 01, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      I always add a splash of vinegar in my dishwasher. So how will this affect the recipe?

      Reply
    42. Danica says

      August 22, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      Are these okay to use in energy efficient dishwasher models?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        August 23, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        Yes they are!

        Reply
    43. Leigh says

      October 27, 2018 at 5:16 am

      Hi, I followed the reciepe, mine expanded loads (might have put too much mixture into the ice cube trays) could this be th reason why they crumbled when I took them out of the tray?

      Reply
    44. Nicola Hambley says

      November 08, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      I made these exactly to the recipe, but they crumbled... why might that be? I’m now just left with the mix again. Trying to make them to add to my eco hampers I’m making for Christmas presents. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        November 08, 2018 at 5:11 pm

        You may want to take your mixture and add a little more vinegar to it. In some climates, if the air is really dry, you may need to add a little more moisture. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    45. Cheri zkunkel says

      November 09, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      My tabs expanded as I made them. I'm wondering if the dish detergent had vinegar in it. I don't think they should that.

      Reply
    46. Cath says

      February 15, 2019 at 12:36 am

      Adding salt will help with the hard water film 😊

      Reply
    47. Lindsey Hulks says

      March 01, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      Hi. Just tried to make these I'm in UK so used bicarb, Citric acid and washing up liquid and ended up with a massive foam mess, where did I go wrong?
      Thanks

      Reply
    48. Sheri says

      March 31, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      Has anyone seen any negative effects on their dishwasher (gumming up the dispenser, corrosion, etc.)? I have a brand-new dishwasher with a stainless steel tub, and would really hate to damage it!

      Reply
    49. Hannah Salzl says

      April 08, 2019 at 11:32 pm

      Would castile soap work instead of dish soap? I make dish soap with a mix of water and castile soap anyway, so could I use that or straight castile? If so, which would you recommend?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 09, 2019 at 6:50 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    50. H says

      June 14, 2019 at 5:44 pm

      Hi,
      Read your recipe.(erom the netherlands)..i'd like to try. Do you know of using this will harm the diswasher in any way?
      Thanks you

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        June 15, 2019 at 5:13 am

        Hi! These will not harm your dishwasher...so no worries! Have a beautiful weekend!

        Reply
    51. Donna says

      September 24, 2019 at 7:53 am

      I have never made successful dishwashing tablets before but these are Amazing!!!!! I am super fussy with my dishwashing tablets too and these are BETTER than any leading brand. My mixture expands a lot and is more like a fluffy texture than what is shown in your bowl, could I be doing something wrong? I find keeping them in the fridge stops them.from crumbing too.

      Reply
    52. Meghan says

      March 30, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      I just made my first batch of these, Half of them hardened up and turned out great. The other half keeps puffing up while it's drying and the top layer is flaking off. It'll be fine to use as powder, but what made some of them keep puffing up for this long? A little too much dish liquid?

      Reply
    53. Anel Pienaar says

      May 08, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Can I use tartaric acid instead of citric acid?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 11, 2020 at 9:26 am

        I'm not sure that would work for this.

        Reply
    54. Diamond says

      May 19, 2020 at 4:18 am

      Can i add like fresh lemon or lemon oil to give a scent

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 19, 2020 at 8:13 am

        I would only add lemon, lime or orange essential oils, and only a few drops, or they may not dry well.

        Reply
    55. Katie says

      September 09, 2020 at 9:08 am

      I just wanted to say this is recipe is amazing. Thought I'd have a look around as we ran out of store brought yesterday. And my pots have never been so sparkling. Not buying shop brought again.

      Reply
    56. Natalie Milton says

      February 10, 2021 at 11:23 am

      My tablets keep puffing up! I've patted them down now about 4 times...wondering if its to do with the washing up liquid i used (Ecover)...due to the repetitive puffing up im thinking it might be easier to add bicarb, citric acid and dishwasher liquid loose each time into compartment rather than make tabs?...

      Reply
    57. Faith says

      April 09, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      Any ideas on how to make this into a powder form? For a household of 6 it’s too much work to make tablets. I made these and love them but they were used in less than 2 weeks.

      Reply
    58. RW says

      August 08, 2021 at 9:46 am

      Thanks for the recipe. It worked great! My dishes are sparkling after the first load. My spouse just commented on how it seems the dishes are cleaner the past few days. (I had been using a gel forever.) We have hard water (limestone caves) and I did not use any rinse agent, glasses came out very clean, no spotting. I've shared this with several friends already and will try to pass the word.

      They were puffing up after I put the mix in the mold, so I made little "one teaspoon-sized" pods, let them foam in my 2 teaspoon ice cube molds (silicone), then came back and tamped them down. Will use either two or three for a load. One batch made 45 teaspoons. Should be 15 to 22 loads.

      This is very similar to the laundry pods I've made for many years. Just different ingredients. (6T Borax, 6T Arm&Hammer Washing Soda, and 4T Dawn liquid. Makes about 16 pods of 2teaspoon size.)

      Reply

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    I’m Jessica, a mom on a mission to show other women that you can live well without breaking the bank. I like to share the thrifty, creative ways that I make changes in my home in the hopes that it will spark the creativity in someone else! I love to share DIY projects, crafts, simple recipes and cleaning tips too! Read More…

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