Homemade Dish Tabs Recipe

If your kids are anything like mine, it can seem like they are snacking machines. Between meals and snacks, they make so many dishes dirty!

Before I became a mom, I never realized how much having children adds to dish duty. And washing dishes is one of those things that simply has to be done. Every. Day. Otherwise they take over your kitchen. Thank goodness for dishwashers!

You all know I love making my own products for use around the house. I really like knowing what ingredients are in the products I use (particularly when my children are going to be exposed to them) and oftentimes making products myself actually helps to save me money. It’s truly a win-win!

These dish tabs work just as well as store-bought and don’t contain any odd ingredients. They will get your dishes sparkling clean and you don’t need to worry about your families’ exposure. Plus, they are easy to make and you can cost much less than store-bought.

However, if you’re on a rush and don’t have time to make this recipe, here’s a dishwasher gel that’s safe and that you can get in most stores.

Homemade Dish Tabs Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup washing powder *
• 1 cup borax *
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• ½ cup Epsom salt (If you don’t have Epsom salt, you can use table salt, sea salt, or coarse Kosher salt.)
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 15 drops of citrus essential oils – like lemon and grapefruit
• Food coloring if desired
• Ice cube tray or silicone molds`

* You can save money by buying this kit that comes with the first 2 ingredients.

Directions:

Add the washing soda to a medium size bowl. Measure the borax and baking soda into the bowl and stir briefly.

Add your Epsom salt (or alternate salt choice) to the bowl.

Add the essential oils of your choice. If you are choosing to add food coloring, you can do that at this point; however, it is not necessary. Stir until well combined.

Add the vinegar to the bowl. It will fizz a bit, but that is just the vinegar reacting with the baking soda. Remember, those volcano experiments in school?!

Mix together until everything is combined and you can form a small ball when you squeeze it in your hand.

Press the mixture firmly into an ice cube tray or mold. Allow it to dry completely. I usually let it sit in the sun for a few hours.
If you’re drying your tabs inside, it is best to leave them overnight to make sure they are completely dry.

Store in an airtight container. Use just as you would a store-bought dishwasher tab.