What can I use instead of dishwasher tablets?

replacing dishwasher tablets A few months after purchasing a dishwasher, many people start counting the money they'll spend on detergent. While it's important to consider this beforehand and understand that you'll need to buy powder, salt, or tablets, all these products, especially the well-advertised ones, are indeed very expensive, sometimes unjustifiably so. That's why we decided to find an answer to the question: is there a substitute for dishwasher tablets?

We study the composition of the tablets

To understand how to replace dishwasher tablets, you first need to study their ingredients. The first dishwasher tablets had very simple ingredients; some were identical to regular detergent, while others consisted of just powder, salt, and rinse aid. Today, tablets are multifunctional products with promising names: 3 in 1, 4 in 1, 5 in 1, 7 in 1, 10 in 1, All in 1. These tablets are designed not only to clean dishes and give them shine, but also to protect the dishwasher itself.

We will list all the substances that may be included in the tablets, but keep in mind that some tablets contain them, while others may not.

Sodium citrate – necessary to stimulate foam formation, has antibacterial properties
Sodium percarbonate – has bleaching properties and is necessary for breaking down dirt.
Sodium carbonate softens water. It is also called soda ash.
Sodium bicarbonate softens water. It is also called baking soda.
Sodium disilicate – softens water and binds the tablet components into granules.
Sodium gluconate – fights scale by softening water.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid – necessary for removing scale from the dishwasher.
Isooctyl glucoside is a surfactant found in mouthwash.
Sorbitol is a sweetener.
Rapeseed oil esters – necessary for reducing the surface tension of water, included in the composition of the rinse aid.
Glycerin is necessary for viscosity and the gluing of all substances.
Amylase and protease – promote the breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates.
Subtilisin – promotes the breakdown of fats.
Surfactants for foam formation.

Please note: Some tablets may contain small amounts of phosphates for foaming and flavorings.

Having analyzed the composition of dishwasher tablets, and not being a chemist, the question arises as to why so many different substances are needed to soften water, especially since water softening occurs in an ion exchanger. No matter how expensive the tablet is, if you have very hard water, you will still have to add salt to the machine. The second point, in our opinion, was that such a substance as a sweetener seemed inappropriate, after all, it is a powder.

And the third, useless substance often added to tablets is fragrances. It's one thing if they're used in laundry detergent to scent the laundry, but why would dishes need a scent, since people eat from them? Substances that break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are added to laundry detergents, for example, but they're surprisingly much cheaper, further suggesting that we're being deceived. Therefore, some of the substances could easily be eliminated or replaced, making the tablets cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but not profitable for the manufacturer.

You can try making your own dishwasher tablets, especially now that we know what ingredients are needed and what substitutes they can be. Here are a couple of recipes.

Recipe one: making tablets

soda ash This recipe isn't 100% environmentally friendly. But on the other hand, all the substances in these tablets are used daily, and their concentrations are too low to cause serious health problems, unless, of course, you have allergies.

So, the substances needed to create foam and break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are contained in regular laundry detergent, so any baby powder, preferably without fragrances and phosphates, can be used as a base. We will use washing soda as a bleach and water softener. Well, you can use water as a binding element.

Mix the ingredients in the following proportions:

7 parts powder;
3 parts of soda ash.

Add water to the dry mixture little by little until you have a thick paste. Then, using a spoon, spoon the paste into molds, such as ice cube trays or candy molds. Let the mixture dry, and your homemade tablets are ready.

Important! If you find that your dishes aren't sparkling well with these tablets, consider adding a separate rinse aid to the compartment. This will be cheaper than using special tablets.

Recipe two: making tablets

replacing dishwasher tablets This recipe is not much different from the previous one. Instead of water, you can use a gel-like dishwashing liquid or glycerin as a binding agent. We take everything in the following proportion:

160 g powder;
36 g of soda ash;
4 g glycerin (or dishwashing detergent).

Mix everything and place into molds, let the mixture dry.

Important! When using baby powder, it is better to use a 40-45 degree wash cycle for washing dishes.⁰C, so that the substances that break down proteins are not destroyed.

Recipe three: making tablets

To prepare these tablets you need to take: borax

75 g of soda ash;
100 g borax;
250 g Epsom salts (magnesia);
20 g citric acid.

Dissolve the citric acid in a small amount of water and mix the remaining ingredients well. Then add the citric acid solution. When the mixture stops fizzing, pour it into the molds and let the tablets dry.

When using these homemade dishwasher tablets, be sure to add salt and, if necessary, rinse aid. These tablets are undoubtedly significantly cheaper than the widely known and advertised ones. Of course, these tablets do not contain substances for washing silverware that prevent it from tarnishing, but not all factory-made tablets do.

You can replace expensive dishwasher tablets not only with homemade tablets, but also with regular ones dishwashing detergents, which are sold separately. Yes, they're not as convenient to load into the machine, but if saving money is a concern, why not just use powder? So, we've offered you some alternatives for the tablets; experiment and find what works best for you.