Do you ever wonder what you would do if you suddenly realized that you were out of dishwasher detergent? Of course, you could just wash everything by hand, but you’ll probably like this little trick even better. Here’s what to use instead of dishwasher detergent or tabs!
I learned the most useful little trick recently and I just had to share it here. I found myself close to running out of the dishwasher tabs that we use, which never happens, and I wondered if there was something that would work instead if I ever actually did run out. I try to really stay on top of all of our household supplies, but sometimes it’s good to run out, or come close to running out of something because you can learn some pretty fun things! I ended up doing a few experiments and found out what works best in a dishwasher when using your regular product isn’t an option, so here’s what to use instead of dishwasher detergent or tabs!
Supplies Needed for the Dishwasher Detergent Substitute
You’ll need:
- Regular dish soap
- Baking soda
That’s it! Who else is super surprised at how simple the solution is? Of course, I’m sure no one is surprised that baking soda is involved. 🙂 Baking soda’s always the answer, isn’t it?
By the way, this is a great picture of how our wood counter tops look in their absolute worst state. This area next to the sink is probably the most heavily-used and I haven’t treated them with flax oil in months. I’ll get to it one of these days, it only takes a minutes and it absolutely erases all of those scratch marks. It’s amazing. You can read a bit more about our IKEA counters in this post here, if you’re interested: Our IKEA Wooden Counters, 3 Years Later.
What to Use Instead of Dishwasher Detergent
So here’s what you do if you ever run out of dishwasher detergent.
First, open up the little door where you would normally put in your regular detergent or tab. Add in just three drops of regular dish soap, something like Dawn, or whatever you normally have on hand. After experimenting, I discovered that the exact size of the drop doesn’t matter too much. Just squeeze the bottle three times and get out what looks like three drops-ish, or about 1/2 a teaspoon.
On top of that, add in two heaping teaspoons of regular baking soda.
Close the little flap to the detergent compartment, close the dishwasher door, and run your dishwasher as you normally would! Works like a charm!
Of course, regular hand washing is a great solution too. It gives you a few moments to think and enjoy the warm, soapy water, and it really does a better job of cleaning your dishes than any dishwasher ever will. If you don’t have time for that though, this dishwasher detergent substitute trick is for you! 🙂
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.