DIY dishwasher tablets

For completely unknown reasons, the cost of branded tablets for dishwashers exceeds one and a half thousand (!) rubles per kilo. It’s just scary to imagine what scarce components are included in their composition. The question immediately arises - what if you make miracle pills yourself, and how much worse will they be than the branded ones? And will it get worse?

The article discusses the recipe and production technology of quite decent substitutes for the magic remedy.

The composition of store analogues: is it worth relying on it?

The tablets contain enzymes, defoamer, phosphates, soda, surfactants and fragrance. The composition is largely identical to washing powder, with the exception of soda, and, strictly speaking, its function is the same - removing dirt and food debris. But besides washing powder, there are many other effective means.

What you need to make homemade detergent

There are a considerable number of effective formulations of products sold in any hardware store or grocery store. The goal is to make the most effective product with minimal investment of time and money, and this is where we will proceed when selecting materials.

To prepare homemade detergents, the basic ingredients are washing powder, baking soda or soda ash, mustard powder, dishwashing detergent, essential oil, and borax. The main components are soda and washing powder. Below are several useful recipes for gels and dishwasher tablets based on these components.

Popular recipes

Based on mustard powder

The composition includes soda, mustard powder and dishwashing detergent. Soda is mixed in equal proportions with mustard powder, after which detergent is added to the mixture to form a gel. Despite the fact that mustard powder removes dirt very well, there is a drawback - the machine gets clogged due to its grinding. Therefore, it cannot be used in its pure form; it must be used in the form of a gel.

With added soda and salt

To make baking soda and salt tablets, you will need two cups of baking soda, one cup each of salt, water, half a cup of citric acid and a tablet mold. First, the dry ingredients are mixed and then water is slowly added. The product will foam a lot - this is normal. The mixture is poured into molds and allowed to dry. The hardening time of the resulting slurry is from half an hour to an hour and a half.

Soap based gel

To prepare the gel, you will need a liter of boiling water, 50 grams of soda ash and soap shavings and, if desired, 5 drops of fragrant essential oil as a flavoring agent.Soap shavings are first added to boiling water, then, constantly stirring the composition, soda and oil are added. Instead of soda ash, you can use baking soda, but the effect of the product will be weaker.

A mixture of soda and borax

The advantage of this recipe is the absence of streaks on washed dishes due to the use of borax, as well as the low cost and availability of materials. In addition to soda ash and borax in equal proportions, you can add dishwashing gel to enhance the effect.

Features of homemade dishwasher tablets

How well do dishes wash?

It cannot be said that all the recipes described above ideally, to the point of an unbearable shine in the eyes, instantly wash burnt pans, before you have time to blink your eye. Recipes from folk craftsmen are slightly weaker than branded tablets and gels. However, if you compare the criteria of quality and price, then the undeniable leadership is in recipes made from scrap materials.

How much does it cost to make homemade dishwasher tablets?

Let's estimate the cost of materials:

• 400 grams of soda costs 20 rubles.
• 400 grams of baby powder 45 rubles.
• 10 ml. dishwashing detergent - 1 ruble.

Total: powder and 80 grams of soda (1 to 5) = 49 rubles and 5 rubles for dishwashing detergent + your personal 20 minutes.

The output is 500 grams of finished tablets or 31 pieces, which is equal in cost to 54 rubles/31 pieces = 1.75 rubles. That is, practically for nothing.

The degree of safety of home dishwashing products in comparison with store-bought analogues

Any chemical components of tablets and gels do not make users healthier and do not improve the state of the ecological environment, no matter what advertising claims about the environmental friendliness of the product.The water can be either clean or contaminated with all sorts of super-mixtures for washing dishes. No one will be able to drink it anymore, and no one will be able to live in it either.

In terms of toxicity and harmfulness, homemade tablets and gels are no different from branded ones, and maybe even cleaner from an environmental point of view. The recipes listed above consist of substances that do not cause allergies in most people and are not highly toxic or life-threatening. Therefore, if you have the time and desire, chemical experiments in this area will pay off with interest.