Homemade Dishwasher Rinse Aid—3 Recipes
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Dishwasher rinse aids work great, but they're pricey and loaded with chemicals you just might not want in your home. Why not make your own homemade dishwasher rinse aid instead? Your dishes, your wallet, and the environment will thank you!
I've got three totally natural recipes for you to try, plus I also share what you want to avoid. Not all recipes for DIY rinse aids are safe!
In an effort to reduce the toxins in our home and environment, I've been making homemade cleaning products for some time.
Some I've made because I just wanted to, but some I've made out of sheer necessity. This time it was a case of the latter.
Dirty Dishes in New Dishwasher
When we had to get a new dishwasher, I chose a really good model (on sale of course) and thought we'd have fabulously clean dishes as a result. Instead, I found myself having to clean at least 1/4 of the top rack every single load. Ugh.
Washing dishes by hand after they've gone through the dishwasher cycle is for sure not efficient and not what this already-too-busy-mom needs at the end of the day. Something had to change.
I called the dishwasher manufacturer and they sent me a few samples of dishwasher rinse aid saying that that would help, plus they recommended a specific and very expensive type of detergent.
Well, the detergent I was open to trying, but this frugal-minded mom was determined not to spend even more money and put even more toxic chemicals into our home and the environment.
So off to figure out how to make an all-natural homemade dishwasher rinse aid, I went.
I read somewhere that putting straight vinegar in the rinse aid compartment was a quick and easy DIY Jet Dry alternative.
So I tried it and it worked.
However, soon after making this “genius” discovery, a dishwasher repairman warned me that the acid could possibly eat away at the seals of the compartment. Yikes!
Instead, he recommended the first super simple homemade dishwasher rinse aid that I am sharing with you here.
WARNINGS ABOUT DIY RINSE AIDS
Before we get to the recipes, however, there are some important things you should know about other homemade rinse aids on the internet. Some are quite dangerous.
Don't Mix Acids with Peroxide
There are some recipes online for DIY Rinse Aid made by combining citric acid with peroxide. This is NOT a good idea.
Also, don't mix peroxide with vinegar. Or with any acid. Mixing peroxide with acid makes a super strong oxidizer that can etch metal.
Be Careful with Essential Oils
Essential oils don't mix with water. So if you put essential oils in with peroxide or with water and citric acid, the oils will sit on top and likely will end up creating gummy residue in your machine that might cause a problem.
Don't Use Rubbing Alcohol
There are also some DIY Rinse Aids that recommend using rubbing alcohol as an ingredient. This might ruin your dishwasher that I know of, but it's pretty noxious and rubbing alcohol's fumes are flammable and should be kept from any heat source.
I don't think that the dishwasher's heat source would necessarily be a problem, but better to be safe than sorry and I think the fumes would get pretty intense. Since rubbing alcohol's fumes aren't considered the best to be exposed to, let's just not do this.
3 DIY DISHWASHER RINSE AIDS
Now here are the 3 Easiest Rinse Aids you can make. So easy, you'll never go back to buying it again!
Vinegar Dishwasher Rinse Agent
- Place a small cup in your dishwasher's top rack.
- Fill said cup with a 1/4 – 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
- Run dishwasher as usual.
I mean, who can beat saving tons of money, doing it naturally, and not mucking up the environment with all of those chemicals and extra packaging?
Here's a photo of our dishwasher. The vinegar is in the little plastic container on the lower left. Side note: this is why we have rubber bands on our glasses.
Now, I know it seems crazy, but this really does work. You'd think that the action of the dishwasher would cause all of the vinegar to be diluted greatly before it could help, but it didn't.
I'm sure the effectiveness of this method will depend on the position of the dishwasher arms in your dishwasher.
If this doesn't work for you, another option is to pour a 1/4 – 1/2 cup of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher when the rinse cycle starts. Of course, you have to keep an eye on the dishwasher while it's running to do that.
So here is that Super Easy Rinse Aid plus two other options that are basically just as simple!
Peroxide Dishwasher Rinsing Agent
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Instructions
Pour some peroxide into your dishwasher's rinse aid dispenser and run the dishwasher as usual.
Genius Tip: Add a few drops of food coloring (natural food coloring is preferred) so you can see how much is left if you have a compartment that holds a lot of rinse aid.
Pitfalls of this method
Peroxide can bleach cloth, so take care to not get it on your clothes or kitchen linens.
Citric Acid Dishwasher Rinse Agent
- 2 Cups Citric Acid
- 5-10 Drops Essential Oils
Instructions
Mix ingredients and store in a jar.
Place one tablespoon of mixture in the rinse aid compartment prior to each load of dishes.
Pitfalls of this method
Citric Acid can get clumpy if you live in a humid environment. If this happens, you can place a tablespoon or so of bentonite clay in a baby sock or small cloth/rag, seal it with a rubber band, and keep it in the jar with your citric acid blend to absorb moisture.
Other Homemade Healthier Home Products
Looking for more ways to save money and detoxify your life? Here are some other DIY green cleaning formulas to try.
- Easy Homemade Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent
- Homemade Soft Scrub
- Homemade Moisturizing Foaming Soap
- No-Streak Window Cleaner
DIY Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Ingredients
Vinegar Dishwasher Rinse Agent
- 1/4-1/2 cup White Vinegar
Peroxide Dishwasher Rinse Aid
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Food Coloring (natural preferred)
Citric Acid Dishwasher Rinse Aid
- 2 cups citric acid
- 5-10 drops essential oils (optional)
Instructions
Vinegar Dishwasher Rinse Agent
- Place a small cup in your dishwasher's top rack.
- Pour vinegar into the cup.
- Run dishwasher as usual.
Peroxide Dishwasher Rinse Aid
- Fill your rinse aid compartment with peroxide.
Citric Acid Dishwasher Rinse Aid
- Combine the citric acid and essential oils (if using) and store in a jar. Place one tablespoon in your rinse aid compartment before running a load of dishes in the dishwasher.
- You can also blend the citric acid with water and then add that to the rinse aid compartment, if you like, but it's really an extra unnecessary step.
Notes
Problems With the Peroxide Dishwasher Rinse Aid Method.
Peroxide can bleach clothing so take care to not get this on your clothing. NOTE: Some recipes online recommend mixing peroxide with citric acid. Do NOT do that. Also, don't mix peroxide with vinegar. Or with any acid. Mixing peroxide with acid makes a super strong oxidizer that can etch metal.Problems With Citric Acid Dishwasher Rinse Aid Method.
Citric Acid can get clumpy if you live in a humid environment. If this happens, you can place bentonite clay in a baby sock or small cloth, seal it with a rubber band, and keep it in the jar with your citric acid blend to absorb moisture.How to Clean Your Dishwasher
To help your dishwasher rinse aid work even better, try these tips.
If you have particularly hard water, try running your dishwasher with vinegar or citric acid every so often or even once weekly to clean it. Simply put 1 cup of vinegar or 1/4 to 1/2 cup of citric acid, or 1 cup of lemon juice either in the bottom of the dishwasher or in a container of the center rack before running it.
With these tips and recipes, you'll have your dishwasher running great, spotless glasses and silverware, without breaking the bank or spending a ton of time!
Can I use this in my dishwasher no matter the make or model? Somewhere I read that you should contact the manufacturer before using something other than the recommended jet dry.
I am enjoying your blog!
Kristie,
I can’t imagine this causing a problem, but please check with your manufacturer. I just looked for my manual and couldn’t find it. I don’t recall that warning, but I can’t be sure.
OK, what is LEMISHINE? iS IT CONSIDERED natural? Also, I can only find a small container of citric acid at a local grocer (used for canning tomatoes!) I tried to make the homemade dishwasher detergent with it, but it left a film on our dishes. The next best was trader joes DW detergent, but it’s about an hour away from us. So when I run out, I’m stuck. it’s also VERY cheap. However, I’ve been forced to buy Mrs. Meyers from the healthfood store. I bought a $2 cheaper brand at Publix, but it leaves many dishes still dirty–like, they look like they didn’t get washed at all. I tried another ‘natural’ brand for about the same price. But it looks like I’ll have to stock up on Trader Joes the next time. Mrs. Meyers costs $8 per 20 use pkg!
We are also REQUIRED to use Jet Dry by our DW manufacturer (Samsung). Has anyone used just the vinegar and NOT HAD a white film residue?
Thanks for your comments! And Thanks, WHOLE NEW MOM, for bringing up this great topic. I’m trying to go natural. I only buy windex. I have a gallon bottle of Simple green, and I dilute it so thin that it should last me another year. I mostly clean the counters with just a damp rag that gets rinsed after each use. I’m not really fussy about disinfecting. and none of us has gotten sick yet from salmonella or anything else…
Cindy,
I looked up Lemishine and it looks fairly natural, but there are fragrances and not completely defined ingredients, so I am going to work on a different solution. Did you see the reader’s recommendation on herbalcom.com? I don’t know where their products come from, but they are cheap! My recommendation for Frontier Citric Acid is the best price otherwise that I have found. You’ll get $5 off your first order also. Very nice.
I am not an appliance expert, but the “requirement” that you use Jet Dry seems crazy to me. They probably just know that it will give better results and you won’t be complaining about your dishwasher not working well.
If I can’t find a natural solution, I’ll have to stock up on Trader Joe’s the next time we are in Chicago. Thanks for the tip!
IMO, Bio-Kleen makes the BEST dishwasher detergent. Soap.com has good sales on it. Whole Foods carries it. And I buy mine from https://www.azurestandard.com. No colors or bleach–just clean dishes
I like Biokleen, but I really need the rinse aid to get my dishes clean using it. Thanks for the tip!
I’ve been using white vinegar in my dishwasher for about the past year and am thrilled with the results! Good luck on the dishwasher detergent, though; I’ve tried several different recipes (differing amount in the ingredients mentioned in an above comment) with little success. For now I simply buy the cheapest liquid I can find at Winco and use the vinegar as a rinse agent. Hope you find a recipe that works for you, though. I’d have loved to be able to use homemade! Blessings, ~Lisa
Lisa, I know. I have tried 1-2 recipes for the dishwasher detergent and have not been pleased at all. There is so much going on with dishwashers and soaps that it just might not work out, but I am not giving up quite yet :-). Hope to have a winner to share soon!
Blessings to you as well,
~Adrienne
I have given up, so if you find something I would LOVE to hear it! I think it depends on your hard water. I will have to try the lemishine stuff because I’m tired of ruining our glassware.
Thanks for the info!
I have also used white vinegar for a few years and have had good results. I checked my favorite place for ordering bulk herbs to see if they offer citric acid. They do carry it for $3.75 for a pound. It is herbalcom.com.
Hi Karen,
I prefer organic herbs & spices, but that sure is a great price for the citric acid – thanks!
The vinegar alone still left a white residue from our extremely hard water. The Lemishine worked wonders in removing it and keeps it away. Though I still use the vinegar as a rinse agent. I think I’ll try the home made soap with the citric acid. I would love to not have to buy dishwasher soap AND the Lemishine =)
Hi –
i hope this works. I use Lemi-Shine ($4) for 12 oz. at Walmart, and i also use Jet-Dry, from Costco. It is really expensive keeping dishes clean in dishwashers! It’s because the citric acid has been removed from the dishwashing detergents. I do have on my to-do list to check the price of citric acid. Whole Foods sells it for too much, but i know online sources may also sell it at a significant savings.
I use Lemi-Shine as 1/3 of the powder, and Cascade 2/3 powder in the detergent dispenser. Then I use Jet-Dry as a rinse-aid.
seriously, does this vinegar take off hard-water stains? Our area is one of hardest in the nation for water.
Paula
Hi Paula,
I just checked and Iherb seems to have the best price on citric acid. $6.93 for 1 pound. Frontier citric acid is the best price. You can get $5 off your first order if you are new new customer. They have great prices.
I hope that helps.
I’ve been using white vinegar as a rinse aid for years. It really does work well!
Doesn’t the vinegar hamper dishwasher?
There are more comments about this now. Thanks.
Try this for dishwasher detergent:
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing (NOT baking) soda
2 tablespoons citric acid…easy to find where you buy canning jars.
Simply put the ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix.
Thanks, Patty. That’s very similar to the recipe I was going to try!
I have been doing this for a while now and it’s great. I don’t even have to add the food colouring because my dishwasher tells me when to add more.
I’m excited about the comment for the homeade dishwasher detergent.I have been looking for something like that. I can’t wait to try it. I’ve made the homemade laundry soap which uses borax and washing soda. All I’ll have to get is the citric acid. You can find the my blog post about the homemade laundry soap here – https://sarahstruss.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-laundry-soap.html ).
Thanks for the tip! I love vinegar and use it wherever I can, it’s great to have another use for it!
We use white vinegar to clean just about everything in our house…..and we also use it as fabric softener.
Several people noted in my post about homemade dishwasher detergent that white vinegar did help but it seemed that the “lemashine” added to the detergent did a really great job. I was told it was located in the dishwasher detergent aisle. However, I’m sure it costs more than white vinegar. 🙂
Hard for me to be much of a “tester” since I don’t have a dishwasher. 🙂
Hi Stacy,
I heard about lemashine too. Vinegar is by far cheaper. I hope I get a detergent that works soon :-). Maybe I’ll check the lemashine, but I’m pretty happy with this.
Here’s my fav detergent recipe. Mix together 1/2 cup liquid soap, (I use Dr. Woods- similar to Dr. Bronner’s- except the price!) 1/2 cup water, 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Blend well and store in a plastic bottle. Two tablespoons will do for one load of dishes.