Cleaning expert reveals how you can make your own dishwater tablets at home - they’re just 1p!

Dishwashers may save us a lot of time and energy when it comes to cleaning piles of dishes, but they aren’t the cheapest appliance to run.

Not only do they use a surprising amount of water, but dishwater tablets are often priced higher than you’d expect. 

Now one cleaning expert has come up with the perfect solution to keep your dishwasher running smoothly, for a fraction of the cost. Posting on social media as @mrs.ds.cleaning.reviews, she has posted how you can use a simple ice cube tray to create tablets that work out at just 1p each.

Many of us might have already looked into how to make our own cleaning sprays, bathroom cleaners and fabric softeners, so it seems only natural that there would be a way to make your own dishwater tablets. 

But how do you go about making your own dishwater tablets at home?

How do you make dishwater tablets at home?

The Instagram poster revealed that she uses just three simple ingredients to make her homemade dishwasher tablets. They’re all easy to find in supermarkets up and down the country. All you need then is a silicone ice cube mould and you’re ready to start. 

You will need:

• Baking soda
• Citric acid
• Washing up liquid 
• Silicone ice cube mould

Method:

• Mrs D started by putting one cup of bicarbonate of soda and a quarter cup of citric acid (available in cleaning aisles) in a bowl and mixing it
• She added one tablespoon of washing up liquid to the mix and stirred it in
• Once it was well combined, she pressed the mixture into the silicone ice cube moulds
• She then advises to leave the tablets to set for at least four hours, but overnight if possible 
• Once set, she simply popped them out of the mould and stored them in an airtight jar 

In her Instagram caption alongside the recipe post, Mrs D reveals just how much money this could save you.

According to her, one of these homemade dishwasher tablets will only cost you 1p. This is compared to around 17p per tablet for branded tablets, Mrs D claims. She suggests that over time, this saving could begin to add up considerably. 

What do the experts think of making dishwasher tablets at home?

Mrs D has recommended this recipe to her 62,000 followers and it seems to work for her. However one cleaning manufacturer has supposedly said it wouldn’t recommend the method.

Metro reports that Dri-Pak, who produce household cleaning and laundry products have said: “The issues with these home made recipes may not be apparent immediately and they may indeed appear to do the job at first, but the chances are that you’re storing up problems further down the line.’ 

The company supposedly added that washing up liquid isn’t intended for dishwasher use and could end up with suds over the floor.

So it seems the cleaning community may be divided when it comes to this particular homemade method.

Many of Mrs D’s followers have already commented their excitement at the method for making dishwasher tablets at home.

One wrote: ‘Wow love this!’ and another: ‘such a fab tip’. 

More and more of us have been inspired to spruce up our cleaning routine after the rise of cleaning expert Mrs Hinch with her handy cleaning tips and recommendations for favourite cleaning products.

With the profile of online cleaning experts never higher, we’re sure that this won’t be the last homemade cleaning hack we hear about.