Technology
What to use instead of dishwasher tablets
If you need to run the dishwasher but have run out of dishwasher tablets, find out what to do.
Yes! Use these things
The best alternative to dishwasher tablets
Fill the tablet dispenser three-quarters full with baking soda (also called baking soda). Add two to three drops of dishwashing liquid (literal three drops and no more – see warning below). Make sure your dishwasher salt is topped up and run your dishwasher.
white vinegar
If you don’t have baking soda, place a cup of white vinegar on the top rack. The acid in the vinegar should cut through the grease from your dishes. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than leaving the dishes out and letting the dishwasher turn into a smelly cupboard.
Only use vinegar occasionally in an emergency: using it too often will wear out the rubber inside the machine, including the gasket (the seal around the door of your dishwasher).
Definitely don’t use these things
Dishwashing liquid
Unless you want a bubble bath on your kitchen floor, DO NOT fill your dishwasher reservoir with detergent. Dish soap is made to create a lot of foam, while dish soap doesn’t foam at all. The foam will escape down the sides of the door during the cycle and you’ll spend the rest of the day wiping away any slippery bubbles.
I have been there. Cleaning up takes hours.
If this information comes too late, here’s what you can do.
- Stop your dishwasher as soon as possible.
- Remove as much foam water from the dishwasher as possible.
- Break down the bubbles. The best way I’ve found – and it’s much more effective if you live in an area with hard water – is to use a bar of soap. Thoroughly lather your hands with a bar of soap and run your hands and the bar of soap through the bubbles. The soap reacts with minerals in the water, creating a defoamer. You may have experienced something similar if you’ve ever used soap during a bubble bath and killed all the bubbles.
- You can also sprinkle sea salt on the bubbles on your floor to break them down. When clearing the overflow, try to use wipes that you can throw away afterwards, at least for the initial stages of clearing, otherwise you’ll repeat the foam party problem in your washing machine.
- Run your dishwasher again on a cool setting, with a cup of vinegar in it.
Borax
If you’re looking online for dishwasher tablet replacements, Borax is one thing that keeps coming up. But you should not actually use this in your dishwasher.
In Europe, Borax has been banned altogether and in the US the FDA has banned it as a food additive due to concerns about its potentially harmful effects on reproductive health.
Although the exposure you would get from using it in your dishwasher is extremely low, you are already exposed to it in the things you eat and drink, so it is unwise to add more of it to your daily life. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
If you can’t get baking soda, you can buy borax substitute instead.
Vinegar and baking soda
Several online sources recommend making your own dishwasher tablets by using these two ingredients together. But here’s why you shouldn’t do it. It is not dangerous by the way; it’s just pointless.
After the first effervescent reaction (which produces carbon dioxide and sodium acetate and is good for clearing drains), a second reaction takes place: a decomposition into water and carbon dioxide gas.
What this essentially means is that the cleaning power the two have together will blow away when you first mix them together.
But both on their own are a good option for getting your dishes clean.
After more dishwasher advice? Read here how to load and maintain your dishwasher (correctly). We also have advice on the best air fryer to buy, as well as the best vacuum cleaner.
