Homemade Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Easy Homemade Dishwasher Rinse Aid Recipe for Spot-Free, Sparkling Dishes!
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I will admit it, DIY dishwasher detergent was something I thought I would never try. I assumed there was no way it would work. Boy was I wrong!
It may take a couple of tweaks until you find the exact ratios that work best with your water, as soft vs hard water makes a difference. But once you find that, homemade dishwasher detergent works wonderfully! And when you add this quick and easy homemade rinse aid for hard water spots to your load, you will never go back to buying the chemical and toxin filled dishwasher detergent pods you are used to.
Your bank account will thank you as well! Making your own costs a fraction of the amount of commercial brands.
I’ll never forget the time I bought some dishwasher detergent pods I’d never used before, but they were on sale. I figured, how bad can they be? It’s gonna save me like $10 bucks. So I gave them a shot. Well, that was a mistake. It ended up costing me money instead of saving me money! We couldn’t use them because there was so much chemical in them! After the first load, the dishes may have looked clean (kinda), but the smell on them was so strong and repulsive that no one wanted to use the dishes that had been washed with it. It was terrible!! And it took several washes with a different detergent to get rid of the smell.
I learned my lesson not to be cheap. I also learned that these things must have a huge amount of crap in them, that is likely very unhealthy for my family to be using.
Not to say that there are no good dishwasher detergent pods out there that you can buy in the store, there are, and I’ve used them for many years with great results. The thing is, no matter how great they work, they still are one of the most toxic products you can use in your house. And the price of the good ones keeps going up and up.
Once I decided to give homemade dishwasher detergent a shot, I was hooked! It is incredibly easy to make, takes only a few simple ingredients (half of which you likely have in the house already), and works surprisingly well.
Don’t forget to check out my easy DIY dishwasher detergent pod recipe as well! They make a perfect combo with this rinse aid.
Why Do You Need a Rinse Aid?
Great question! I’ve never used one before either. In fact, I had no idea what that extra little compartment was even for in my dishwasher.
Many people wonder if rinse aid is really necessary, but if you’ve ever searched for how to get spot free dishes in a dishwasher or tried different tricks to remove cloudy film, you already know why it matters.
A homemade dishwasher rinse aid isn’t soap—it works by breaking the surface tension of water so it slides off your dishes more easily during the final rinse cycle. This prevents lingering droplets from drying into streaks, water spots, or that frustrating cloudy haze.
It’s especially helpful if you have hard water, since minerals like calcium and magnesium are the main culprits behind spots and buildup. By using rinse aid and washing on a high heat setting, your dishes dry faster, look crystal clear, and come out sparkling every time—without the need for rewashing.
It also helps in ensuring your dishes come out with a fresh clean smell! No more musty or earthly smells will be on your dishes……. you know the ones that make you gag trying to drink out of the cup or eat off of the fork…… you’ll even notice the dishwasher itself is cleaner.
Only 2 Ingredients Needed for Spot Free Dishes
This homemade dishwasher rinse aid is so easy to whip up! You could get away with just Citric Acid and water, but I find the lemon essential oil adds an extra shine. It also smells great, so your dishes will never have that gross smell they can sometimes get in a dishwasher.
Ok, let’s go over the ingredients and where you can buy them………
Citric Acid
Citric acid is the powerhouse ingredient in this recipe. Naturally found in citrus fruits, it breaks down hard water deposits, limescale, and stubborn film on glassware. It also softens the water, which helps prevent those pesky white streaks and spots. By neutralizing minerals, citric acid ensures your dishes come out looking crystal clear and sparkling.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil adds more than just a fresh, clean scent. It has natural degreasing and antibacterial properties, making it excellent for cutting through any leftover food oils or residue. Combined with citric acid, it boosts the cleaning power of the rinse aid while leaving your dishwasher and dishes smelling bright and fresh.
Water
Water acts as the base of your rinse aid recipe, helping to evenly distribute the citric acid and essential oil throughout your dishwasher cycle. It dilutes the mixture to a safe, effective concentration while still being powerful enough to cut through mineral buildup and residue.
Homemade Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Difficulty: Beginner, Easy8
Ounces2
minutes2
minutesEquipment:
– 8oz bottle …. Buy in Canada or Buy in US
Ingredients
Directions
- Place bottle on a kitchen scale to make measuring quick and easy.
- Add the citric acid and lemon essential oil to warm water.
- Put lid on bottle and shake well until the citric acid is completely dissolved.
Notes
- If you don’t have citric acid, you can substitute it with white cleaning vinegar. Citric acid just works better and is more gentle on your dishwasher.
- Lemon juice can be used instead of the lemon essential oil as well, if that’s what you have.
- Make sure you label your bottle! You will not remember what is in it. I LOVE my Niimbot B1 label maker and printer for this (Buy in CAN or USA). Its comes with a free and easy to use app where you can design your labels just the way you want. It quickly and seamlessly prints high quality, and waterproof labels. I haven’t found any easier way to keep my DIY products organized and identified, then this label printer. You will love it for everything in your home! Here are the links again for the exact model I use, buy in CAN or USA.
How to Use DIY Rinse Aid for Dishwasher
For best results, I suggest pouring a couple of tablespoons of this mixture right on the bottom of your dishwasher and then start your load.
Alternatively, you can add it to the rinse aid compartment on your dishwasher door (the one next to the detergent compartment). Fill it until it’s full, as needed.
You will also get the best results by running your dishwasher on a high heat setting. Use the right amount of detergent as well. I have an amazing homemade dishwasher detergent pod recipe coming to you soon (stay tuned), that when used with this rinse aid is the perfect combination!
If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to share it with a friend and save it to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy. And if you want more simple, natural recipes, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter – I’ve got plenty more tips and recipes coming out on a weekly basis.
