From Nutrition to "Home Chemistry": Why I’m Mixing My Own Dishwasher Tablets
- Amy Eley
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
If you’d have asked me a few years ago—or even a few months ago—if I’d be mixing chemicals in my own kitchen, I would’ve thought you were crazy. Yet here I am, at 9 PM, surrounded by jars and powders.
I’ve gone down a rabbit-hole and I can't seem to stop. My journey started with a passion for nutrition; I wanted to ensure that what we eat is a tool for preventing disease. But that path led me to a startling realization: it’s not just about what we put in our bodies, but what we use to clean the things we eat from.
I’ve started looking at the items in our homes that silently cause hormonal imbalances without us even realizing it.
The Problem Under the Sink
We are rarely told the truth about conventional dishwasher tablets outside of social media, but the science is concerning. Most standard tabs are a cocktail of synthetic surfactants, fragrances, and bleaching agents.
A study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that residue from professional and domestic rinse aids can actually damage the protective lining of our gut (the epithelial barrier). When that gut barrier is compromised, it can lead to chronic inflammation and other health issues.
Then there’s the "fragrance." Those synthetic scents often contain phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors. They interfere with our natural hormone signals. We wash our plates in these chemicals, then eat our nutritious meals right off them. It just didn’t make sense to me anymore.
Mixing it Up
So, here I am, mixing distilled vinegar, dishwasher salt, citric acid, and bicarbonate soda like an old-fashioned chemist (and kind of loving it, by the way). My husband even got a kick out of watching the mixture expand—it’s like a secondary school science experiment!
The Recipe
I followed a recipe from Striving for Simple because I love that I can pronounce every single ingredient. Aside from the essential oils and salt, everything is food-grade. What I used to fill two ice-cube trays:
1 cup Bicarbonate of Soda
1 cup Citric Acid
1/2 cup Salt
1/2 cup Distilled Vinegar
A few drops of Essential Oil
I’m also using my Seep gloves—a company my mum heard of first. I love that they aren't adding to the plastic waste crisis. Did you know plastic takes around 500 years to decompose?
What’s Next?
I may have "over-egged" the Amazon shopping for my bulk ingredients, so I have plenty of supplies left. If these tablets work, my friends and family might be getting dishwasher tabs for their birthday presents!
I’m also planning to use that distilled vinegar to wipe down my rainbow pans and maybe find a recipe for natural dish soap or multi-purpose sprays.
Follow me to find out if they actually worked and to see where this wormhole takes me next. Let's see what else I can swap out!
Shop my "Home Lab": Below are my affiliate links for the products I used. Please consider clicking the link—it costs you nothing but helps me continue this blog!
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