Skip to content
Natural DIY Dishwashing detergent

Make dishwashing liquid yourself - natural & plastic-free

As you can only get washing-up liquid with lots of artificial additives in plastic bottles, you should use your Make your own washing-up liquid. In addition to the plastic packaging, the washing-up liquid itself may also contain microplastics. The Palm oilwhich is contained in many washing-up liquids, is something we also want to avoid! So today we're giving you a short guide on how you can make your own washing-up liquid easily and naturally in future and avoid producing plastic waste. In addition to making it from Baking soda & vegetable soap, I have two more alternatives for you to make your own washing-up liquid.

Make your own washing-up liquid - the natural ingredients

While conventional washing-up liquids contain palm oil or artificial substances for whitening and filling, our plastic-free washing-up liquid is made from purely sustainable ingredients. You really don't need much to make your own plastic-free washing-up liquid. Get these things to make your own washing-up liquid:

500 - 700 ml container + cooking pot

Of course, you need a container so that your homemade washing-up liquid doesn't run away 😉 To do this, you should either reuse the bottle from your old washing-up liquid or find a suitable glass bottle. In principle, a large jar will also work, but it's best if the opening is not so large. This is the basis for making your own washing-up liquid.

25 g grated vegetable soap

Make dishwashing liquid yourself - grated Aleppo soap
Grate 25g vegetable soap


Plant soap is natural without any artificial additives. Ideal for making your own washing-up liquid. It's best to get this aleppo soapIt consists of 60% olive oil and 40% laurel oil. You will need to grate these later for your homemade washing-up liquid. Get yourself such a plastic free graterif you don't already have it in your kitchen. The vegetable soap is therefore completely palm oil-free and is not only good for making your own washing-up liquid, but is also the ideal plastic-free replacement for hand washing soap from the plastic dispenser. The soap is also produced without animal testing, is suitable for all skin types and is biodegradable. Rubbing the soap takes about 3 minutes.
You can order the Aleppo soap online without plastic here

2 tsp baking soda

Dishwashing liquid make yourself with sodium bicarbonate
You also need 2 teaspoons of baking soda


If you want to make your own washing-up liquid, you should definitely get some baking soda. As baking soda has a fat-dissolving effect, it is the perfect, plastic-free alternative to chemical ingredients in conventional washing-up liquid. In addition to using it for your homemade washing-up liquid, you can also use the all-purpose weapon baking soda for many other things in the household. For example, you can use baking soda to make your own bath bombs, remove odors from textiles or remove stains from carpets. Just get some more baking soda right away, you can usually only get a few grams in the supermarket at overpriced prices.
Here you can get baking soda plastic-free and much cheaper than in the supermarket

5 drops of essential oil

Essential oils are natural and give your washing-up liquid a pleasant fragrance. However, I must also say that essential oils are not all that important for making your own washing-up liquid. The oil simply rounds off your homemade washing-up liquid and gives you the opportunity to make your washing-up liquid even more individual.

500 ml water

The last and very important ingredient for making your own washing-up liquid is about 500 ml of water. I'll show you when to add the ingredients to the water in the step-by-step instructions for your homemade washing-up liquid.
That's all you need to make your own natural washing-up liquid without any artificial additives.

Dishwashing detergent make yourself - tutorial
Your homemade washing-up liquid could look like this! You can use baking soda for many other things.

How to make your own plastic-free washing-up liquid

Now you have all the ingredients you need to make your own washing-up liquid. Grated vegetable soap/aleppo soap, baking soda, water, perhaps some essential oils, a saucepan and a container for your homemade washing-up liquid. Now you can make your own washing-up liquid:

Boil 500 ml of water

Once the Aleppo soap has been grated and all the other ingredients are ready in the quantities mentioned, you can bring the 500 ml of water to the boil in a saucepan. The water is the basis for making the washing-up liquid yourself.

Add 25 g grated vegetable soap

Now you can add all the ingredients for your homemade washing-up liquid to the boiling water. First add the 25 g of Aleppo soap to the saucepan.

Add 5 drops of essential oil

If you like, you can now also add the 5 drops of your essential oil. The oil gives your homemade washing-up liquid a cool fragrance that you can vary as you wish. However, the essential oil is not a must for making your own washing-up liquid.

Add 2 tsp. baking soda

Now it's time to add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the boiling water. Baking soda has a fat-dissolving and cleaning effect and is a great plastic-free, natural alternative to chemical washing-up liquid. Two teaspoons of baking soda are enough.

Stir the washing-up liquid well

Now you can stir your homemade washing-up liquid well and boil for 1 minute on a low heat. The combination of baking soda and vegetable soap is ideal for your own washing-up liquid.

Fill the dishwashing liquid and shake vigorously

Now pour your homemade washing-up liquid into your container, from which you will always use it in the future. If possible, naturally & plastic-free. Alternatively, you can also reuse the old container. Once the lid is on, you should shake your washing-up liquid vigorously. If you've done everything right, your homemade washing-up liquid will now foam.

Make your own washing-up liquid - It washes up differently!

The washing-up liquid that you have now made yourself is slightly different to the chemical washing-up liquid from the plastic packaging, but just as easy to use. You will need to use a little more of the homemade washing-up liquid as we have not used any aggressive chemical ingredients to make it. Leave the plastic-free washing-up liquid on for a few minutes longer than with conventional washing-up liquid. For stubborn layers of grease, you can add a little more washing-up liquid.

Make your own washing-up liquid with ivy


Another alternative for making your own washing-up liquid is ivy! Ivy contains so-called saponins, which make the plant ideal for a homemade washing-up liquid. Ivy grows everywhere, especially on tree trunks and house walls. You can get hold of the leaves all year round as they are permanently green. It doesn't get any more natural than this.

How to make your own washing-up liquid with ivy:

  • Put the chopped ivy leaves (approx. 20 leaves) in a saucepan with 500 ml boiling water.
  • After 5 minutes on high temperature, you can turn off the stove.
  • Once the liquid is cooler, you can pour it into a 500 - 700 ml jar. As with the homemade washing powder made from chestnuts, this mixture now needs a little time.
  • After about 5 hours, you can simply shake the washing-up liquid once vigorously. I was surprised too, but now it should foam!
  • TIP: By the way, you can also use ivy to make your Make detergent yourself!

If the glass is not the ideal solution, you should now pour your homemade dishwashing liquid made from ivy into a container that is better for you. You can now wash your dishes naturally by hand. If you want to use it in the dishwasher, you should also add washing soda. Put the washing-up liquid in the fridge so that it lasts as long as possible.

Make your own washing-up liquid with lemons

You can also make your own washing-up liquid from lemons and, above all, use it in the dishwasher. I haven't made my own washing-up liquid from lemons yet, but I found a perfect video by a lovely lady. She used the following ingredients for her homemade washing-up liquid made from lemons:

  • 3 organic lemons
  • 100 ml organic apple cider vinegar
  • 200 gram table salt
  • 400 ml water

Plus 2 preserving jars for storage. That's all there is to it. Simply cut the lemons into quarters and put them in the blender. Once they are pureed, add the 200 g salt and blend again. Then pour the mixture into a saucepan with the water and apple cider vinegar. Now bring the pan to the boil and wait around 5 - 10 minutes. Then sieve the mixture again so that you only have the natural washing-up liquid. Pour the washing-up liquid into your containers and your homemade washing-up liquid made from lemons is ready. It doesn't foam, but makes the jars really nice and clean. Natural and plastic-free. If you want to know more, be sure to watch the following video tutorial:

Make your own washing-up liquid - really easy, isn't it?

Were you able to make your own washing-up liquid? Did it foam? Just write to me in the comments. Why do we always have to buy everything when we can make many things ourselves naturally & plastic-free? The Zero Waste Lifestyle makes everything more natural and easier. I hope you are happy with your own homemade washing-up liquid.

Do you have any suggestions for improvements or better ingredients for making your own washing-up liquid? Then just write to me in the comments.

Stay clean,

Make dishwashing liquid yourself

PS: Learn in the Do It Yourself Blog for example also how you Make toothpaste yourself can!

Coffee box Suggestions for improvement Newsletter

* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, as I receive a small share of the proceeds - and of course nothing changes in the product price. Many thanks for your support and best regards, Christoph!

Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

53 thoughts on “Spülmittel selber machen – natürlich & plastikfrei”

  1. If you want to make the dishwashing liquid from ivy:
    How many ivy leaves do you have to take? Unfortunately, this is not clear from the instructions...

    1. Hi Andreas! Just use about 20 ivy leaves for your own dishwashing liquid 🙂 With ivy you can also use your Make detergent yourself. Since you can alternatively put the sheets in a close-meshed net and put directly into the laundry drum. This is also possible.
      Best regards,
      Christoph

      1. Hello,
        do you really have long-term experience washing with ivy?
        I did this for about half a year and the laundry started to smell musty. After I use other products again, the smell is gone again.
        I had added essential oils to it.
        How is it with you?
        Best regards,
        Monika

        1. Hi Monika! I currently use the Ivy dishwashing liquid only for my dishes - so for the quick rinse in the sink.
          There it works perfectly and also solves fat.
          Best regards
          Christoph

  2. I have made myself some time ago the dishwashing liquid with sodium bicarbonate. However, I am not completely satisfied with the Spülgebniss. My stainless steel pots always have a greasy layer and even the greasy pan is still greasy after rinsing. What could I have done wrong? Vg

    1. Hi Christine, sorry for my late reply. So greasy and oily...it sounds like you added too many drops of the essential oil. I left it out altogether because that is just about the smell. Also, try again without the oil 🙂 The other ingredients in the homemade dishwashing liquid can't really be the cause.
      I hope that I could help you further 🙂
      With best regards
      Christoph

  3. 1. note: as the name suggests, essential oils volatilize quickly - it is a waste to add them to the hot liquid, then also continue boiling, etc. - after making such homemade remedy, you can add a few drops to the bottle, after cooling. Everything else is nonsense.
    2. I have already tried a few recipes for homemade dishwashing detergent - none of them had even a remotely satisfactory cleaning effect, and for the insufficient cleaning effect you also had to add vast quantities to the dishwater. That a few drops of essential oil could have left a greasy film on pots and pans, that's absurd. The formula simply does not clean, even glasses do not get clean.
    It's a shame, but the thing is, you can't just make a substitute for commercial dishwashing liquid yourself. I wish it were different. It would be good if there was something like "solid dishwashing detergent", then you wouldn't have any plastic waste.

    1. Hi THP, I now always make the dishwashing liquid from ivy itself and it is both easy to make and also has a good cleaning power. I really have absolutely no problems with it 🙂 Have you tried this?
      Best regards,
      Christoph

    2. Hello THP,
      there is definitely solid dishwashing detergent... google solid dish wash....
      this is then a solid block (depending on the casting mold) and you simply rub the dishcloth or the dishwashing brush over it, thereby creating foam. In principle, like shaving brush and shaving soap.....
      LG, Sabine

  4. Wow these are mega cool ideas. finally I no longer have to buy and can save and help the environment. Class I'm glad that you make the effort to share something with us. Thank you and keep it up.
    Love greetings Anja

    1. Hello Anja,
      thank you for your feedback! Have fun with your own dishwashing liquid 🙂
      Love greetings
      Christoph

    1. Hi Chrissi,
      do that in any case! I recommend you the variant with ivy. Really easy! 😉
      Stay clean,
      Christoph

  5. First of all, thank you for your work and effort. I'm also looking for an alternative to dishwashing detergent because I or my skin do not tolerate so well and rinse with gloves I find somehow a little strange 😀
    Can you give me a hint on that?

    1. Moin Sascha, but everything is in the article 😉
      I recommend you the dishwashing detergent made from ivy leaves. Works perfectly.
      Stay clean,
      Christoph

  6. Have me there some time ago also tried it but it's probably gone thoroughly in the pants, but since I find that generally very interesting to make his things if possible, I'll try it again with your tips.
    Thank you and keep up the good work

  7. Huhu... I am very excited to try an alternative to buying dishwashing liquid. Unfortunately, my dishwashing liquid has become solid after cooling 🙁
    Greetings Julia

    1. Hey Julia 🙂
      Oh, what ingredients did you use? Otherwise, like to try it with ivy!
      Stay clean,
      Christoph

    2. Is supposed to become solid, lt video, and then you should take 2 spoonfuls (tablespoon or teaspoon ?? is not said) for the dishwasher. But I have read out here that it does not work and does not eliminate the fat in pans, pots and plates.

      1. Hi Carmen! You probably mean the lemons, right? I haven't tried the dishwashing liquid with lemons myself. I have one made from ivy. Since the specifications should also all fit 🙂
        Many greetings,
        Christoph

  8. I would like to try the ivy dishwashing liquid. Ivy is actually toxic, isn't that a problem with washing dinnerware? What do you know about it?
    VG
    Michaela

    1. Hi Michaela!
      I just did a little research. There are two forms of ivy:
      - Ground cover ivy and juvenile form of Hedera helix tend not to be toxic
      - Fruiting age form Hedera helix 'Arbonrescens' are poisonous
      But you don't have to worry about using it for dishwashing liquid. Just like conventional dishwashing liquid, it should simply not be drunk or get into your eyes.
      Many greetings,
      Christoph

  9. Moin moin,
    I made the dishwashing liquid from ivy and am totally happy with it. Thank you for sharing all the ideas, I will try them all little by little.
    This reminds me a lot of my teenage years in Brazil, when it was normal to work with natural resources. I even did lively exchanges, our oranges for eggs, for example.
    Now I am obviously no longer a freak with my views.
    All the best
    Ines

  10. Hello, I find the ingredients totally overpriced (12,- and 9,- for Aleppo soap and soda) Hello? A bottle of dishwashing liquid from eg Ecover or Sonett costs 2-3 euros. Find the mistake! In addition, the cleaning effect leaves much to be desired. The glasses have a greasy film and everything is not properly clean.

    1. Hi Jana, you can use the soap but at least 10 times for your homemade dishwashing liquid - so it is cheaper in the end, makes no plastic waste and is also natural and free of any chemical additives. Works perfectly for us 🙂
      Many greetings
      Christoph

    2. Hello Jana,
      Try adding a dash of vinegar (surig) to the rinse water when you rinse glasses. I have the soap / soda variant and am actually satisfied. The fat-cleaning power is just andersst than the conventional, but the residues are natural and not from the chemiekasten ...
      Greeting
      Jochen

  11. Can you possibly freeze the dishwashing liquid from ivy, or does it then lose its effect?
    Greetings and thank you for your feedback.
    Monique

    1. Hi Monique! Ivy grows super fast and can really be found on every corner 🙂 So you don't necessarily have to freeze it.If you do, make sure that 1/4 remains unfilled in your container, as the detergent expands when frozen and could otherwise cause the jar to burst.
      In the article Freeze plastic-free you can learn more about it.
      Stay clean,
      Christoph

  12. Hello,
    have only crushed pieces of Aleppo put in a dishwashing liquid bottle and filled with warm water. I shook it and gradually it dissolves completely.
    I

    1. Hi Chuan,
      super,'s also so works wonderfully as a rinse aid? Then thank you for the tip!
      Best regards
      Christoph

  13. Hello
    The dishwashing detergent with Aleppo soap etc. has failed with me, despite all the willingness to compromise as far as the type of rinsing is concerned. Everything is always greasy, including the sink, dishcloth and brush. In addition, the high gas and water consumption. Aaaaabut the lemon dishwashing liquid below, after the ivy dishwashing liquid, is the hammer ?. I make three tablespoons of it in the water since I have a slightly larger sink. There is nothing too much promised and I can rinse as usual. Only one question about it: how long is it durable?
    LG Gritt

    1. Hi Gritt! Thank you for your feedback! The lemon dishwashing liquid best to use up in about 2 weeks. We have now made our own dishwashing liquid from ivy - it lasts forever and works perfectly. I'm still finishing up an article on that.
      Many greetings
      Christoph

      1. Hello Christoph
        Thank you for your answer. Will then try the ivy rinse in any case also. It's really fun when you can make something yourself and then it works. Detergent I've been doing for a while and I'm thrilled. ?
        LG Gritt

        1. Hi Gritt! Great, I'm glad to hear that! In any case, you always learn 🙂
          Continue to have fun and stay clean,
          Christoph

  14. Hi Christoph, I tried the soap with soda recipe yesterday and it solidified after cooling. Can you help me there? Do you have an idea what I could have done wrong and maybe how I get it now subsequently liquid?
    Thank you!!!

    1. Hi Dina! Honestly I can't explain it, maybe you didn't use enough water? With me, this detergent is always liquid - unless you put it in the freezer 😉
      Many greetings,
      Christoph

  15. Hello Christoph,
    thank you very much for these interesting suggestions.
    How small should you cut the ivy leaves, and should you leave them in or sift them out when bottling?
    Thank you, greeting,
    Julian

    1. Hi Julian! Relatively small, but you do not have to overdo it. You boil them briefly in water and pour everything through a sieve into the bottle, so that the leaves remain outside.
      Best regards
      Christoph

  16. I also make my own dishwashing liquid and am totally satisfied with the result. Only that with the ivy leaves I have never done, My next dishwashing liquid production will be with ivy. I am glad that such great tips are passed on.
    Many environmental love greetings
    Monika

    1. Hi Monika! Very good, us too! 🙂
      Hope you found a good ivy spot near you! Have fun with the Ivy Rinse and best regards,
      Christoph

  17. Hello, a super report. Freu we have enough here 😉
    But how long is the shelf life of homemade dishwashing detergent ?
    Would be very interested ..... Thanks .
    Greetings, Sabine

  18. Hello Christoph,
    great post - thank you!!!
    I use the dishwashing liquid with plant soap according to your instructions already a few months and it works wonderfully!!! The soap is a plant soap with mint scent - so I already save the fragrance oil. ?
    (From Aleppo soap I make detergent..... )
    LG, Sabine

    1. Hey Sabine! I'm so glad that you like the dishwashing liquid! Thanks for the inspiration with the mint scent!
      Best regards,
      Christoph

  19. Hello,
    how is it with soap residue? I know what my sink looks like after two days if I just use my hand soap. Won't the dishes get sticky with the soap dishwashing liquid?
    Greeting Barbara

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *