For the best outcome, you should always use dishwasher detergent to clean your dishwasher correctly. But what if you can’t afford it or have the right detergent? Well, according to dishwasher repair professionals, there are several alternatives you can go with. These alternatives include:

Use a combination of baking soda and white vinegar

Here you must mix equal parts baking soda and white vinegar and use this mixture as a substitute for dishwasher detergent. The baking soda will clean and deodorize, while the vinegar removes stuck-on food and grease.

Remove any large pieces of food or debris to clean your dishwasher using this mixture. You should then sprinkle a cup of baking soda over the bottom of the dishwasher, followed by a cup of white vinegar, into a dishwasher-safe container and place it on the top rack of the unit.

You should close the dishwasher and run it on a hot water cycle.

Once the cycle is complete, wipe the inside of the dishwasher with a soft cloth to remove any residue.

Use liquid dish soap.

If you don’t have dishwasher detergent, you can use a small amount of liquid dish soap instead of the detergent. As much as the dish soap is great, take care not to use too much of it as you can cause suds to overflow from the dishwasher, and you don’t want this, do you?

To clean your dishwasher using liquid dish soap, remove any large debris or food particles from the dishwasher. You should then fill a bowl with a mixture of hot water and liquid dish soap, dip a clean cloth or sponge into the soapy water, and use it to scrub the dishwasher’s interior, including the door seal, racks, and spray arm.

You should rinse the cloth or sponge to remove any soapsuds or residue.

Once you are done, run an empty dishwasher cycle with hot water to rinse away any remaining soap and debris.

Use lemon juice

For years, lemon juice has been known as a natural cleaning agent that you can use to remove soap scum and mineral deposits from the inside of a dishwasher. The juice is also a natural deodorizer, so using it to clean the dishwasher can help to freshen up the appliance.

You should add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the dishwasher detergent compartment or mix it with water and use it as a pre-rinse before loading the dishwasher.

Remember to always rinse the dishwasher thoroughly after using lemon juice. This is to avoid leaving behind any acidic residue that could damage the appliance or affect the taste of future loads of dishes.

Use borax

Like lemon juice, borax is a known natural cleaning agent to remove stuck-on food and grease from dishes. To clean your dishes, add 1/2 cup of borax to the dishwasher’s detergent compartment, then run the dishwasher as you normally would.

If there are hard-to-remove stains in the dishwasher, mix equal parts borax and water and use this mixture as a substitute for dishwasher detergent.

You can also mix the borax with water to create a paste and use it to scrub away tough stains on dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.

If you use borax paste, rinse the dishes thoroughly to remove any residue before placing them in the dishwasher.

Remember that borax can be harmful if ingested, so keep it out of reach of children and pets. Also, be cautious when handling borax, as it can irritate the skin and eyes.

Use laundry detergent

Use a small amount of liquid laundry detergent in place of dishwasher detergent to thoroughly clean the dishes. Always use a small amount of detergent, as using too much can cause suds to overflow from the dishwasher.

Parting shot

These are some alternatives you can go with if you don’t have dishwasher detergent. As mentioned, always use small amounts of the alternatives, and don’t make it normal behavior, as you can end up damaging your appliance.

Appliance repair Alexandria professionals also recommend thoroughly rinsing the dishwasher and remove any leftovers that can compromise the appliance and future loads.