Author: James Dudra, Founder and Formulator of Therapy Clean | 20+ Years of Experience · 200+ Cleaning Product Formulations
With more people paying attention to ingredients and looking to reduce plastic waste, it’s no surprise that DIY dish soap recipes are popping up everywhere. From Pinterest to TikTok, you’ll find hundreds of “natural” dish soap hacks using ingredients like Castile soap, baking soda, or vinegar.
But here’s the truth: while DIY dish soap may sound like a cleaner, greener solution, it often comes with tradeoffs in safety, performance, and shelf life.
So… can you make DIY natural dish soap? Technically, yes. But should you use it regularly? Let’s take a deeper look.
Table of Contents
- Common Ingredients in DIY Dish Soap Recipes
- Why DIY Dish Soap Often Falls Short
- When DIY Might Be OK
- DIY vs Store-Bought: What You Trade Off
- What a Good Dish Soap Should Do
- What to Look for Instead
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- Conclusion
Common Ingredients in DIY Dish Soap Recipes
- Castile Soap: A gentle, vegetable oil-based soap (like Dr. Bronner’s)
- Baking Soda: Offers mild abrasiveness for scouring
- Vinegar: Often added for its “degreasing” claims — but it can destabilize soap
- Lemon Juice: Acidic, adds scent but lowers pH
- Essential Oils: Added fragrance, but can irritate skin if undiluted
- Water: Used to dilute the formula — but introduces bacteria risk
Why DIY Dish Soap Often Falls Short
No Preservative = Short Shelf Life
Water-based products (like most DIY dish soaps) need a preservative to prevent mold and bacteria. Without it, your soap can go rancid in just days — especially when left at room temperature. This can leave you, your family, and your dishes vulnerable to bacteria potentially making you sick..or worse.
Too Thin or Runny
DIY dish soaps often feel watery and wasteful because they lack thickeners or foam boosters. This leads to more product being used — and less satisfaction from every pump. Thickeners can also assist in clinging to the surface before you scrub, allowing less product to be used.
Not pH Balanced
A good dish soap needs to balance grease-fighting power with skin-friendliness. DIY formulas often swing too alkaline or acidic, irritating your hands and dulling your dishware.
Grease-Cutting Limitations
Most DIY soaps skip powerful surfactants — the ingredients that actually cut grease. While Castile soap has some grease-fighting power, it doesn’t compare to well-formulated surfactant blends. Commercial dish soaps combine multiple types of surfactants (soaps) to create a more robust cleaning formula.
Safety Concerns
Essential oils must be properly diluted to avoid skin irritation. And without testing, you can’t know how well a DIY formula rinses or whether it leaves behind residue — on your hands or your dishes.
When DIY Might Be OK
- You’re traveling or camping and need a quick, natural option
- You’re out of your usual soap and need a short-term fix
- You’re experimenting and understand the limitations
Just remember: use small batches, refrigerate if possible, and dispose after a few days.
DIY vs Store-Bought: What You Trade Off
| Feature | DIY Dish Soap | Therapy Clean Dish Soap |
|---|---|---|
| Preservatives | ❌ None | ✅ Sodium Benzoate (gentle) |
| pH Balanced | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Shelf Stable | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Grease Fighting | ⚠️ Low | ✅ High |
| Fragrance Safety | ⚠️ Varies | ✅ ISO 9235 Natural |
| Skin Safe | ⚠️ Depends on dilution | ✅ Dermatologist-considered |
What a Good Dish Soap Should Do
- Cut through grease without extra scrubbing
- Rinse clean without leaving residue
- Be safe for your hands and your family
- Remain shelf stable for months (not days)
👉 Read: The Ultimate Guide to Dish Soap
What to Look for Instead
- USDA BioBased or EWG Verified for third-party safety testing
- Transparent ingredient labels — no “fragrance” mystery
- No MIT or BIT preservatives in skin-contact formulas
- Plant-based surfactants that actually clean
👉 Learn what makes a dish soap truly non-toxic
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Castile soap as dish soap?
Yes, but don’t expect great grease-cutting performance. It also tends to leave residue if not rinsed thoroughly.
Is DIY dish soap safe for sensitive skin?
Not always. Essential oils and improper pH can cause irritation. Without testing, there’s no way to be sure.
How long does homemade dish soap last?
Just a few days. Without preservatives, bacteria and mold can grow quickly — especially in warm environments.
Can essential oils make it more effective?
Not significantly. Essential oils add scent but don’t impact cleaning performance unless used in very specific, tested concentrations.
Key Takeaways
- ⚠️ DIY dish soap can work in a pinch — but it lacks the safety, stability, and cleaning power of a real formula
- 🧪 Without preservatives, homemade soap has a very short shelf life
- 🌿 For daily use, opt for a USDA BioBased, plant-powered, skin-safe option like Therapy Clean
Conclusion
We love the spirit of DIY — but when it comes to something you use every day, like dish soap, you deserve a formula that works hard and treats your skin gently.
DIY recipes can be a fun experiment. But for everyday cleaning, professionally formulated, naturally powered dish soap is the smarter (and safer) choice.
👉 Try Therapy Clean Dish Soap — high-lather, plant-powered, and 90% USDA Certified BioBased.
