If you’ve been wanting to switch to homemade dish soap but weren’t sure where to start, this recipe is the perfect first step. It’s simple, natural, and tough on grease…everything a busy household needs.
Even better? You can make it in under a minute with just three ingredients you probably already have.
Store-bought dish soaps can be expensive, heavily fragranced, and full of ingredients you may not want around your family. That’s why I started making my own DIY dish soap—and honestly, it’s been a total game changer.
And no, it’s not complicated or fussy to make. If you can measure and pour ingredients into a bottle, you can easily make this dish soap recipe!
This is a guest post by Laura from Our Oily House
Why Make Homemade Dish Soap?
I know, I know. The last thing you probably want is another to-do on your list. But, hear me out! Here’s why this homemade dish soap recipe is worth trying:
- Made with clean, natural ingredients
- Saves money (especially if you go through soap as fast as my household does!)
- Safe for kids and sensitive skin
- Cuts through grease surprisingly well
- Easy to customize with your favorite essential oils
- Better for the environment, especially when you reuse bottles
And, you’ll be amazed at how long one batch lasts! A tiny amount goes a longggg way, which is an extra bonus.
Ingredients
For this dish soap, you will need 3 simple items:
- castile soap
- essential oils – I recommend you start with lemon oil for degreasing, but see the FAQs section below for a list of suggested oils to use
- water – distilled when possible. If you opt to use tap water, boil it for 15 minutes and then allow it to cool before pouring it into the spray bottle or soap dispenser.
How to Make Homemade Dish Soap
Here’s the exact recipe I use again and again. You’ll need:
- 16-ounce glass soap dispenser*
- 1/2 cup castile soap
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops orange essential oil (look for Citrus sinensis as the species – it’s one of the most popular orange essential oils for good reason. Sometimes it’s labeled as Wild Orange, Sweet Orange, Blood Orange, or just Orange.)
Instructions
- Add castile soap to your dispenser.
- Add your essential oils.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.
- Put on the pump and shake gently.
That’s it.
You just made your own DIY dish soap in under a minute.
TIP: It is always best to use glass or stainless steel for any essential oil recipe. Over time, essential oils can break down plastic and cause it to corrode.
How to Use It
The beauty of this dish soap is that it works the same way as any store-bought kitchen soap. No change will be necessary to your washing routine.
Just remember, a little goes a long way because castile soap is very concentrated.
Best Essential Oils for Dish Soap
You can use a single oil or a blend of essential oils in your dish soap recipe. I list a few of my favorite blends below. Notice that lemon is in every single blend – this is because lemon essential oil is a natural degreaser and a natural antibacterial.
I tend to stick to citrus oils because of their fresh scent and cleansing properties.
Here are a few of my favorite blends:
- Wild orange, lemon, lime
- Lemon, grapefruit, tangerine
- Thyme, lemon, lime
- Lime, lemon, clove
- Lemon, lavender, wild orange
- Tea tree, lavender, lemon
- Thyme and lemon
- Peppermint and lemon
FAQs
What is castile soap?
Castile soap can come in liquid or bar form. For this recipe, we will be using the liquid form. It is a very concentrated soap made out of vegetable oils. It’s most commonly made with olive oil but can also be made with coconut oil, hemp oil, or avocado oil.
Castile soap is a natural disinfectant that can kill germs and bacteria, and cut grease. It works great for washing dishes, and it will leave your hands moisturized and smooth.
It comes in handy when making soaps, shampoos, and kids’ shampoo too!
Can I use this soap in the dishwasher?
No, this dish soap is just for handwashing! However, if you aren’t as old fashioned as me and use a dishwasher rather than handwash, I have a recipe for that too!
Here’s my recipe for dishwasher soap pods that are natural, cost-effective, and work great.
What is the best essential oil brand?
There are so many essential oil brands out there that it can be totally overwhelming. That’s why I wrote an entire post about how to choose the best essential oils! I think you’ll find it very helpful.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Too thin? Add a splash more castile soap.
- Too thick? Add a bit more water.
- Scent fading? Store in a cool, dark place and add 5–10 more drops of oil.
- Pump clogging? Rinse the pump every few weeks.
Final Thoughts
Once you try homemade dish soap, it’s hard to go back to store-bought.
It’s natural, inexpensive, and so easy to customize.
Give it a try—your dishes (and your budget) will thank you. You’ve got this!
More Easy Homemade Cleaning Recipes:
- DIY Heavy Duty Shower Cleaner (just 4 ingredients)
- Homemade Toilet Bowl Fizzie Cleaner
- All Natural Homemade Castile Soap Cleaner
- How to Remove Tough Stains from a Microfiber Couch
About the author: My name is Laura. I am a stay at home mom of 4 and strive to live a simple and natural lifestyle. After using essential oils for several years, I decided to start my blog, Our Oily House, to share my tried and true recipes and oily testimonies. My blog has become my passion and creative outlet; you will find essential oil DIYs, natural remedies, and healthy recipes.
Pin the image below to save the dish soap recipe for later.
Gwen says
Hello!
Just found the recipe here and I really like it – so easy to make. I will definitly try it.
Thanks for sharing! ♡
Leah Avital Cohen says
The recipe is great but the pumps in glass containers are also plastic. Have you found one that has a stainless pump?
Erika says
Good question. I haven’t found any… has anyone else? Please let me know if you do find one, Leah. Thanks!
Lynette says
I found metal lid and pumps from Amazon for my Ball Jars. I have had one on my hand sanitizer jar for a couple years now and it has not rusted or had issues. I also use it for homemade hand soap in my kitchen and again, no issues.
Blessing says
I hope the recipe helps me save money. Thanks for sharing
Janell says
Where did you get those scrubbies from?
Athena says
I just made this soap. I really enjoyed it. It works really well. I also used it to clean my eggs. It did a really good. It seems to have done a better job than my store bought soap, IMO. I used EO patchouli, lemon, and lime, in the amount you indicated. It has a nice smell. Thank You so much for sharing this recipe.
Erika says
I’m so glad it worked so well for you, Athena! I love your essential oil choices!
Valerie says
I was wondering if thieves essential oil would work in this in place of lemon or lime. I do have sweet orange too.
Thanks in advance.
Erika says
Yes!
Casey says
Hi, does it work best in a foaming dispenser or regular pump?
Erika says
A regular dispenser works best for this.
Laura says
Can I make this with bar Castile soap?
Erika says
I have always used the liquid soap – I don’t think a bar soap would work. Even if you grated it up, it would clog the pump.
Aveleen says
I’ve tried this recipe a couple times and have found it leaves an oily residue behind. I’m not using much, but my dishes just don’t feel clean. Am I doing something wrong?
Erika says
Hi Aveleen, hmm I haven’t experienced that myself but you could try decreasing the castile soap as it is pretty concentrated. I would suggest trying 1/3 or 1/4 cup. You could also try decreasing the essential oil drops to 20 total down from 30. Good luck! Thanks for letting me know.
Pam Powell says
I just made this soap, and mine does not sud/foam very well. It does foam some when I first start running the water, but then the bubbles disappear and I don’t have any bubbles. I am using it like I do my commercial DW liquid, pouring it under running hot water. What could have I done wrong? Could it be that I have the wrong type of castile soap?
I really need this product because most commercial DW liquids cause an allergic reaction on my hands.
Thanks!!
Erika says
Hi Pam, natural DIY recipes like this don’t tend to suds for as long or as much as commercial products. It doesn’t sound like you’ve done anything wrong or the castile soap is wrong. Did you use the regular castile soap?
Sofia says
Why is it necessary to use all the essentials together?
Karin says
Do you use regular tap water or distilled?
Erika says
Either should work fine for this recipe.
Laura says
I looked at other recipes and I saw they put salt in it to thicken it. With the soap that you use, does it thicken up the dish soap as well? Or if not then add some salt?
Angela says
love this. what a great way to save money.
Jennifer S says
I made this as directed and it left my dishes greasy and filmy. Why would it make even more greasy than they started? It was kind of disappointing. How do I fix this?
Erika says
Hi Jennifer, oh that’s frustrating!! I would try adding more water to the mixture to dilute the castile soap. Or use less essential oils.
Isabella says
Hi there, I was having the same issue with the greasy residue on my dishes and did some research of my own. Turns out if you have hard water and use castile soap the minerals from the hard water will stick to what you are washing. The solution to this is to use a vinegar and water rinse after washing your dishes. Works like a charm for me. 🙂
Erika says
Thanks for sharing! Great tip!
Rebecca says
How exactly did you do the “rinse”? Did you use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar?