DIY - Dish soap bar recipe

Following our homemade washing-up liquid recipe, we're back with a new zero-waste, eco-friendly, and super effective recipe for washing your dishes: the Dish Soap Bar.

Our recipe requires a small amount of equipment, but is really very simple to make. It's also very cost-effective, coming in at around €2.30.

But first, what exactly is a Dish Soap Bar?

A dish soap bar is washing-up liquid — but in solid form! Essentially, it's a soap for washing your dishes.

How to make your Dish Soap Bar

Equipment needed

- Kitchen scales

- 2 saucepans

- 1 wooden spoon

- 1 teaspoon

- 1 ramekin-style dish (like a crème brûlée dish)

- Gloves

- 1 measuring jug

- 1 dust mask (or a scarf)

Ingredients for making a dish soap bar

In our recipe, Sodium Coco Sulfate acts as the cleansing and foaming agent. Citric acid serves as a pH regulator, and washing soda crystals act as a degreaser. As for the menthol crystals, they add a fresh scent but are by no means essential — the recipe works just as well without them.

- 80g Sodium Coco Sulfate

- 10ml water

- 5g citric acid

- 6g washing soda crystals

- 5g menthol crystals

Warning about Sodium Coco Sulfate

Sodium Coco Sulfate can be irritating when used in powder form and when heated. It is therefore essential to handle it with gloves and a dust mask (or a scarf over your face) until the mixture has reached a paste-like consistency.

Step-by-step instructions for making your dish soap bar

Melt the Sodium Coco Sulfate with 5ml of water in a bain-marie over a low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon throughout, pressing the mixture against the side of the saucepan. You can add a few drops of water if needed.

Once you have a smooth, sticky paste, remove the saucepan from the bain-marie.

Pour the citric acid, washing soda crystals, and menthol crystals into a separate container.

Then mix the powders into the paste until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.

Press the mixture firmly into your ramekin dish, making sure it is well compacted and free of air bubbles.

Leave to set for approximately 24 hours before use.

How to use your Dish Soap Bar

It's very simple! Just dampen your tawashi, dish brush, or sponge, then rub it over the soap bar.

Then simply wash your dishes as you normally would with washing-up liquid. It's quite impressive — you need very little of the bar to clean several items.

The dish soap bar easily lasts several weeks (though this depends on the amount of washing-up you do each day).

After use, make sure to drain any water that may have collected on your Dish Soap Bar to extend its lifespan.