12 Alternative Ways To Use Dishwasher Tablets Around Your Home

Dishwasher tablets are the sneakily versatile cleaning tool that you're likely not using to its full potential. While you may think these petitely packed dish detergent pods are reserved just for the dishwasher, these tablets can actually be repurposed in a number of ways throughout the home to help keep more than just your dishes clean. From various uses around the kitchen to a little extra sparkle in your bathroom to a boost in your laundry room, dishwasher tablets are the cleaning helpers you didn't know you needed! 

For many of these alternative ways to use dishwasher tablets around the house, a packed powder tablet is the most effective product to get the cleaning results you'll want, since many of these methods require dissolving the detergent to make a solution or paste. Other hacks call for the tablet to be rubbed directly onto the dirty item in question; both easier and a lot less messy with a tablet than a liquid detergent pod. Also to note, you should always remember to use gloves when you're dissolving a dishwasher tablet and scrubbing with the resulting solution. Dishwasher tablets are powerful cleaning tools because of the concentration of cleaning agents in them. While not super harmful, it's a good idea to prevent any skin irritation or drying. And with that in mind, suit up, grab whatever brushes, cloths, and sponges you'll need, and get to cleaning.

With an abrasive surface and a dishwasher tablet, you can have your oven degreased and de-caked in no time. Dissolve a tablet in a bowl of water to create a thick paste. Grab a sponge and work the paste onto the oven racks, sides, and door. For a particularly tough crust or stubborn grease spots, you can use a steel wool pad to cut through the mess as well. The tablet's formulation of cleaning ingredients will target and cut through oven grime and will make scrubbing just a little easier, saving you elbow grease.

While it may feel strange to drop a dishwashing tablet inside your toilet bowl, it's actually an effective way to keep your toilet nice and clean. Stick one tablet in your toilet, and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Once it's had a chance to bake in, grab a toilet brush and put on a pair of gloves, then scrub before flushing. Like the oven, the tablet helps dissolve any buildup or stains in the toilet bowl, making for an easy and sanitary way to get your toilet clean. 

Since dishwasher tablets are meant to clean your dishes in the first place, it's probably no surprise that you can use them to clean your ultra-stained or crusted dishware a little deeper. To restore those kitchen pieces with stubborn crust or stains, simply place a tablet in the pot or pan you want to clean, then fill the pan with hot water. Let it sit for several hours, then scrub the soapy dish with a sponge — the crusty stuff should slough right off!

If you're experiencing a temporary block in one of your drains, then use a dishwasher tablet to get it clear again. Try dropping a tablet into the problem area in the drain, then chase it with a little hot water (but don't flush it out quite yet). Let the tablet sit for about 15 minutes, then flush the drain with a big pour of hot water. The tablet will break down any oils — like cooking oils in a kitchen sink or oils from skincare in bathroom sinks — and get your drain flowing again.

You know the ones we're talking about: when your child decides to use the floor or walls as their canvas for an art piece. Never fear, though — a dishwasher tablet will have that crayon or marker gone in a flash. First, dissolve a tablet completely in a bucket of warm water. Then, use a clean sponge and dampen it with the solution. Scrub at the marks with the sponge, and you'll see it dissolve and lift away. The solution should be gentle enough not to affect paint but strong enough to scrub away at crayon.

There aren't many odors out there as foul as a dirty cat litter box. But with a dishwashing tablet that helps break down odors and bacteria, the task of cleaning it can be greatly improved. Empty the litter box for your routine cleaning and rinse with the water. Meanwhile, place a tablet in some hot water to dissolve. After the litter box is rinsed, pour the solution into the box, letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub the box clean afterwards with a brush or sponge, then rinse once more.

Dishwasher tabs may be the key to a cleaner outdoor space, and your outdoor furniture will thank you for its refresh. Break out that bucket from previous hacks, and fill it with very hot water this time. Drop a tablet into the water and let it dissolve, then, with a cleaning cloth, get to scrubbing those deck chairs and tables. Use this helpful cleaning tip at the start of the season to get your furniture ready for use, and at the end of the season to prep it for storage.

After a while, you may notice your white laundry is not as crisp as they once were. But by adding a tablet to your regular wash cycle along with your usual laundry detergent, your white linens and clothing items will be much brighter. As mentioned before, the concentration of cleaning solutions packed in the pod is meant to cut through tough stains, and that helps brighten your fabrics and combat dinginess from aging. This is a great method to get your white towels feeling refreshed too, since the tablet helps deodorize.

A dishwasher tablet is one of the best ways to clean and deodorize your trash to combat funky smells. We're all guilty of letting our trash cans get dirty, so make cleaning the trash easy with a dishwasher tablet. Place a dishwasher tablet at the bottom of the emptied trash can, then fill it up with warm water. Let the tablet dissolve, and wait an hour to allow the can to soak. Finally, drain the trash can of the water, and use a microfiber cloth to work through any dirt and grime.

If you're hoping to polish up some metals that you have around the house, whether it be utensils or décor pieces, use a dishwasher tablet to shine them back up to their metallic glory. Dissolve a tablet in hot water, and then place your metal pieces into the solution. Allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse off your metal pieces with running water. Dry it with a clean, soft cloth, and your pieces will have a distinct sparkle. This is a particularly good hack for cleaning jewelry with stones like diamonds.

This may be one of the easiest ways to clean the grout in your home. Cleaning grout between tiles, as well as the tiles themselves, is not an easy task; it can be laborious, and the spots on grout or tiles can be very stubborn. For those particularly grimey spots, wet the affected area with water, then rub a tablet like a crayon over the spots until the grime breaks down. Let that sit for up to 15 minutes, then use a brush or sponge to fully scrub any leftover spots away.

If it wasn't obvious by now, dishwasher tablets have amazing stain-fighting and dirt-combating properties, and they're also wonderfully effective against stains on clothing items. Throw a tablet (or two) in with a load of stained clothing along with your detergent of choice to make those stains disappear. Just be wary, though, that those same cleaning properties that make these tablets effective against tough spots are also quite harsh on delicate pieces of clothing, so use this trick on heavy stains on sturdier fabrics to see how it works best for you.