Natural Dishwasher Detergent: Don’t Be Deterred
“Hey, are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty?”
Well, that’s a loaded question. You may run your dishwasher with a less than stellar natural cleaner and find that you still have gunk left on your plates. Or you may use a traditional cleaner and have shiny dishes, but then get a headache trying to figure out which chemical ingredients you just made part of your next meal. We also recently learned that companies aren’t required by law to list all of the ingredients used when it comes to cleaning products, so even if we are reading ingredient labels, we won’t always know what’s inside the bottle.
When we review products, we take into account the efficacy of the product, the ingredients being used, manufacturing & packaging sustainability, working conditions for everyone involved, and how these companies are making an effort to better our world.
Today we bring you only six recommendations, because some of the brands that we wanted to love for the environmental reasons just didn’t get our dishes clean, and that’s pretty crummy. So here are our six favorite natural dishwasher detergents that will keep your earth and flatware equally clean.
Dropps:
Dropps It Like It’s Hot
Our favorite dishwasher detergent award goes to Dropps, whom we also featured as one of our top laundry detergent picks. So why do we love Dropps so much? First of all, their minimal packing will leave you saying “oh my pod.” A simple recyclable and compostable cardboard box full of dishwasher pods (complete with biodegradable film) is all you need to get a deep clean on your best dishes. As a solely online company, Dropps also offers free carbon-neutral shipping. We really liked the lemon scent of the pods (but you can also go “clean” or “unscented” if you’re on citrus overload). We found that their pods worked on all dishes, and particularly well on glassware. Dropps also makes it clear that you can safely wash your fine crystal with these pods, but we’re no Meghan Sparkle or Plate Middleton, so we’ll just take their word for it.
Seventh Generation
One generation for each time we’ve featured them in our top picks so far, B Corp Seventh Generation has consistently proven to put out top quality, sustainable products. This time, we put their eco-friendly dishwasher packs to the test. For clarification, and not trying to be pod-antic, packs and pods are the exact same thing. The Seventh Gen packs cleaned our dishes thoroughly and, once again, we were digging the citrus-y scent. We tried their detergent gel, too, which we found to have the same cleaning effect as the packs. This time, we’re siding with the Ultra Power Plus packs for ease of use and a little less plastic in the container. That being said, Seventh Generation uses 100% post-consumer recycled materials in its packaging.
Ecos
Ecos is another top of the line, solid (or liquid!) choice to keep your dishes healthy and clean. Their Free & Clear laundry detergent which we previously featured in our Laundry post is a personal favorite, and their Free & Clear Wave Dishwasher Gel was of the same high quality when we put it to the test. Ecos dishwasher deterg comes in packs as well. We also love Ecos because, as a company, they have set the standard for sustainability. All five of their manufacturing facilities are solar-powered and carbon neutral. They are also TRUE Zero Waste Platinum certified, meaning they divert over 95% of their waste from going into landfills. Additionally, Ecos is family owned and operated. We can gel with that.
Ecover
Here’s a great company with a little “Eco” pun in the name, which, ecording to us, is a great idea. Ecover is a certified B corp with clean values and clean ingredients. We thought their tablets did a great job of leaving our dishes feeling shiny and new. Just like Dropps, their tablets come in a recyclable cardboard box. The only downside is that each tablet comes in a little plastic wrapper that gets thrown away (their choice over a dissolvable seal), but we hear the seal solution is currently their highest priority.
Puracy
Puracy is definitely on the list of our favorite brands right now. They take consumer feedback so seriously that this is their 3rd generation laundry pack, with a formula created by a dedicated dishwasher detergent chemist of over 20 years (that’s a thing). But really, these packs are impressive in their simplicity of use and effectiveness. They are biodegradable, free of any harsh chemicals, and they have a mineral-based water softener to keep all the dishes looking squeaky clean even in hard water. We think it’s also important to note that every purchase from this Austin, Texas-based company goes toward their ongoing donations to local families in need as well as local artists. Nothing wrong with a little art and a little science.
Biokleen
For a couple of people who never really used a dish powder before, we’re staring at the bottom of this (recyclable!) container feeling really satisfied with the first 63 loads that we put this product through. This Biokleen product is 3x concentrated, so the manufacturing requires much less water and packaging per load (it also means your dollar goes a long way). Their biodegradable, non-toxic formula is powerful and easy to use and never tested on animals. If you also have 64 loads of laundry to do and you’re wondering where to start, we recommend checking out Biokleens plant-based laundry liquid in our Laundry write-up.