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Our post today is a great comparison of non-toxic dishwashing detergent options!
For the last year, I have been trying out and testing many different dishwashing detergent brands that use non-toxic, safer ingredients.
This was a reader request last year, so I have been busy trying many different kinds.
The requirement for me is I need a dishwashing detergent that works with hard water, cleans dishes well, and does not leave a residue.
The good news is you can buy these all on Amazon, so it is easy to get. Only a one of these brands was at my local grocery store, Lemi-Shine detergent pods were at Walmart. They did not have any other kinds at my local store.
Comparison of Non-Toxic Dishwashing Detergent Options
The Testing Process
Anytime I share reviews on products, I get a few questions about why I don’t have more items in the list. I don’t just try something once, then share my review. I actually use the entire product to see how it works in many conditions. This has taken about five or six months to complete because I wanted to use the product thoroughly before forming my opinion 🙂
Just a side note, I am working on a homemade version to share with you, but it is not ready yet. I don’t share any homemade options unless it works as well as a store-bought version. So far, I have not come up with a good mix. There are many times, a homemade option for something won’t work, so I won’t share it. Like laundry detergent. I have tested, tried, researched every homemade solution there is, but none of them work to clean our clothing.
In fact, many “better for you” laundry detergents don’t work to clean our clothing, so there are a few brands I use to achieve results. DIY mixes don’t cut it for our clothes because it lacks formulations to work in water to clean fibers.
Non-toxic dishwashing detergents are easier to mimic in a homemade solution, but I am still not happy with the results. I will keep working on it though! In the meantime, here is a comparison of many non-toxic options.
Dirty Labs Dishwashing Detergent
This is one of my favorites, if not my favorite one in this list. Not only does it smell fantastic, but it is powerful. This contains ingredients like bio enzymes, sodium citrate, and sodium carbonate peroxide in the right proportions to get dishes very clean. It also has such a nice scent. I liked this one the best because you can use less if you have a smaller load since this is a powder, not a pod. They have a non-scented version too.
Lemi-shine Dishwashing Detergent
I thought the Lemi-Shine Dishwashing Detergent was great! It has a dual combination on the pod, part gel and part powder. This company makes citric acid based products that work great, this dishwasher detergent included. It also contains several different enzymes to break down proteins and starches. I would buy this one again!
Dropps Dishwashing Detergent
I did not like this one! It didn’t clean the dishes very well compared to the other’s on this list. It didn’t have much of a lemon scent either.
Blueland Dishwashing Detergent
The Blueland Detergent is a tablet, which I prefer to the pod. It also did a great job of cleaning the dishes and getting food stains off the dishes. The only downside to this one is the price is a little higher, but keep in mind this comes in a 60 wash container.
The One That Cleaned The Best?
Out of all these brands I tried, I took into account how well it removed food, grime, and hard water spots. The one I thought did the best job was Dirty Labs. I liked the consistency and texture of this also. The powder dissolved well and there was no residue left on the dishes or dishwasher. I really loved the scent too.
The second best was a tie between the Lemi-Shine and Blueland. These were both great for cleaning, although they didn’t get the glasses quiet as sparkling clean to me.
As you can see, these all have similar ingredients, but it really shows the power of ratios! I explain this often in many of my DIY cleaners. Many readers will mention to me they tried a DIY cleaner with the same ingredients mine has, but why did mine work so much better? The ratio of ingredients is powerful!
Up Next For Dishwashing Detergent…
I mentioned in the beginning of this article that I am working on a DIY version. It needs an enzyme addition to work properly, but I have not found an exact recipe yet that works 100%. I will continue working on this and hope to have something prepared this year.
In the meantime, I enjoy using these non-toxic dishwashing detergent options and will also keep testing different brands to add to this post.
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
I have been very pleased with Biokleen dish washing powder. I even have found it at discounted at Marshalls a couple of times.
I will have to look this one up, I have never seen it locally before. Thanks for sharing!
Did you end up trying this? Is what we use and I’d love to know it doesn’t include any ethoxylates.
I never found it locally, so I will have to get it on Amazon.I have it in my cart, but haven’t gotten it yet! Ingredient wise they have listed: Natural oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate), vegetable fiber, natural anti-corrosive agents, grapefruit seed and orange peel extracts, soda ash, sodium citrate and readily biodegradable nonionic surfactants…so it looks to be pretty basic. I will be trying it out next. I would love to see how it works 🙂
Based on your review, I was excited to try Dirty Labs. But I decided to read the Amazon reviews first. Read the 1’s, 2’s and 3’s = 12% of feedback) Multiple people have complained about what this detergent did to their dishwashers; a horrible build-up stopped their dishwashers from working. There are photos and videos. Many complained that it doesn’t work well with hard water. Other people noted that the fragrance was intense, and they could even taste it in their glasses. And other’s noted that the packaging is plastic, the stuff comes in plastic bags. So if the goal was to cutdown on plastics, well, their packaging doesn’t do that. And tons complained that it just didn’t clean their dishes and it left a residue. So, unfortunately, based on the Amazon feedback, I won’t be buying it. But this is a reminder to everyone to check Amazon for reviews.
I am confused. Dirty Labs doesn’t have any plastic in their packaging. The dishwashing detergent is a paper container with a wooden spoon. I have very hard water and the dirty labs dishwasher is the best I have used. In fact, I just bought several more bottles on Amazon which makes this probably the 10th bottle I have used. It also has a 4.5 star review out of 5 on Amazon. Anyone who says things like plastic packaging and ruined their dishwashers must be talking about something else. It would be impossible for these ingredients to ruin your dishwasher, it is better than the mainstream detergent most people use. Just something to think about! Anyways, this is why I test things on my own because reviews can way off especially on amazon.
My Dad was a PHD chemist for a company for 35 years, so i am so glad i came across your article with the recommendations of dish washing agents. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
That’s so cool about your dad! Glad you found our website 🙂
Thanks for the article. We’re consider Truly brand. Do you have an opinion on them? My personal concern is the residue on Amy detergent we use. We’ve had build up issues.
We did not test Truly brand as it didn’t make our list. For build up, I do a few things. I run a vinegar rinse aid through every so often. I also do a borax cleaner through the dishwasher every month or so. This has keep mine from having any problems