2 Good Reasons for Non-Toxic Dish Liquid

I know this is going to seem like a simple tip but it can make the world of difference in everyday health and the ability to move into cleaning simplicity: Buy liquid hand dish detergent that is free of dyes and fragrance. A trip to the health food store will help you find a green brand or two to try out if you haven’t already. (I’ve found that the competition in the green cleaning arena is strong enough that those that survive tend to be very good.)

Just switching to fragrance-free hand dish detergent will make the world of difference to the indoor air quality in your kitchen. Synthetic fragrances are made of a large number of petroleum products, hundreds in fact, and can cause a number of health problems including aggravating asthma and neurotoxic reactions. So if you wear gloves when you wash dishes and therefore not too worried about the dyes (usually a green color) in the detergent, you will still breathe in the scent.

Dyes tend to always be up for review for causing cancer and being neurotoxic, and even though I can’t seem to find anything specific about colorants in hand dish detergent I do know that even food grade dyes are being removed from the diets of children because they can cause behavioral problems.

Outside of health concerns, I do love a good, safe, vegetable-based hand washing dish liquid because I then use it for many if not most of my other cleaning formulas. If you use toxic dish liquid in your homemade formulas you miss the main feature of the formulas, they don’t contribute to indoor air quality and are better for the waste water stream.

So, go and buy a great natural product, and try out these formulas to bring simplicity to your cleaning routines:
The 5 Basics of Non-Toxic Cleaning
Cut to the Chase Cleaning.
Care2′s Non-Toxic Cleaning Archives.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Michele W.

3:20AM PST on Dec 6, 2011

Thank you

send a green star

Marcia M.

3:24AM PDT on Jun 9, 2011

I use Ecover lemon and aloe vera or l'arbre vert to wash my dishes.

KS G.

2:42AM PDT on Apr 3, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Robert O.

3:22PM PST on Dec 28, 2010

Thank you.

Crow N.

6:45PM PDT on Aug 31, 2008

Have been using Ecover lemon/aloe vera dishwashing liquid for about three or four years now. LOVE IT!!! I was a die hard Dawn fan, but i hated the chemical taste it left on dishes (and thus on my food and in my drinks.) I'm always trying to improve my life (going green) and this was one step that was simple to take and never look back on. Only on the greasiest hardest baked on messes do we really notice a difference in performance. Nothing a little bit of soaking and a drop or two more can't handle. A 32oz bottle lasts over a year and I use the dishwashing liquid in other cleaning applications besides just dishes. (Like scrubbing the floor or washing windows.) I'm not even "middle class," but i still think this product is worth every penny we pay for it.

I also agree, Yay for no synthetic fragrances!!!

Angela B.

12:17PM PDT on Aug 31, 2008

Has anyone ever tried Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid? How did you like it?

Christina D.

5:50AM PDT on Aug 30, 2008

Yes times are hard for many of us. And what is great about today is you don't necessarily have to drive across town to a healthfood store to get some of these products. The big grocery stores around here like Hannaford and Shaws now have a natural food section and carry organic and safe products for the environment. A company called Sun and Earth carries a fantastic liquid laundry soap, and their dish products are great and my grocery store carries them, they also started carrying a variety of petroleum free natural cleaning products. Many of them would be $1-$2 more at the health food store, but for a couple of dollars you can get them. If all else fails you could learn to make your own soap too. I know a few people who do it to save money.

Douglas N.

9:22AM PDT on Aug 24, 2008

Annie, what are some brand name EXAMPLES of what you're talking about? & what price range?--thx...

Carmen A.

7:22AM PDT on Aug 24, 2008

If you can't find affordable cleaning products at your nearest store, there are a lot of options on the internet. They might still be a little more expensive than "traditional" alternatives, but think about the health benefits!

Bonnie S.

7:06PM PDT on Aug 21, 2008

you know what we buy whatever is on the dollar rack, and in these days having a dollar is a lot to come by, not everyone can afford to travel 20 to 30 miles to a different town to buy dish soap from a health food store.