Dishwashing & Saving the Environment – Do they stack up?

Posted on by


Many of us want to make the right choices for ourselves and the environment. We do what we can and when we can. As with many of you, I have to hit more than a few grocery stores to get what I need. A month ago I was able to cut my trek by one stop if I bought some Green dishwashing soaps. These included both regular soaps and one for the automatic rig. Sure they were probably 3x the cost, but I’m willing to see what the scoop is. Let’s bring those babies home and put them through the test.


First off we have Country Save Dish Detergent, biodegradable and everything. I don’t keep these things on my counter. I have a squeeze bottle I decant to, this I did. This soap rocks. Even Dawn, my regular dishsoap would be challenged to kick its rear. However, the smell it has is somewhat strong and I don’t like it. It reminds me of some cheap American cologne. I might be able to put up with it if I cared critically for the environment. I’m using it up and feel good.
The next up we have LifeTree AutoDish Liquid. It is water thin and it’s Super Concentrated using All Natural Vegetable Based Formula (whatever). Basically the stuff is pure acid, I don’t care what they label the stuff. They’ve decided to use pure acid to wash your dishes. I know, phosphates ain’t any better and probably worse. But this stuff is ODD. It “sort of” cleans your dishes. In that the grease is gone, but there is NO sudsing action. This means bits, particles and crud are left behind. I ran through at least 4 loads before I tossed it. I should have taken it to a local hazardous waste dump, but I’d had enough. Part of engineering an Automatic Dishwashing Liquid is the ability to get the crud OUT. It cannot get the bits in suspension in the hot water so they are allowed to be pumped out. My dishwasher is about 2 years old, so it isn’t a weak pump. Sorry.
Meathenge Labs is 50/50 right now on the Green dishwashing technology front.
What you got?
Dr. Biggles

11 thoughts on “Dishwashing & Saving the Environment – Do they stack up?”

  1. When I was a bachelor.
    White Vinegar and Baking Soda
    were the weapons of choice.
    But now all my joints hurt
    and the elbow grease is drying up.

  2. Oh Meathead,
    It’s your mind I need,
    It feeds who I am today.
    You care about the I lard love,
    no one else expels the thought.
    It’s the plate in front of you,
    that that shoves the trough.
    Don’t consider today, it’s the taste that wants.
    Dr. Biggles

  5. I agree with Jack about Ecover’s Automatic dish detergent — Seventh Generation is much better. But I like their handwash dish detergent.

  7. Anyone know why these obscure brands aren’t available for sale in normal stores? Really makes me question if they actually work and if they are actually any better for the environment. Those are two very valid and valuable claims that would sell in ANY store, that is, if they are true.
    As far as I can tell, the environment has won. I don’t see any cleaners anymore with Non-biodegradable surfacants OR Phosphorus, so what is the remaining concern? What is bad about all of the regular products on the market? None of them have any of the ingredients that were actual environmental concerns even as recently as 5-10 years ago. Those concerns have been dealt with, so before you ask the question (as the above article does) as to what is safe for the environment, shouldn’t you first look at what ISn’t? Know what (if anything) is actually causing a problem in the world? Because if there isn’t, then this is just an excercise in nonsense. And therefore, going out of your way to get these products just harms the environment because you’ve used more gas to go get it. Remember, the goal is to help the environment, not just THINK you’ve helped. While the latter is certainly easier to attain, settling for that is hypocritical.
    Paying double or triple for the same (or worse) result is an expensive way to clear your concience, especially if the choice wasn’t any better for the environment!
    Please ask yourselves these questions! It is assumptions like I believe have occured here, where people don’t question things where we make the big mistakes in the world.
    Adam

  8. Hey Adam,
    I work for a small manufacturing company in Richmond California. The sheer volume of bureaucracy we have to deal with created by people who don’t understand what is and isn’t safe for the environment is painful.
    A few reasons you won’t find these brands in large grocery stores is money. They can’t sell the volume that Dawn and All. Not only that they’re usually twice the price of the major brands. The smaller companies can’t compete.
    Sometimes the value is there, if you read the post above. The dishwashing soap is GREAT, while the automatic crap I tossed out. I hope THAT helps the environment.
    On another note, we received a post from someone the other day regarding how we were bashing Kingsford for being nasty hazardous stuff. He railed on us youngin’s (I’m 40) for not understanding what exactly is IN Kingsford and how it reacts with food, temperature and taste.
    You see, some of us either don’t have the capacity or money to go to college and learn about this and that. I don’t have the time and I surely don’t have the money. So, what some of us have to do, is read the labels, desipher what we can and make the best judgement we can at that time. I choose not to use Kingsford because it makes my food taste nasty, I’m not concerned with what exactly is in it. As with this soap, I’m willing to give it a try, see what I think. If I don’t like it, I go back to Dawn.
    I’ll bet ya I can find some ol’ automatic dishwashing detergent with some phosphates or something nasty in there.
    I agree with you though, one needs to question the marketing ploy of companies to make sure there’s at least some string of truth in there. Thanks for stopping by.
    Biggles

  9. Laundry detergent: I’ve been using one that is called “Whole Planet” (I think… my memory fails me at the moment) and it works great – never had any problems with it and I get clothing REALLY dirty (outdoor enthusiast style).
    Automatic Dishwasher stuff: EcoVer does a great job with this one. They have these weird pellet things which work just as well as all the Electrosol we ever used.
    Handwashing the dishes: Well, since I’m an outdoor enthusiast, I’ve spent many an evening handwashing them with a pine twig and cold water. But in the miracles of modern living, I’ve used EcoVer with great success (although if you don’t get it all off your dishes it leaves a funky taste). I’ve also used “Earth Friendly Products” dish soap, which comes in the pleasant scents of almond and pear.
    Fortunately, the EcoVer stuff tends to be comparable in price (or at least in the same ballpark) as regular stuff.
    Reason to like EcoVer: their factory is an environmentally friendly (they put this on their packaging, if you want to check the details) thatched roof building.
    One of the most important concepts, environmentally, is that the production methods, use, and end result of a product should be considered (Cradle to Cradle is a great book on this, which I have not read). So that MAY be one of the differences between some of the companies.
    Hope this helps.
    -Noah

  10. I have a situation where my kitchen sink drain can seep into my nearby pond. The pond has developed a terrible bloom of a duckweed known as “water meal”. What dish detergent will tend to minimise this effect?
    Jeff