3 Brilliant Alternatives to Dish Soap

Conventional dish soaps are packed with toxins. Let’s explore some natural alternatives to dish soap so you can protect yourself!

Some of these alternatives you can make on you own.

All you need are some natural ingredients that you might already have at home.

And if you’re short on time, don’t worry – we’ve also researched options you can buy.

Sound good?

Let’s dive right in!

Why seek a safe alternative to dish soap?

We probably all agree that dish soap is useful.

Without it, you’d have to use disposable dishes for EVERY meal.

That would be a LOT of trash!

We already produce 300 million tons of plastic per year, half of which is for single use. Throwing out plastic plates after each meal would only make things worse.

So… dish soap = good.

But…

There’s a lot of stuff in conventional dish soap that just isn’t conducive to maintaining your health.

And since dish soap comes into contact with your skin whenever you do your dishes, and since a small amount of most kinds of soap remains on the dishes that you eat from, all of this is a quite concerning.

This is why the FDA has recently banned a number of dangerous substances that some manufacturers used in their dish soap formulas.

The most well-known ingredient the FDA banned is triclosan.

But 18 other chemicals also got banned.

So, did banning these few ingredients makes conventional dish soap safe to use?

Nope.

It was more like a drop in a bucket.

While outlawing these few harmful ingredients was a good start, there are still too many chemicals in conventional products that science has shown might harm you.

Or harm the environment—especially aquatic life—after it gets washed down your drain.

Here’s an overview of some of the most common toxins found in dish soap:

- Benzisothiazolinone

- Cocamidopropyl Betaine

- Dipropylene Glycol

- Artificial Fragrance

- Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

- Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone

- Polysorbate-20

- Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

- Sodium Polyacrylate

Next time you find yourself at the kitchen sink, read the ingredients on the back of your dish soap.

Chances are it contains at least one of the chemicals listed above.

So what are you supposed to do when conventional dish soaps resembles a poisonous cocktail?

One solution is to switch to a natural alternative to dish soap – one that you can make on you own.

Like these.

Quick natural alternatives to dish soap

Now it’s time to get a bit adventurous.

Here are some ingenious methods the folks at Hunker came up with to make your own dish soap:

1. Laundry Soap Method

This is a solid substitute for dish soap (pun intended. Sorry :)

Get a bar of all-natural laundry soap.

We recommend Dr. Bronner’s multi-purpose baby soap because it is unscented, which makes it 100% safe for sensitive skin.

This soap is made with twice as much olive oil compared to other soaps and it includes organic hemp oil for a smooth lather that never dries out your skin.

The ingredients are certified fair trade as well as vegan and people really love it.

You should check out some of the many raving reviews it got.

Next step:

Cut out a one-by-one-inch square.

Place the square in a pot, add some hot water, and let it melt over night.

The next morning, blend the mixture and add more water until it foams.

Add some more water until the foaming stops.

Congratulations: your natural substitute for dish soap is ready!

But if laundry soap isn’t your thing, here’s another option:

2. Castile Soap Method

Here’s another dish soap alternative: Combine one cup of liquid castile soap with 4 cups of water (check out this organic and vegan option right here).

Stir on low heat until the soap dissolves.

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin.

Stir until the mixture is thick.

Voila! You’ve successfully made a natural alternative for dish soap.

Admittedly, these are some rather basic substitutes for dishwashing liquid.

But they’re chemical-free and nontoxic.

And they work.

To leave you fully prepared to sally forth into making your own dish soap alternative, here are some troubleshooting tips:

In case these recipes turn out too “liquidy”, you can thicken them by adding vegetable glycerin.

And if your diy dish soap alternative doesn’t leave your dishes sparkling, just add some vinegar to your rinse water.

But what if you’re not in the mood for adventurous experiments, and prefer to buy a ready-made product?

Then you can buy some truly natural dish soap.

But it’s REALLY important to read the ingredients label first.

Here’s why:

Read this before buying a natural dish soap

Big brands have noticed that it's cheaper to make dish soap with harmful chemicals that can make people sick.

They also noticed that people like to choose products that won’t get them sick.

So they started to market their products as “green” or “natural”... even when they’re not (learn more about what makes a truly eco-friendly dish soap).

But they market their product as “organic” or “natural” anyway, making it harder for you to tell if a product is truly natural or not.

Watch this video to find out more:

But no need to worry.

You have a secret weapon.

You can find out if they are telling the truth or not by reading the ingredient list.

If you find an ingredient on the list that you’re not sure about, look it up.

It’s easy. Visit the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website, and enter the product or ingredient’s name in the search box to see its toxicity score.

You’ll find that the vast majority of “natural” dish soaps on the market contain harmful chemicals.

Fortunately, some truly natural dish soaps without any toxins do exist.

Here’s (of course) our favorite substitute to conventional dish soap that is very different from what you would find in conventional stores.

Find out more information on our store.

And for a chance to win some free products, check out our giveaway.

Whichever alternative to dish soaps you go for, the most important thing is to keep harsh chemicals off your skin, your dishes, and (by extension) your food.

Here’s to your health!

(When you make a purchase from links in this post we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)