Recently, I raved about Planet, Inc’s Dishwashing Detergent. I contacted them to let them know how pleased I am and received a very nice email back. Their Consumer Affairs department also sent me some definitions of words used in “green” products. I found it very interesting and, with their permission, I’m forwarding along sections of that email:

Chemists and government bodies (for example the USDA, as expressed in the Organic Foods Production Act) define “natural” as “free from extensive chemical processing”. Any cleaning product which uses one or more detergents in its formulation does not meet that standard. All detergents are what chemists define as “synthetic” in that they undergo extensive chemical processing as they are being manufactured. To put it plainly “detergents do not occur in nature”! The only cleaning agents which are not considered to be synthetic are those based on soap. Such cleaners have a variety of shortcomings in performance, which limits their acceptability in the marketplace.

So what do green cleaner companies mean when they use the term “natural”? Mostly, they mean “free of petroleum or petroleum byproducts”. Instead, their products are largely or wholly based on vegetable ingredients such as coconut or corn. This is a somewhat unusual application of the word “natural”, since both coconuts and oil are naturally occurring substances.

Even if you accept “petroleum-free” as being the definition of “natural”, there are problems in the way many companies apply the concept. While their products make use of vegetable-based ingredients, they generally do make SOME use of petroleum-derived ingredients. For example, most “natural” detergent formulations contain at least one of a class of cleaning agents known as ethoxylated alcohols. These cleaning agents are very beneficial, because they are very effective, biodegrade quickly, and are reasonable in cost. Ethoxylated alcohols can be based on vegetable ingredients (usually coconut or corn oil), but one of the steps in manufacturing them involves adding ethylene oxide (the source of the term “Ethoxylated”). Unfortunately, ethylene oxide is only manufactured from petroleum.

Planet believes that companies selling environmentally friendly products should use claims which are readily understood and defined. Such terms as “biodegradable”, “hypoallergenic” and even “vegetable-based” have commonly understood meanings, and standards which can be used to measure performance.

So, I hope you all find that information informative and helpful when you’re making decisions about what products to buy. Thanks, Planet, Inc., for that lesson on the vocabulary of green products.

I think I’ve found in a winner in my search for an automatic dishwasher detergent that cleans and is still environmentally friendly.  The other day at my local grocery store, I saw a box of automatic dishwashing detergent with a big planet Earth on the front.  I thought, “Hmm.  That looks natural.”  So, I picked up the box.  Sure enough, it claimed all those lovely things that we look for in a natural cleaner–  phosphate free, biodegradable, not tested on animals, etc.  But would it clean? 

I used it for the first time with some trepidation.  I’ve been burned by natural cleaners before, remember.  All that lovely promise of ecological friendliness, only to be disappointed by powdery, icky results.  So, I filled my dishwasher, put in the detergent and, already, I was concerned.  The detergent looks like it has grated lemon rinds in it.  It’s chunky, instead of granular.  I’m just not sure this is going to work, which means I’m stuck with a rather large box of useless dishwasher detergent to use up before I can move on to my next brand.

After my dishwasher ran, I opened the door not expecting what I found–  Clean dishes!  No powdery residue, no little bits of gunk…  just sparkling, clean dishes!

So, now I needed to check out Planet, Inc.  I was convinced I was going to find out that they were really dumping nuclear waste in my backyard.  After all, a truly environmentally friendly company couldn’t possibly have made a product that produced these results–  could they?

What I learned impressed me.  Planet, Inc has been around since 1989.  They are dedicated to creating environmentally-friendly cleaning products that actually work.  They are one of the few “green” companies that have third-party certified their products.  I was very pleased with all of the information that I found on their site.  Not only did they have great information about their products, but they also had interesting essays on other topics, as well.  They will soon be selling their products on their website, so if they’re not available near you yet, don’t despair!  Soon, you too can have clean dishes AND a green detergent.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner–  Planet, Inc. is now my official choice for use in my dishwasher!  Next, I’m off to find a toilet bowl cleaner that doesn’t smell like cedar.

I know that I already panned Seventh Generation’s automatic dishwasher detergent.  But that’s not to say that I think that none of their products are good.  I really like their natural dish liquid, for example.  I buy the lavender scented variety, but it is also available in free and clear and citrus scented, as well.

I think that the natural dish liquid cleans well.  If I run a bit of water in something that is dried on and leave it sitting while I load the rest of the dishwasher, it generally cleans out quite easily.  There is plenty of foam, too, when I use Seventh Generation’s product.  And it’s easily available at my grocery store which, let’s face it, is always a plus. 

Side note–  did you know that you can use dish liquid to clear a clogged toilet?  For a while, we had to call a plumber on a semi-regular basis for our toilets (small children learning not to use a whole roll of toilet paper at one sitting being one of our largest problems).  Then I read a suggestion that for really clogged toilets you first put a generous squirt (and I do mean generous) of liquid dish soap into your toilet, wait a bit, THEN plunge.  You know what?  It works!!  I’ve used Seventh Generation for this purpose and not only did it get rid of the clog, but my bathroom smelled like lavender   Do be careful if the water is near the top, as the plunging of water containing dish soap will result in lots of suds.

From a natural point of view, what does Seventh Generation have to offer?  Their dish liquid is non-toxic, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, contains no petroleum-based cleaners, no phosphates, it is safe for septic and greywater systems and is not tested on animals.  My bottle is also certified kosher and says that it contains no animal ingredients.

So, what difference does using a natural dish soap make?  Really, it’s not tremendously more expensive, considering how long a bottle lasts.  Even if you wash everything by hand, it couldn’t cost more than a couple dollars more per month.  And this is what you get for your money:

If every household in the U.S. replaced just one 25 oz. bottle of petroleum based dishwashing liquid with a vegetable based product, we could save 118,700 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 6,800 U.S. homes for a year!

Not to mention, less demand for petroleum products brings down the price of oil, which brings down the cost of gas at the pump.  So, see, you could actually save money in the long run by spending a bit extra on your dishwashing liquid.  Plus, less dependence on foreign oil can’t help but be a good thing, all around.

Overall, I think Seventh Generation’s dish liquid is a good way to lessen your impact on the natural world, while still using a product that is effective.

I have a kitchen drain that accumulates smell.  Sometimes it backs up, but the biggest problem is simply that it stinks.  (I think this may still be a holdover from my Mother’s Day present when my husband and children made me a candle then poured the excess wax down the sink, but that’s another story altogether.) 

Anyway, I decided to order Earth Friendly Products’ Natural Earth Enzymes Drain Opener.  I have to say, I’ve pleased with the results.  Not only does it get rid of the odor in my sink for quite some time, but I think my sink is even draining better.  I hadn’t noticed that it was having a problem, but apparently it could have been working better.  It’s easy to use.  You simply mix it with water and pour it down the sink.  I’ve only used the weekly maintenance amount, which is two teaspoons.  If I were truly going to use it to open a clogged drain, the recommended amount is two cups diluted with two cups of warm water. 

So, the next time you have an odor problem, give Earth Enzymes Drain Opener a try.  The next time I have a clogged sink, I’ll let you know if it works for that.  Or if you’ve had experience with using it for opening a clogged drain, let me know in the comment section.

I’m on a quest.  A quest to find a natural, biodegradable automatic dishwashing detergent that actually cleans.  I have a relatively new dishwasher that cleans well with popular “normal” dishwashing detergents, but I’ve yet to find a more conscientous product that does the job. 

I started with Seventh Generation’s Free & Clear Automatic Dishwashing Powder , but since I wasn’t planning to write about my search, I really don’t have a lot to say about them.  I know that I didn’t find it to be an effective product, but I can’t remember what, specifically, I didn’t like about it.  It’s also not the most natural product on the market, although they are making an effort to change that.  

Currently, I’m using Earth Friendly Products’ High Performance Wave Auto Dishwasher Detergent.  It claims “natural pH, chlorine free, caustic free, biodegradable, phosphate free and non-polluting”–  everything I could possibly hope for in a dishwashing detergent.  Oh yeah, except every time I wash my dishes (no matter what setting) the dishes come out with a fine dusting of detergent still on them.  Yuck.  Other than that, I think it does clean better than Seventh Generation’s powder.  But it’s really not what I’m looking for.  So, after my final eighth of a box, or so, I’ll be switching to a new detergent.  To be fair, they do recommend using a rinse agent and running vinegar through your dishwasher if you’re having problems.  But I do have a whole house water softener, and I really don’t want to use a rinse agent, so I’ll keep looking.  Stay tuned for my results.

***addition to the review:  I did end up running my dishwasher with vinegar.  I do think that it improved the performance of Earth Friendly’s product, but I still think there’s a better product out there.