The best brands of zero waste dishwash liquids
Greenscents Organic Washing Up Liquid is a plant-powered powerhouse to clean away grease, grime and baked-on food from dishes, while being kind to the planet and your skin. Avoid handling glass with wet hands. Choose from non-scents (ideal for baby and pet bowls), minty, lavender or citrus.
Use code GSENGLANDNATURALLY (15% off order, minimum purchase £20) for greenscents
Also in bulk form, ther Nonscents range is ideal for pregnancy/nursing, cleaning near babies/pets (or for their bedding and bowls) and for allergies. All scents are naturally derived and certified organic.
Use with plastic-free washing-up tools.
- Use with natural dishwash liquid or dishwasher powder (unscented for pregnancy/nursing and baby/pet bowls – citrus is toxic to animals). And wear fair trade rubber gloves!
- Don’t pour plant-based liqueurs down the drain. They should be treated like oil (wrap and bin small amounts or use an oil recycling bin for larger amounts. Or better yet, just drink them up!
This concentrated formula contains organic soap nuts (don’t compost soap pods as they contain natural insecticides) and shikakai pods for natural foaming and effecting cleaning. Just a few drops go a long way, ideal for busy family kitchens.
How does the refill scheme work?
You can buy 500ml glass amber bottles (don’t handle with wet hands) for everyday use (and retail sale). Then you can buy refillable items in 5 litre and 20 litre containers.
Just return empties for sanitising and reuse, as simple as that! You can buy bundle sets to save money, with the refills included with your first order.
Use with one-time purchase pumps for easy use and refilling.
Where to recycle cleaning products
If you have some toxic products that you no longer wish to use, don’t pour them down the sink, as this can harm waterways. You can recycle empty containers with household waste.
With bottles still containing product, your council should be able to collect via the hazardous waste department. The fact that this is where they should be taken, is good reason to switch to a more natural brand!
Miniml refillable washing-up liquids
Miniml Washing Up Liquids are made with natural ingredients and Yorkshire, sold in bottles that can be refilled at stores, or sent back using the QR code, to be washed, refilled and sent back to you.
Greenscents Organic Dishwasher Powder (in paper packs)
Greenscents Organic Dishwasher Powder is a first! It’s a unique brand of natural botanicals and probiotics to deliver powerful cleaning in dishwashers using organic ingredients, and even sold in a paper bag that’s easy to recycle.
Use code GSENGLANDNATURALLY (15% off order, minimum purchase £20) for greenscents
A caveat here: if you live somewhere with very hard water (London, Norfolk and south-east we’re talking to you!), performance may vary. Most customers enjoy excellent results, but this powder may not suit all dishwashers or eco settings. It’s a case of trial and error.
One compostable pouch lasts around 30 cycles, so it’s great value too. You can pair with cleaning vinegar if wished as a rinse aid (or use the brand below).
Never mix any kind of vinegar with bleach, as it causes toxic gases.
To use, just add one heaped teaspoon (no greenwash ‘biodegradable wrappers’, which are usually made from PLA plastic).
Authentic customer reviews
As mentioned above, the few reviews where this powder hasn’t worked are usually for areas with very hard water, so you are likely best using hand-washing liquid.
You could have a go at softening the water, with a monthly cycle of cleaning vinegar (fill a dishwasher-safe bowl or mug with 1 to 2 cups on the top rack, and run on an empty cycle. Don’t pour directly into the dispenser, this could damage rubber seals.
Here are some excellent reviews from genuine users (like any dishwasher product, soak baked-on goods beforehand for best results). Also be sure to thoroughly clean and rinse leftover plastic tabs, as some may leave a blue residue:
I’m delighted with this product. We have medium water and all my items came out, just as clean as branded pods, but without the horrible chemical residue. And genuinely only needed a teaspoon of powder.
The dishes are fresh and clean without any feeling of residue, which is fantastic for just one teaspoon! I’m never going back to the horrible chemical ones. Thank you!
I have tried ALL other eco-friendly alternatives and none have been effective, even with vinegar rinse. So when I got this dishwasher powder, I did not expect it to work at all.
I was really surprised when the dishes came out clean, especially the glasses (no sign of limescale, I did use vinegar rinse). For dried food stains, I make to rinse the dishes to remove larger particles, which also prevents clogging my machine.
Noah’s plastic-free dishwasher powder
Noah’s eco dishwasher powder is made with natural ingredients, sold in an easy-to-recycle paper pouch. It’s subtly scented with real oil of orange.
For pregnancy/nursing and baby/pet bowls, choose Greenscents unscented dishwasher powder.
Made with washing soda, oxygen bleach and sodium citrate, it lifts grease, dissolves food residue and prevents limescale. To leave glassware and dishes spotless.
- The 1kg pack gives 66 washes
- The 750g pack gives 50 washes
- The 500 bag gives 33 washes
Miniml refillable Rinse Aid (natural ingredients)
Miniml Eco Dishwasher Rinse Aid is the ideal swap to keep on hand, to leave your dishes squeaky-clean and streak-free ((including for restaurants and hotels). Made with biodegradable ingredients (including Yorkshire water – even scents are naturally derived), these are vegan-friendly and not tested on animals, and sold in bottles that you can send back to be refilled.
This Rinse Aid is concentrated, so a little goes a long way. At end of use, you can get the bottles refilled at stores that sell them, or use the QR code to send off empty bottles for refilling, and return.
The starter bottle is 500ml, and the refill bottles will last you ages! To use, fill the rinse aid reservoir of your dishwasher, and follow the machine manufacturer’s guidelines. Check the level of rinse aid regularly. Also suitable for cabinet washers and combi ovens.
A collapsible stainless steel dish rack
This collapsible stainless steel dish rack is ideal to let your pots and pans air-dry, even in small spaces. Made from smart brushed stainless steel finish, with fingerprint-resistant coating on both ends.
The removable cutlery holder is in addition to the design with extra space for larger bowls. And the extendable feet create a slight incline, and the water spout allows water to drain directly into the sink.
Clean with hot soapy water. And wipe dry before placing back on the drainer. Designed to last years, this costs less than a pack of designer tea towels!
Use these discount codes on orders:
- SAVING5 (£5 off for orders of £20 to £80)
- SAVING10 (£10 off for orders of £80 to £150)
- SAVING10 (£15 off for orders of £150+)
A Quality Stainless Steel Washing Up Bowl
This stainless steel washing up bowl is designed to last for years, an end to soggy and mouldy plastic washing up bowls. In neutral or bright orange. Sold with a 15-year warranty!
Wash with hot soapy water by hand (you can brighten the steel with cleaning vinegar). Avoid bleach (avoid bleach anyway, it’s toxic).
Avoid for ceramic or butler sinks, as they scratch. This bowl is a bit bigger so not for smaller sinks, measure according to instructions before ordering.
