what eco-friendly dshwasher detergent do u use?

[BeckaBlue]

I ran out not long ago (used palmolive eco) but had to get some washed so i stuck vinegar in the closed cup and baking soda in the open, washed and they came out perfect!

Im alternating between that and the palm-e stuff cause using just the vin/ they started getting a powdery film.
im thinking to premix some into a liquid, maybe thatd work? or should i add something?

[HummusDip]

hmmm I'm not sure.

I use Biokleen brand dishwasher powder. :)

[canadiyank]

I use 7th Generation powder.

[Grover]

You can use soapnuts in the dishwasher too

[BeckaBlue]

ok, the liquid mix did not work!! everything is coated in powder residue


what are soapnuts?

[Drew]

I use 7th Generation powder.


I've used this as well and it worked pretty well for awhile. I started getting a white film on my dishes toward the end though. :scratch

[trustingGod2]

I use the borax/washing soda/lemon essential oil drops as a dishwasher powder mix works perfectly

[~yogamom~]

Ecover is the absolute best IMO. I won't use anything else.

[milkmommy]

when we had one I used my Charlies soap as dishwasher solution and it worked fablous.

Deanna

[Atarah]

when we had one I used my Charlies soap as dishwasher solution and it worked fablous.

Deanna


powder or liquid?

[Grover]

Ecover is good :yes
Soapnuts
heres a link-I have seen them on amazon too
http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/index.html
I started using them in the laundry and then moved on to using them for lots of things including tying a small bag inside the cutlery box in the dishwasher

[Katigre]

Ecover tablets are the best! I didn't like how the 7th Gen powder worked - not very well at all. The only annoying thing about the Ecover is that they come individually wrapped - but the plastic wrapping is recyclable .

Ecover Tablets (http://www.ecover.com/us/en/Products/Dishes/Dishwasher+Tablets.htm)
http://www.ecover.com/NR/rdonlyres/20046BE0-F78F-413B-B522-59139D561618/4755/dishwashing_tabsRGB.jpg

[righteous mama]

http://www.shaklee.net/ecofriendlyhome/product/00295

You use very little, it lasts very nicely, and it works awesome. I actually have customers that just buy this product.

[canadiyank]

Funny how different things work for different people - I think it really depends on your area's water and your dishwasher.

[milkmommy]

when we had one I used my Charlies soap as dishwasher solution and it worked fablous.

Deanna

both but ussually the powder.

Deanna

powder or liquid?

[something glorious]

we use the ecover tablets too, and really like them :yes

in the past we also used trader joe's brand- the liquid, and were also quite happy with that :yes

[Niphredil]

How do the ecover tabs work in very hard water? I've about given up on my dishwasher. :(

[Atarah]

I use ecover in our very hard water, and it works pretty well.

I also run the washer once a week with this to remove the excess minerals from the racks/sprayers: http://www.lemishine.com/

The lemi-shine package says to run it with dishes and detergent, but I find that my dishes don't get clean that way. So I run an empty machine with the lemi-shine, and it keeps the dishwasher free of buildup, so the ecover can do it's job with the dishes. :)

[LadyJane]

I'm going to be totally honest and admit that I use.....nothing! :jawdrop Is that totally disgusting. I just find that with our little apartment sized dishwasher soap was more of a hassle. So we rinse the dishes and run them through with nothing and they seem to come out clean. If its something really greasy or germy then I wash them by hand with regular soap. But yeah I'm a soap free kinda gal!

[ShangriLewis]

Maybe we are messy, but I've never had luck with anything natural and I've lived all over the place with different waters.

The only time I felt like things worked well was when we had a water softener. I loved that thing. I used soapworks on my laundry, even my diapers and never had build up.

[Yuliana]

I use 7th Generation powder.


:yes

[Drew]

Funny how different things work for different people - I think it really depends on your area's water and your dishwasher.


:yes

[Serafine]

Ecover powder was awesome, but we found out we couldn't use it with our septic. (before anyone trys to correct me on this...i have done all the research and KNOW that we cannot use it with our septic).

We use 7th generation liquid now..it is not as awesome as ecover, but it gets the job done for the most part.

[Lady TS]

I use the borax/washing soda/lemon essential oil drops as a dishwasher powder mix works perfectly


Do you mix them 1:1 and then add the drops?

[TuneMyHeart]

Ecover powder was awesome, but we found out we couldn't use it with our septic. (before anyone trys to correct me on this...i have done all the research and KNOW that we cannot use it with our septic).

We use 7th generation liquid now..it is not as awesome as ecover, but it gets the job done for the most part.


can you tell me why it doesn't work for your septic? Just want to make sure I'm not hurting our septic tank. :nails

[zak]

We use Shaklee powder. :tu

[Serafine]

Ecover powder was awesome, but we found out we couldn't use it with our septic. (before anyone trys to correct me on this...i have done all the research and KNOW that we cannot use it with our septic).

We use 7th generation liquid now..it is not as awesome as ecover, but it gets the job done for the most part.


can you tell me why it doesn't work for your septic? Just want to make sure I'm not hurting our septic tank. :nails


All powders are not ideal for septic systems b/c they have the tendency to get gunked up and cause issues. I assumed that ECOVER (b/c it was ecofriendly, claimed to be safe for septics, and was "natural") would be okay, so we use it happily for a long time.

BUT, I did some research, including talking to over 25 septic experts in my and surrounding areas - and a natural living store (where the owner literally knows just about everything, I think. :yes)...and she confirmed that we should not be using it with our septic. I WISH that they made a liquid b./c I LOVE ecover, but they don't so I settle for 7th generation.

Mama2madj just replied on another thread of mine that she is going to try maggie's soap nuts for the dishwasher...so I am looking forward to hearing how that works for her.

[TuneMyHeart]

thank you Brandy!

[righteous mama]

Ecover powder was awesome, but we found out we couldn't use it with our septic. (before anyone trys to correct me on this...i have done all the research and KNOW that we cannot use it with our septic).

We use 7th generation liquid now..it is not as awesome as ecover, but it gets the job done for the most part.


can you tell me why it doesn't work for your septic? Just want to make sure I'm not hurting our septic tank. :nails

btw, I've heard wonderful things about Shaklee and septics. When I first became involved years ago someone told me about problems they had with theirs until they began using Shaklee. After that no more problems and the grass where the tank was buried started coming back and looking beautiful. I always thought that was an interesting story.

[krysmh]

We love the ecover tablets. :)

[Niphredil]

VICTORY! :jump2

No, really, it's that big a deal! Two years I've been searching for something that works that didn't make me gag with fumes.

We've been using washing soda/borax mix I found here and it leaves my dishes filmy. Someone on this thread mentioned using a homemade powder in the outer tab and putting vinegar in the closed one... It soooo worked! :woohoo