A greater awareness of the health and environmental effects of many of the chemicals we use in everyday household items has led to an increased interest in alternatives to these chemicals that are derived from natural ingredients and that do not carry any of the harmful health or environmental side effects of chemical-based items. Dishwasher detergent is a primary example of this new-found concern; while many of the chemicals used in dishwasher detergent are effective at cleaning dishes, concern over the use of toxic ingredients has led many to seek natural alternatives.
Concerns
Dishwasher detergents contain chlorine, phosphates and sodium carbonate, all of which are harmful if swallowed and cause eye and skin damage when they come into contact with one another. Dishwasher detergents also contain "surfactants," chemicals that break the surface tension between a liquid and a solid, making them particularly effective at removing tough stains from the surfaces of dishes. Surfactants are known to be toxic to humans and can have long-lasting effects on water systems and ecosystems.
Detergent Additives
If you want to cut down on the use of harmful chemicals but do not want to stop using dishwasher detergent altogether, cutting your dishwasher detergent with an additive can enable you to use less of the harmful chemicals in a single load of dishes. Add equal parts detergent and sodium hexametaphosphate to clean your dishes effectively with half the amount of dishwasher detergent. Alternatively, you can experiment with cutting back on the amount of detergent you use in a single load. Cut the manufacturer's recommended amount in half and see if that amount washes your dishes effectively. If so, you can cut your detergent use in half by continuing to use the minimum amount needed to clean your dishes properly.
Alternatives
To avoid using detergent altogether, you can always simply wash your dishes by hand. Hand dishwashing detergents tend to be less abrasive than machine dishwashing detergents. For tough grease stains, try adding baking soda or lemon juice to the detergent rather than using more detergent. Many household items can be cleaned without the use of any detergent altogether; run vinegar through a coffee maker cycle to clean it out and then run several pots of water to get rid of the vinegar aroma. Slightly dirty dishes can often be cleaned with piping hot water alone. You can even rub your dish sponge with hand soap and use it to clean dishes.
Other Considerations
There are less labor-intensive solutions available to those concerned about the use of abrasive chemicals in household items. Health and environmental concerns over abrasive chemicals has led to manufacturers introducing greener dishwashing soaps that claim to be free of harmful chemicals. If you purchase one of these, make sure they are free of phosphates, chlorine and, if possible, surfactants, as well. Vegetable-based rather than petroleum-based soaps are also less harmful alternatives to traditional dishwashing soaps.
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