I have been on the hunt for a safe, non-toxic dishwashing detergent for some time now. I've tried several, including Seventh Generation and Planet, but none have been up to the task. Seventh Generation never seemed to get tea or coffee rings or sauces off and I found that all left a strange glossy coating over everything, making it very difficult to hand wash the baked on food that still remained at the end of the cycle. I've tried powder and liquid, receiving the same results every time.
Recently, I finally hit on a winner. Method Smarty Dish is a natural cleaner made possible by some of the best natural chemistry around. One of the ingredients even won a Presidential Green Chemistry Award! It's non-toxic, biodegradable, and super powerful. The smart chemical free formula is DfE-recognized, which means that the EPA has examined it and determined it to be environmentally superior. (Over 50 Method products have received this coveted recognition- far more than any other cleaning products company!)
This all sounded very promising when I first read it, so I popped one of the tablets into my dishwasher and crossed my fingers. An hour later I reached into my machine for a fresh coffee cup and came out with a sparkling mug- gleaming on the inside and out. No baked on coffee rings! No food particles from the dishes below stuck to the inside! No filmy residue! Perfectly, beautifully clean! I proceeded to go through every dish, growing more excited by the second. Each was equally clean and sparkling. It wasn't just luck or chance. Method continued to produce fantastic results with each wash.
I have gone through an entire box (20 tablets) of Method Smarty Dish and recently purchased a new bag. In those 20 washes I have only had 3 disappointments. On those three occasions for no apparent reason, the tablet would get stuck in the dispenser and never fall into the wash. So naturally, the dishes did not get cleaned. This may be something that happens when the tablets have been on the shelf a while. I purchased this first box from Target on clearance, so it had probably been there for some time.
Here is a complete run down of my experience with Smarty Dish:
What I Love:
- Natural, non-toxic which means safer for my child! (Did you know that chemical based dishwashing detergents will immediately burn and seriously damage the esophagus if ingested? They also contain dioxins, which are known to cause cancer!)
- Phosphate free
- Chlorine/bleach free
- Biodegradable, making it eco-friendly. When this goes down the drain and into our waterways, the fish won't even notice!
- Packaging made from 25% recycled materials
- Effectively cleans and breaks down caked on food and beverages
- Rarely leaves spots on my glasses
- Does not etch on my fine glasses and crystal
- At a typical retail price of $6.99, it is competitive with other tablet detergents
What I Don't Love:
- Sometimes the tablets stick to the inside of the dispenser, and either never fall out or drop into the washer late in the cycle, meaning that the dishes don't get cleaned properly
- Sometimes leaves a cloudy residue on plastic cups and bottles
- Occasionally (though rarely) leaves spots on my glasses if allowed to pool at all during cycle
- My sister says that she can sometimes taste a little "saltiness" on my glasses when she drinks out of them. This formula contains mineral cleaning salts, so I am assuming that is what she is tasting. Maybe a slight residue is sometimes left behind? I have never noticed it nor has anyone else. She must have a very refined pallet. :)
Overall I give Method Smarty Dish an A. I am happy to have found a natural detergent that is this effective.
You can purchase Method products from Target or from Method's website.
