Washing with natural dish soap means you can protect your health and the environment while still getting clean plates. So, we’ve combed through the archives on natural all-purpose cleansers and dishwashing guides to find the best natural dish soaps recommended by cleaning experts, parents, and tidying consultants — including one for cleaning baby bottles approved by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a zero-waste bar made with natural plant oils, and Jhené Aiko’s favorite concentrate.
Best natural liquid dish soaps
When New York features editor Katy Schneider set out to find the next Mrs. Meyer’s a few years ago, she landed on this entirely sulfate-free, biodegradable dish soap from woman-owned company Rebel Green. Schneider says the packaging is charming, the price is low, and the ingredients are even cleaner than Mrs. Meyer’s (the company uses a plant-based formula with natural essential oils). Plus, Schneider says the status dish soap is endorsed by Sandeep Salter, the owner of stylish Brooklyn Heights home-goods shop Salter House. Salter stocks it between other quality cleaning supplies, including a horsehair scrubber brush and a Japanese broom.
Ecover Zero comes recommended to us by Saudia Davis, founder and CEO of GreenHouse Eco-Cleaning, a New York–based cleaning service using all-natural products. Although Davis typically makes a lot of her own household cleaners, she says she gets this biodegradable, fragrance-free dish soap when she buys from a brand. Jen Brady, chief green mama at Green Baby Deals, also says it has an A-rating from the EWG. Brady says it’s gentle on hands but tough on dishes, so she says she feels confident letting her kids use it while dishwashing.
For cleaning baby bottles, Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie says this vegan and cruelty-free dish cleaner from Attitude Living was specifically developed to remove breast milk and formula (the brand says it will also work well on regular dishes). The soap has the EWG’s highest possible verified rating, which means it’s safe and environmentally friendly, with low-concern ingredients regarding developmental and reproductive toxicity. Because it’s fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, there’s low concern for skin irritation as well.
Best concentrated natural cleaner
Podcast host and cleaning expert Jessica Haizman says any soap is going to leave some type of residue, so it’s important to make sure you’re using non-toxic products when washing dishes. She says she likes this soap concentrate from Branch Basics because the plant- and mineral-based ingredients mean it’s safe and biodegradable. Simply dilute it with water to make cleansers of different strengths. Living With a Green Heart author Gay Browne is also a fan of the cleanser, and she says that concentrates cut out packaging waste because you go through the bottle a lot slower.
This more affordable all-purpose concentrate from Dr. Bronner’s is also non-toxic and biodegradable, as it’s made with plant-based surfactants and natural essential oils. Micaela Preston of mindfulmomma.com says it’s powerful enough to clean your floors, dishes, furniture, and even your car, but gentle enough not to irritate your skin, which Jhené Aiko echoed when she included Dr. Bronner’s in her list of favorite things. “I use it as a body wash. I use it as a bath soap. I’ve washed my hair with it. I’ve washed dishes with it. I’ve washed my crystals in it, too,” Aiko says. “It’s super gentle, but it’s also effective.”
Best natural bar soap
“Even though we recycle, that still means going through a dozen plastic bottles a year just for dish soap,” Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo says. She turned to this Mater Soap Kitchen Block for a truly zero-waste alternative, since the bar comes wrapped in a compostable envelope. Corsillo says the soap is made with natural plant oils like coconut, olive, and castor seed as well as kaolin clay in place of harsh detergents, so it’s non-drying and biodegradable. To use, Corsillo wets her sponge with warm water and massages the block to get a good lather. “I have cleaned some very dirty, greasy, and crusty things with the Mater bar, and it’s just as effective as liquid soap,” she says. And no matter how hard she scrubs, Corsillo says she doubts she will ever use up the whole bar. “It’s been more than a month, and I can still barely see a dent in the top.”
Best natural dishwasher pods
If you have a dishwasher, KonMari consultant Kelley Jonkoff recommends these plastic-free detergent pods. The pods contain an all-natural formula made with mineral-based ingredients and are free from dyes and preservatives, and they’re enclosed in biodegradable membranes that break down in the water-treatment system. Jonkoff says she likes that Dropps delivers the detergent in compostable and recyclable packaging with carbon-neutral shipping.
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