All the Best Natural Dish Soaps We’ve Ever Written About

WhenNew Yorkfeatures editor Katy Schneider set out tofindthe 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 qualitycleaning supplies, including a horsehair scrubberbrushand aJapanese broom.

Ecover Zero comesrecommendedto us by Saudia Davis, founder and CEO ofGreenHouse 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 atGreen Baby Deals, alsosaysit has anA-ratingfrom the EWG. Brady says it’s gentle on hands but tough on dishes, so she says she feels confident letting her kids use it whiledishwashing.

For cleaning baby bottles, Strategist writer Katherine Gillespiesaysthis vegan and cruelty-free dish cleaner from Attitude Living was specifically developed to removebreast milkand 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 skinirritationas well.

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 Heartauthor Gay Browne is also a fan of the cleanser, and shesaysthat concentrates cut outpackaging wastebecause 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.comsaysit’s powerful enough to clean your floors, dishes,furniture, and even yourcar, but gentle enough not to irritate your skin, which Jhené Aikoechoedwhen she included Dr. Bronner’s in her list of favorite things. “I use it as a body wash. I use it as abath soap. I’ve washed myhairwith 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.”

“Even though we recycle, that still means going through a dozen plastic bottles a year just for dish soap,” Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillosays. She turned to this Mater Soap Kitchen Block for a truly zero-waste alternative, since thebarcomes wrapped in a compostable envelope. Corsillo says thesoapis 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.”

If you have a dishwasher, KonMari consultant Kelley Jonkoffrecommendsthese plastic-freedetergentpods. 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 incompostableandrecyclablepackaging with carbon-neutral shipping.