Last Updated on March 22, 2025 by NonToxicSwaps
The average dishwasher detergent likely contains a handful of harmful chemicals. Eliminate your exposure by switching to one of these non toxic dishwasher detergent options instead.
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I don’t know about you but I don’t like toxic chemicals making contact with my dinnerware. By using a non toxic dishwasher detergent, you can eliminate that exposure.
When you use chemical free dishwasher detergent, you won’t have the usual cocktail of chemicals that you’ll find in conventional detergents.
While these chemicals work together to powerfully clean your dishes, they make contact with the dishes you eat off of!
You’re also making contact with these chemicals just by breathing them in when you open the bottle or package. These dangerous ingredients can contribute to a number of health issues.
They’re also harmful to marine life, when deposited into our waterways.
Even though these are small doses of exposure, they all build up. Bioaccumulation is when a substance builds up in our bodies, and our natural filtration system can’t eliminate as quickly as it’s introduced to the body. The substance then accumulates within the body with every exposure. THAT’S when health issues arise.
And dishwasher detergent isn’t the only culprit of these toxic ingredients! Think about all the cleaning products you have in your home. Unless you’ve made a conscious decision to buy a non toxic product, your current products are likely made with these harmful ingredients. That’s a lot of exposure over time! And remember, you body ACCUMULATES them.
Ingredients to Avoid in Dishwasher Detergent
Mainstream detergents include harmful chemical ingredients like:
- Sodium hypochlorite: topical exposure can results in skin irritation and burn, can irritate the eyes with possible eye damage. When inhaled it can be an irritant to the nose and throat. It can also cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
- Sulfuric Acid: can be fatal when inhaled, corrosive to the skin and eyes, has been associated with lung cancer
- Formaldehyde: carcinogenic, damage to the developmental, endocrine, and reproductive systems, can cause allergic skin allergies
And these are just A FEW of the many chemical ingredients companies use in their products to make them as effective as possible.
Many of them engage in greenwashing. This is deceptive marketing used to make a product appear “green”, or “pure”, when they’re just as toxic as the rest!
For consumers who are not aware of the harmful effects and/or safer options, it appears to be a great product. And that’s what kills me. People are thinking they’re doing better by buying these products, when in fact, they’re still buying toxic products that are “fake” clean.
If we have safer options that can tackle tough cleaning jobs, why use these toxic cleaners?
Finding the Best Non Toxic Dishwasher Detergent
Finding the right chemical free cleaning products can be a challenge. Check out the comparison chart above to help you determine the best match for your new non toxic dishwasher detergent.
If you’re new to non toxic cleaning here are some more ideas to check out:
You can also check out the INDEX, where you can find all my articles about non toxic products from makeup to cleaners to personal care! Click here to check it out!
When you try out your new non toxic dishwasher detergent, I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments.
