9 Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergents That Won’t Sink Your Sustainable Kitchen
Here’s the dirt on what you’re using to clean dishes: conventional dishwasher detergents and dishwasher pods aren’t clean or healthy.
That’s why non-toxic dishwasher detergent should be a key player in your low waste living kitchen routine; they’re a safe, sustainable solution to big-name dishwashing detergents and pods.
The difference between natural dishwasher detergent and conventional stuff is that it contains non-toxic biodegradable ingredients and minimal to no harmful chemicals like phosphates, synthetic dyes, and preservatives—not to mention single-use PVA or PVOH plastic.
If you’re worried about your dishes coming out crusted and dirty, the best organic dishwasher detergent options are just as effective as conventional detergents.
And if you’re hesitant to use your dishwasher to conserve energy, the good news is that the God-sent invention is mostly Gaia-sent, too. Today’s dishwashing machines are more eco-friendly appliances than you think.
Especially if Energy Star Certified, they use significantly less water (and thus less energy to heat the water) than hand washing.
But there is the e-waste component, so they need to be well cared for. All the more reason to use natural detergent solutions without chemicals to gum up your machine.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
Dishing Out Our Favorite All-Natural Dishwasher Detergents
So, how do I make my dishwasher detergent eco-friendly, you ask?
It’s simple. Opt for safe, natural dishwasher detergents from brands like Blueland who, in our experience, offer one of the best dishwasher detergents for easy, breezy, clean and cruelty-free tablets.
Dropps’ non-toxic dishwasher detergents clean your dishes without dirtying your health or the planet thanks to their pods sold in a compostable package.
Did you know most conventional dishwasher liquids are formulated with up to 90% of (unnecessary) water?
VOYA eliminates this redundancy with powerful washing strips (confirmed by our own testing) that lighten up your next load of dishes—starting with shipping weight and ending with their formula that’s free of harmful chemicals.
Alternatively, try your hand at making some natural homemade dishwasher detergent for a home-cooked and cleaned meal.
Stay tuned as we dish on the best completely non-toxic dishwasher detergent choices on the market and unload our criteria at the bottom.
The Best Natural & Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergents
- Blueland | Visit Store
- Dropps | Visit Store
- etee | Visit Store
- Ecoleaf | Visit Store
- Grove Collaborative | Visit Store
- Puracy | Visit Store
- Zero Co | Visit Store
- Seventh Generation | Visit Store
- VOYA | Visit Store
1. Blueland
*Note: Blueland cleaners may contain sustainably-sourced RSPO palm oil.
Blueland’s All-Natural Dishwasher Detergent
Price Range: $21–$45
If you’re feeling blue about the toxic home cleaning aisle at your local supermarket, Blueland has one of the best organic unscented dishwasher detergent offerings on the market!
This fragrance free dishwasher detergent tablet works hard to clean your dishes without the toxic ingredients, dyes, fragrances, or plastic in traditional dishwasher detergent.
It also has no chlorine bleach, VOCs, ammonia, parabens, phthalates, or petroleum. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, soy and nut-free, EPA Safer Choice, Cradle to Cradle Certified™, Leaping Bunny certified, and MADE SAFE certified.
Their refill packs come in 60, 120, or 240 tablets, and their Dishwasher Starter Set comes with a stylish reusable tin box to keep your cleaning cabinet colorful and tidy.
While we’ve yet to try the dishwasher tablets, we do regularly use their dishwashing powder for our hand washing needs—along with our arsenal of their other eco-friendly cleaning products for the home and body.
About Blueland
Certified B Corp Blueland sells a huge range of clean, cruelty-free and mostly vegan cleaning options, like zero waste hand soap.
“Products with purpose” they rightly call them.
Everything Blueland makes is focused on eco ingredients and packaging, efficient water and energy use, carbon neutrality, environmental stewardship, and happy workers and manufacturing.
So far they’ve helped divert 2 million plastic bottles from our beautiful blue land (seas) and the company is Climate Neutral Certified since 2020.
If that’s not enough, the brand also donates to numerous organizations doing good, including DIGDEEP, the ACLU, and Lonely Whale.
2. Dropps
Dropps’ Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Pods
Price Range: $19
There won’t be a drop of residue or muck on your clean dishes thanks to Dropps’ natural dishwasher detergent pods.
Using only natural, mineral-based ingredients and oxygen-based bleach, these pods clean powerfully without any harmful chemicals that interfere with human health or the environment.
Plus, they’re good for any kind of water or septic system, which is why they’re often lauded as the best natural dishwasher detergent for hard water.
Choose between lemon scent, rain fresh scent, or unscented.
Note: the pod membrane is made from a water-soluble casing called Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), which dissolves in the dishwasher after it touches water. (We’ll talk more on this later…)
About Dropps
Dropps dropped onto the home cleaning scene with natural laundry detergent pods and have since expanded to all kinds of cleaning products—including eco-friendly fabric softeners—because they’re just. so. good.
Everything is packaged in fully recyclable materials and shipped 100% carbon-neutral.
Because they believe in transparency, full ingredient lists and safety data disclosures are accessible on their website.
Dropps is also committed to rehabilitating every last drop in the sea, and they partner with organizations like Oceana to do so.
3. etee
*Note: Some etee products utilize a compostable beeswax pod for packaging.
etee’s Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Canada
Price Range: $12
A little goes a long way with etee’s non-toxic dishwasher powder, which rinses clear and is guaranteed to work on your high efficiency machine.
Harnessing the power of baking soda and other non-toxic biodegradable ingredients, the small scoop of the Concentrated Dishwasher Detergent will leave your whole load of dishes sparkling.
We should add: without palm oil, foaming agents, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, or synthetic fragrances, preservatives, and dyes.
And because it’s in powder form, no PVA/PVOH is needed, in either the detergent or its paper packaging, making this one of the most natural dishwasher detergent options available.
About etee
etee” is a brand known for producing eco-friendly and sustainable products.
The name stands for “Everything Touches Everything Else,” reflecting their commitment to reducing waste and environmental impact by offering a range of plastic-free alternatives, including reusable food wraps, cleaning supplies, and zero waste toothpaste, and much more.
All products are made-in house, use ethically sourced ingredients, and are made in a renewable energy powered facility.
This zero waste online store also donates to local social justice organizations like Hue Man Race.
4. EcoLeaf
EcoLeaf’s Organic Dishwasher Detergent UK
Price Range: £6–£34
UK brand EcoLeaf will have you tearing a leaf from their (biodegradable) book when you choose their dishwasher detergents that are sustainably sourced from plants.
You can be sure this natural dishwasher detergent recipe is free from microbeads, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, SLS, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances.
While they contain RSPO-certified palm oil, you can read their ethical palm policy here.
Tablets come in a water-soluble wrapper and are designed with a built-in rinse-aid, non-grease agents, and intense cleaning action to leave your dishes sparkling clean.
Due to the origin of the detergent’s raw materials, they are 100% biodegradable and have no impact on aquatic life. This product is also fine for hard water and septic systems.
They’re also vegan, cruelty-free, and the outer box is made from recyclable cardboard.
About EcoLeaf
Ecoleaf proudly offers a wide range of vegan, cruelty-free, clean cleaning products that are non-toxic for use around the house.
The brand’s entire range is obtained from plant extracts and biodegradable, non-hazardous ingredients, as opposed to the harsh chemicals found in most conventional home cleaning products.
If you love your Ecoleaf’s completely non-toxic dishwasher detergent, be sure to check out Suma, Ecoleaf’s parent company who function as a wholesale collective for conscious living.
They also offer bulk refillable options and supply a number of bulk stores in the UK. Any plastic bottles are made of reusable PCR (post consumer recycled) plastic.
5. Grove Collaborative
*Note: Grove Collaborative is not an entirely vegan brand, but their dishwasher pods are vegan. Grove uses RSPO palm oil in their products.
Grove Collaborative’s Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Pods
Price Range: $7
You’re here because you’re probably looking for an all-natural dishwasher detergent that works.
Enter Grove Collaborative’s dishwasher tablets which use plant and mineral power to leave your dishes clean without hurting the Earth.
With no harsh chemicals like parabens, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, dyes, and chlorine bleach, you can be sure these 91% plant-based pods really work.
Their Total Clean pods come in Free & Clear or Lemon & Eucalyptus. Fragrances come from 100% natural essential oils and plant extracts.
For an extra cleanse, opt for their Pure Power extra-strength formula to remove caked-on food and grime.
About Grove Collaborative
A Certified B Corp, Grove Collaborative sells more than 150 sustainable brands, including their own well-loved in-house brand.
Eco-friendly dishwasher tablets are just the beginning of what you’ll find from this home cleaning alternative to Amazon—which also features handy subscription options to save time and money.
They’re certified cruelty-free and USDA BioPreferred, plus they feature a recycling program for any difficult-to-recycle plastic packaging (dishwashing pod bags included), since not everything is zero waste.
Product shipping is carbon offset through reforestation projects, and all Grove purchases are plastic neutral. They do this through a partnership with rePurpose Global to collect and properly recycle an equal weight of plastic from the environment.
They do use palm oil, but it’s RSPO certified. They plan to be fully plastic-free by 2025 and publish yearly impact reports to ensure transparency.
6. Puracy
*Note: We have attempted to confirm policies directly with this brand but have not received a reply.
Puracy’s Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent
Price Range: $15–$20
Puracy’s natural dishwasher detergent comes as a plant-based formula with enzymes to safely remove even the grittiest caked-on food for sparkling clean dishes.
Puracy dishwasher pods are in their third generation, being regularly improved upon by chemists to provide the very best clean.
Made with 99.5% natural ingredients, they have no harsh chemicals, phosphates, phthalates, SLES, parabens, chlorine bleach, petrochemicals, animal by-products, dyes, perfumes, or caustics.
They’re also gluten-free, vegan, biodegradable, and certified cruelty-free.
What’s not to love?
Maybe the plastic pouch they’re sold in and the PLA pod casings, but it’s still a far more environmentally friendly alternative than most traditional pods.
About Puracy
Puracy is all about purity when it comes to high quality cleaning products. A healthy family, clean environment, and caring community are at the heart of this brand. That means all formulas are at least 99% safe and natural.
Almost a decade ago, two friends came together in Austin to start the brand, and after starting families of their own, they expanded their team of researchers, doctors, and chemists to develop as many safe, non-toxic, and effective products as possible.
Everything is PETA and Leaping Bunny certified, the brand ethically sourced and manufactures in the US, and they partner with Pachamama Project among other charities.
7. Zero Co
Zero Co’s Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent Pods
Price Range: $30–$33
If you need amazingly clean dishes “without hurting the fishes,” Zero Co will wipe your plate clean of any toxic chemicals or food particles thanks to their Dishwasher Tablets.
If you’re wondering, “What dishwasher soap is greywater safe?”, these non-toxic dishwasher detergent pods are.—along with being biodegradable, phosphate-free, and palm-oil free.
(Side note: we love that they got rid of the palm oil in their previous formula and that they publish all ingredients.)
Tablets are sold in a recycled cardboard box that’s printed with non-toxic vegetable dyes.
For handwashing needs, they also have a zero waste dish soap liquid that comes in a “forever” bottle, refillable via returnable pouches.
About Zero Co
Zero Co founder Mike Smith previously joined our SJ podcast to spill the (organic) tea on the Zero Co project.
The company is on a mission to rid the oceans of single waste plastic. In their own words, “winning the war on waste has never been easier!”
All plastics they use come from 100% recycled plastic waste and, to date, they’ve recovered more than 3 million bottles from the sea and more than 2 million bottles from landfills.
If you order one of their refillable cleaning products, the bottles and pouches can be returned for refill and reuse.
On top of that, everything is vegan and cruelty-free and the company is heavily involved in beach and ocean conservation projects.
8. Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation’s Organic Certified Dishwasher Detergent
Price Range: $7–$15
Seventh Generation cares about the impact their products have on the future seven generations, hence their formulation of an enzyme-rich natural dishwasher detergent that is tough on food particles and soft on the environment.
You can even pick the best dishwasher detergent form for you, whether it’s natural liquid dishwasher detergent, powder, or pods. The Dishwasher Detergent Powder is the only truly plastic-free variety since the liquid comes in a plastic bottle and the pods in PVOH encasement.
To use, simply place any of them in the soap dispenser compartment of the dishwasher, run it, and see your cutlery and dishes sparkle.
Each one is chlorine-free, phosphate-free, and fragrance-free, so you can feel good about your ages-old ritual of washing the dishes.
They’re also USDA Biobased and Leaping Bunny certified.
About Seventh Generation
Canadian Certified B Corp Seventh Generation considers their products as solutions to help address global issues like air pollution, water health, plastic waste, and consumer trust.
The brand develops products that only use renewable, plant-based ingredients that are rigorously tested to be safe for your family. Plus, they honor transparency by sharing exactly what’s in their products.
They proudly offer industry leading clean product standards via sustainable sourcing, zero waste packaging, third party testing, full ingredient disclosure, and zero toxins.
They’ve even partnered with corporate giant Unilever to consult on conventional brands cleaning up the act of their chemical-laced cleaning products.
*Also available on Amazon
9. VOYA
VOYA’s Natural Dishwasher Detergent Strips
Price Range: $14–20
Experience clean that is good for you and the Earth with VOYA’s, which are made from exclusively plant and mineral-based ingredients.
They’re also biodegradable, septic safe, vegan, cruelty free, hypoallergenic, residue-free, and packaged in compostable materials. Additionally, they’re phosphorus free, benzene free, fluorescent free, and phosphate, SLS, SLES, fragrance and dye free.
One of their detergent strips is the equivalent of eight whole lids of traditional dishwasher detergent.
You can also use their strips if washing dishes by hand: cut off half a sheet for use.
To effectively use them with your dishwasher, just rinse and load dishes. Add the sheet to the top rack on top of the dirty dishes. Voila!
We personally found VOYA’s strips to be an effective and easy to use eco alternative to conventional dishwashing powder. Combined with a little white vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser, our dishes came out sparkling and spot and residue-free.
Like most pods and papers, their natural automatic dishwasher detergent recipe does contain PVA. But if it wasn’t for that, we’d say the performance combined with the list of only ten all-natural ingredients would easily class them as the best natural dishwasher detergent around.
About VOYA
British Columbia-based VOYA vows to rid the planet of plastic packaging by offering clean, biodegradable home cleaning products.
And the time is ripe. By 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish—which is why they vow to do something different by featuring 100% safe cleaning products that, aside from dissolvable PVA, are plastic-free.
The papers come in a natural brown kraft paper envelope that is compostable.
10. DIY Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent
You might be asking yourself: what can I use instead of dishwashing detergent in the dishwasher?
Making homemade natural dishwasher detergent is cheap, easy and hygienic. So if DIY dishwasher detergent is your preference for cleaning dishes, use this non-toxic dishwasher detergent recipe instead,
- 1 cup sodium carbonate (AKA washing soda): Made from salt and limestone, it cuts grease.
- 1 cup Borax (AKA sodium tetraborate): A naturally occurring powdery white mineral that has a number of uses like getting rid of stains, mold, or mildew.
- ½ cup food grade citric acid: Unsweetened lemonade packets will do!
- ½ cup salt: Helps to scrub!
Mix it all together and store in a mason jar. Use one tablespoon per load.
How about vinegar? Can vinegar replace dishwasher detergent?
Not alone, but it does make for an excellent natural rinse aid.
Add white vinegar to the rinse dispenser for the very best results. The vinegar breaks down any final grit or grime, combats hard water, and keeps dishes stain free.
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Why Choose Organic & Natural Dishwasher Detergent?
Did you know that in the United States, cleaning manufacturers aren’t legally bound to disclose their full product formula?
It’s a massive issue given that many of our home cleaning products, including dishwasher detergent, enter our waterways, where they destroy aquatic ecosystems.
Why should you use natural dishwasher detergent?
While we believe the very best rule of thumb is to focus on what’s available to you, most conventional dishwashing products contain harsh bleaching agents, grease-breaking enzymes, and surfactants that are highly toxic.
Dishwasher pods also contain artificial preservatives, dyes, fragrances, binding agents, solvents, and corrosive inhibitors. Some also have low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are harmful to the planet and toxic to human health.
What about the globally marketed Cascade brand? Is Cascade dishwasher detergent non-toxic?
While the brand’s marketing would like us to believe it’s good for us, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), it’s far from it.
Here is a list of common dishwasher detergent ingredients to avoid:
- Phosphates: These enter the water system where they cause mineral poisoning, which kills aquatic plants and animals.
- Polyacrylates: On humans, they cause severe burns and eye damage. To aquatic animals, they’re toxic.
- Benzisothiazolinone: An environmental pollutant to aquatic life and a chemical that causes painful lung, skin, and eye irritation—even acute or chronic bronchitis—in humans.
- Methylisothiazolinone: This is linked to allergic reactions, inhalation toxicity, allergic and possibly neurotoxicity.
- Artificial Fragrances: Artificial fragrances in dish detergent and regular non-toxic dish soap have hundreds of undisclosed chemicals, which cause allergic reactions, chemical sensitivities, rashes, and are likely toxic to the environment.
- Dyes: They do nothing but help sell the product to look like candy. Can cause rashes and allergies, plus many dyes are proven endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.
- Bleach: AKA sodium hypochlorite, which is corrosive to human eyes and skin, plus can cause gastric burns, throat irritation, and fluid in the lungs.
- Surfactants: Theses usually come from palm oil, petroleum, or even animals in conventional dishwasher detergent.
A Note on PVOH:
The water-soluble film that many detergent pods come in, which is made of polyvinyl alcohol, AKA PVOH (also called PVA) is also a problem because it’s technically plastic that never fully biodegrades unless in very specific conditions—of which most water treatment plants do not meet.
According to studies, 75% of PVOH goes untreated in water systems in the US from detergent pods alone.
This means it can negatively disrupt the ecosystem as it travels from drain to sea.
It’s for these reasons that the Plastic Oceans project concludes that pods add further to plastic pollution. And this detrimental impact increases monumentally when you consider that over 8000 tons of PVA products are released yearly into the environment.
Risks of PVOH / PVA include:
- Destroyed plant life cycle
- Imbalanced oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere
- Accumulation in landfills if it doesn’t pass through water treatment plants
- Water pollutants that negatively affects aquatic life
While PVA does have its advocates and it’s a step up from the many traditional formulas, the jury is really still out, and we’re not convinced. Check out our PVA deep dive for more dirt on the dissolvable plastic.
However, right now, it’s largely what we have to work with, but we hope to see the best dishwasher detergents sans PVA in the future.
How We Found The Best Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent
Is your dishwasher detergent natural? How do you know?
Unlike natural skin care ingredients, which are mostly recognizable or at least pronounceable, natural detergent ingredients can still sound a little on the sciency side—like Sodium Chloride and Citric Acid, to name a couple.
That’s why we scrubbed through the following criteria (which also happen to be our sustainable and ethical beauty ones) to suss the best sparkly, sustainable, natural dishwasher detergents:
- Non-toxic: Commercial dishwasher detergent can have phosphates and other chemicals that end up in waterways and harm aquatic life. Which is why we focus on eco-friendly dishwasher detergents (and non-toxic cleaning products in general) that use plant-based formulas that safely biodegrade for minimum environmental impact. While there are not fully Certified USDA organic dishwasher detergents, we hope innovation eventually leads to more 100% organic dishwasher detergents.
- Cruelty-free and vegan: We don’t accept products tested on animals. Simple. Likewise, there’s no reason for a cleaning product to use animal byproducts, which unfortunately are often used as surfactants.
- Palm oil free: We prefer non-toxic dishwasher tabs to be palm oil-free. If brands do use it, then we need it sustainably sourced e.g. RSPO certified.
- Ethical ingredient sourcing
- Thoughtful packaging: Zero waste (i.e. compostable or reusable) packaging is best. Packaging should at least be recyclable and/or made of recycled materials.
We also love to see community-focused brands that give back by donating funds, products, and time to worthy endeavors.
Final Thoughts On Natural, Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergent
As if piles of dirty dishes weren’t gross and unhealthy enough, now we also have to worry about how healthy our piles of clean dishes are.
The products we use to scrub the kitchen have a far-reaching impact on the environment and our personal health, which is why natural dishwasher detergents are a much safer and cleaner option in the long run.
Say so long to harmful ingredients and single-use plastic and say hello to mineral and plant power to keep your dishes sparkling, hygienic, and safe.
Even a small eco-swap like dishwasher detergent can make a hugely positive difference.
The next time the clean freak in your life asks you, “What is the safest dishwasher detergent?”, please forward them this article or at least pass along your favorite homemade non-toxic dishwasher detergent recipe.
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