Here on The Scoop, we’ve already established that:
- I love Ecover.
- When it comes to household chores, my motto is, “The easier, the better.” In other words, I’m lazy.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that when I spied Ecover Dishwasher Tablets, I snatched them in a heartbeat. What could be easier than opening a 100%-recyclable wrapper, placing one tablet into the open cup dispenser in my dishwasher, then turning the knob to “normal wash”? Not much. For the best results I also use Ecover Rinse Aid, but that is extremely easy, too.
The dishwasher tablets clean my dishes beautifully, but I wanted to verify that the ingredients were safe for me and my husband as well as the environment outside of our kitchen. The listed ingredients are “oxygen chlorine-free bleach, plant based non-ionic tensio-active surfactants, enzymes, salts, silicate, citrate, polypeptides, plant based bleach activator, plant based fragrance (lemon type).”
I didn’t know what the heck “lemon type” meant and Ecover’s Fragrances page says the tablet scent is eucalyptus & orange. Therefore, the plant-based fragrance was the first question mark that popped into my head. My other questions regarded polypeptides and the plant-based bleach activator, so I called Ecover. I spoke with a kind customer service representative who informed me that all of their fragrances are essential oils from actual plants, but she would not be any more specific. I’m guessing that the dishwasher tablets contain lemon, eucalyptus, and orange essential oils, but if I was allergic to a particular oil, I’d sure like to know more details. I will say that these dishwasher tablets smell lovely and clean, indeed very citrusy.
The customer service rep said that the plant-based bleach activator is “sodium carbonate peroxide.” Kerry shared this link with me which explains that sodium carbonate peroxide is “an oxygen bleach made by reacting molecules with hydrogen peroxide, and when it mixes with water the hydrogen peroxide is released.” That sounds safe enough to me. Lastly, my Ecover contact said that polypeptides are basically chains of amino acids which did not set off any alarm bells in my mind.
Several of you have asked me to find out if companies are animal-friendly, so I’m happy to report that Ecover does not test on animals and the dishwasher tablets are vegan. My conclusion is: Ecover, I love you. There is nothing wrong with this product other than the description “lemon type.”
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Christine 10.26.07 at 2:51 pm
Oh goodie! This is even better than the regular Ecover diswashing powder I use (which results I do like). I inevitably pour way more powder in the container than I should and it’s hard to close. Not anymore!
Emily Marshall 11.02.07 at 12:58 pm
Speaking of easy cleaning, I do most of my cleaning with a mixture of diluted vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil.
It’s cheap, green, and works better than anything sold on the market. Plus, if my kids or pets take a swig, the worst they’ll get is a nasty taste in their mouth.
Cheryl 03.22.08 at 2:52 pm
I just tried these and love them. My house didn’t stink of chlorine…that’s why I tried this product. I have a dishwasher that spouts out steam during the dry cycle ( i guess they all do now) and I couldn’t stand how the dishwasher filled our breathing air with heavy scent and chlorine. The dishes came out just as good, and I think better, than my previous product. My husband who skeptical about natural products, said the dishes actually looked shinier ( he also liked how the kitchen sink looked today after I scrubbed it for the first time with baking soda). I may have converted him!
Jenni 03.27.08 at 10:36 am
I’m glad you liked these Ecover tablets, Cheryl! I know what you mean about the stink of chlorine. Ick.
Jenni 03.27.08 at 10:37 am
And you, too, Stine.
Great idea, Emily - thank you!