The Best Natural Dish Soaps Without Toxic Ingredients

Many conventional dish soaps are actually made with toxic ingredients that are harmful for your health and the environment. Since we use cleaning products so often, it’s important to use cleaner alternatives. So I put together the ultimate list of the best non toxic dish soap that are made with clean ingredients.
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Toxic Ingredients In Dish Soap To Avoid
SLS & SLES
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are common types of surfactants used to remove dirt and grease. But these ingredients can cause skin irritation for people with sensitive skin if there is prolonged exposure. SLS and SLES can also cause eye irritation when it comes in contact with the eyes.
Since these chemicals are very effective and strong at removing grease and grime, they also strip the natural oils from your skin, leaving your skin feeling more dry than before.
SLS and SLES are also non-renewable resources so they can persist in the environment and potentially cause harm to marine life. When picking the best one, it’s best to avoid SLS and SLES and use ones that are labeled as sulfate-free or plant-based instead.
Antibacterial Ingredients
You’ve probably seen labels like “antibacterial soap” or “kills 99.9% of germs”. But they’re worse for you than soap that isn’t antibacterial. The reason is the antibacterial soap can cause antibiotic resistance which means bacteria will mutate and become stronger than the antibacterial ingredients used to kill it. This will make it harder to treat bacterial infections later down the road.
Antibacterial ingredients also oftentimes contain a chemical called triclosan which can persist in the environment and is detrimental to aquatic life.
Preservatives
Preservatives are not completely unavoidable because it’s required to prevent bacterial growth. But there are some that you should try to avoid if possible because it can cause skin allergens and harm aquatic ecosystems. Those include methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, and benzisothiazolinone. Formaldehyde should be avoided.
Dyes
Dyes can cause skin sensitivity, and can potentially leave stains and residue on your dishes, mugs, silverware, and pots and pans. Synthetic dyes are also made with petrochemicals and when they go down the drain, they can potentially harm aquatic life.
Fragrance
Many traditional soap brands have fragrance that contains phthalates which are toxic for humans. If you have sensitive skin, it’s recommended to opt for unscented and fragrance-free ones. But if you don’t have sensitive skin, it’s safe to use scented ones as long as it’s not synthetic fragrance. Make sure it’s phthalate-free, phosphate-free, and free of other toxins. These are things we should look for in scented things around the house like air fresheners as well.
Best Non Toxic Dish Soap
1. Best Non-Toxic Dish Soap: Branch Basics The Concentrate
The Branch Basics Concentrate is our favorite because it lasts a very long time and is made with a formula that doesn’t have any harmful preservatives.
This safe dish soap is made with decyl glucoside which is a gentle cleanser that removes grease and grime easily. There’s also sodium citrate to remove heavy metals and minerals. It also contains chamomile which is rich in antioxidants.
The best thing is it’s incredibly versatile – you can use it as an all-purpose solution, bathroom bottles, streak-free bottles, laundry, and foaming wash bottles.
The concentrate can also be used as a natural floor cleaner.
2. Best Vinegar Dish Soap: 9 Elements Liquid Dish Spray

This is a great choice if you want to scrub off all those very stubborn stains on your dishes.
That’s thanks to the vinegar in the formula. It contains a strong concentration that quickly removes grease hard water spots, and odors. Vinegar also can remove chalky hard water minerals.
There are only 9 ingredients in this dish soap liquid and it’s also free from artificial preservatives, dyes, thickeners, and synthetic fragrances.
It’s also certified EPA Safer Choice.
3. Best Natural Toxic Free Dish Soap: Attitude Dishwashing Liquid
This is made with plant and mineral-based ingredients that are gentle on the skin but also effective at removing grease.
The formula is hypoallergenic and is the best dish soap for sensitive skin in mind. It’s free from harsh chemicals like SLS, SLES, dyes, artificial fragrances, and triclosan.
Plus, it’s EWG-certified, ECOLOGO certified, and the bottles are made with recycled plastic so it holds both high non-toxic and eco-friendly standards.
The consistency is on the thinner side so be attentive when pouring or you might end up pouring more than you need.
4. Best Clean & Effective Dish Soap: Sonet Dishwashing Liquid

The surfactants used in this organic dish soap are all plant-based including coconut oil alcohol sulphate and sugar surfactants. With these clean ingredients, it’s very gentle on the skin and non-drying.
The fragrance in this is made with calendula essential oils and is certified organic.
The formula is 100% biodegradable and safe for septic tanks. The best thing about this nontoxic dish soap is it suds well – something that many other clean dishwashing liquids can’t do.
5. Best Eco-Friendly Dish Soap: Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets

For the most eco-friendly dish soap option, this Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablet is the best choice. They use plastic-free packaging.
To use it, just drop a dishwasher tablet in the main detergent dispenser. This is fragrance-free, preservative-free, dye-free, and phosphate-free.
Keep in mind these non-toxic dishwasher detergent tablets only work for dishwashers and not for handwashing. If you want to handwash, we recommend the Blueland dish soap powder (see below).
6. Best Dish Soap Powder: Blueland Dish Soap Powder

If you prioritize being zero waste but want to handwash your dishes, this Blueland Dish Soap Powder is perfect. To use this powder, just pour it on your sponge or directly on your dishes and mix it with water.
This dishwashing powder is free from dyes, fragrances, parabens, ammonia, VOCs, chlorine bleach, phthalates, phosphates, and other toxic chemicals.
It’s also cruelty-free, certified EPA Safer Choice, and cradle to cradle certified.
7. Best Fragrance Free Dish Soap: Eco Me Dish Soap

This doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals, it’s fragrance free, and made with plant extracts that are strong enough to cut through grease and grime.
If you’re allergic to common preservatives like methylisothiazolinone, you don’t need to worry about this product because it doesn’t contain those preservatives.
Although this sustainable dish soap doesn’t foam up as well, it cleans well and is very concentrated.
8. Best Scented Dish Soap: Common Good Dish Soap
Common Good is made with a concentrated plant-based formula that cleans well and is phthalate-free, sulfate-free, and paraben free. It also has a very mild fragrance that’s made with 100% pure essential oils.
The formula is biodegradable and gentle on the skin and does not dry out your skin like traditional ones do.
They also sell refillable pouches so you can easily get a soap refill and use less plastic. Plus, the minimalist packaging design is beautiful.
9. Best Baby Dish Soap: Attitude Healthy Baby Dishwashing Liquid
Do you need to wash baby bottles, sippy cups, or other baby products? This Attitude non toxic baby dish liquid is made with saponin, a plant-based ingredient to help remove breast milk and formula. It leaves your baby’s products squeaky clean.
Babies are extra sensitive to fragrances so it’s great that this formula is fragrance-free. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free. The bottles are made with recycled plastic.
For the price, you get a big bottle of these natural dish soaps and can last you a long time.
10. Best Dish Soap Spray: Dropps Dish Soap Spray

Dish soap sprays are so convenient to use and last longer because you won’t accidentally pour extra. This Dropps concentrate formula is strong and just one spray of this concentrate goes a long way.
The product is dye-free, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, and phthalate-free. It’s also made with biodegradable ingredients so it’s gentle on your skin and good for the environment.
11. Best Dish Soap Bar (Unscented): No Tox Life Dish Washing Soap Block

To be the most zero waste and eco friendly as possible, using a soap bar instead of dish soap that comes in a recyclable bottle is a good choice.
This vegan dish block is one of the best because it lathers up well and can remove stubborn grime and grease.
And if you pair the solid dish soap up with these eco friendly cleaning brushes, it suds up very well which makes it easy to clean.
It’s also unscented so it’s free from fragrances, dyes, and methylisothiazolinone. Without the preservative, this makes it ultra-safe for those with sensitive skin.
Plus, it’s manufactured and made in the USA in a solar power facility.
12. Best Dish Soap Bar (Scented): Meliora Dish Soap

If you want to use a dish soap but want one that is scented with non-toxic fragrances, this Meliora dish soap bar will be your new favorite. It’s made with lemon essential oils.
The product is a highly concentrated bar soap made without preservatives or plastic. It’s formulated with organic coconut and sunflower oils.
The sustainable bar soap is MADE SAFE certified, cruelty-free, and vegan. The company also is a Certified B Corporation and donates 2% of its annual revenue to environmental causes.
13. Best Affordable Dish Soap: Ecos Natural Dish Soap

ECOS is a popular non-toxic cleaning products brand and this plant-powered soap is made with no harsh chemicals. It doesn’t contain 1-4 dioxane, parabens, phosphates, and many other toxic ingredients.
It’s safe to use on sensitive skin because it’s hypoallergenic and pH balanced. Plus, this one is fragrance free so it’s extra safe for sensitive skin.
The product is also US EPA Safer Choice certified.
14. Most Effective Dish Soap: Seventh Generation Dish Liquid

This is one of the top-rated clean dish soaps. It’s a safe dish liquid to use because it’s free from dyes, fragrances, phosphates, and triclosan. Many people love it because it’s affordable and incredibly effective for cleaning stubborn stains.
But if you’re allergic to methylisothiazolinone, this won’t be a good choice because it does contain the ingredient in the formula. If you don’t have an allergy to that ingredient and you don’t have sensitive skin, this could be a good choice.
15. Best Castile Soap: Whole Natural Castile Soap

Castile soap is one of the best clean dish soaps because it’s made with 100% plant-based oils. This Whole Natural Castile Soap is made with an organic blend of prickly pear, argan, jojoba, almond, and hemp oils. These oils are healthy for the skin too.
The best thing about pure castile soap is it is incredibly versatile. You can use it not only as safe dish soap but also as laundry detergent and a liquid floor cleaner.
To make this into a natural dish soap, just mix some of the castile soap with a bit of water.
FAQs
Is Dawn non toxic?
There are harmful ingredients in Dawn dish soap including SLS, SLES, methylisothiazolinone, toxic fragrance, dyes, and other toxic chemicals. Dawn is not non-toxic.
Is Meyers non toxic?
Mrs. Meyers is not completely non toxic. They’re not completely transparent about their fragrance ingredients. They also use preservatives that can oftentimes cause skin irritation.
Is Ajax dish soap non toxic?
Ajax dish soap is considered toxic. It contains SLS, SLES, ammonium, methylisothiazolinone, benzothiazolinone, and synthetic dyes.
Is Seventh Generation dish soap non toxic?
Seventh Generation dish soap is mostly non toxic. However, they do contain methylisothiazolinone which can cause irritation for some people who are allergic to the ingredient.
Is Palmolive dish soap non toxic?
Palmolive dish soap is considered toxic. It contains SLES, synthetic dyes, ammonium, and methylisothiazolinone.
Is Ecos dish soap non toxic?
Ecos dish soap is non-toxic. It doesn’t contain 1-4 dioxane, parabens, phosphates, and many other toxic dish soap ingredients.
What kills bacteria in dish soap?
Dish soap is not designed to kill bacteria but rather to break down oils and remove grime and grease. Washing dishes with hot water can remove bacteria.
Does vinegar sanitize dishes?
Vinegar isn’t a good disinfectant. Rather, it’s a good solution for cleaning stains and breaks down grease and grime.
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