No More...Dish Soap
I'm nearly out of dish soap. The dreaded day when I finally run out is almost here.I've been scared of this day for many moons and have been wondering over and over, "What, oh what, am I going to do without dishwashing liquid?" and "Where, oh where, will I ever find plastic free dish soap?"
But no fear. Dr. B's is here.
I've discovered, as many others surely have, that Dr. Bronner's bar soap does a fine job at getting the grime off my plates and flatware.
Here's how I wash dishes:
- For a large batch, I fill up the sink part way with hot water and swoosh my lemon-scented bar of soap around in it when it's done filling. Then I proceed as normal.
- For a smaller batch, I just dab the sponge on the soap now and again and wash like I normally would
(BTW, Beth over at Fake Plastic Fish uses Dr. Bronner's liquid soap, which comes in a bottle made of 100% post-consumer recycled platic. Definitely a decent option for those not into bar soap)
Comments
I've been trying to find plastic-free and environmentally friendly items at my local grocery stores without much luck. So, now I'm weighing my options of buying something not-so-good which is nearby and already available vs. something a bit better, but which requires a drive vs. something plastic free and environmentally friendly, but which requires a lot of fuel to be delivered directly to my door.
Interesting question and good points. I buy my Dr. Bronner's from Whole Foods, which means it has to be shipped from the California before I can get my hands on it.
I'll have to look around for a soap similar to Dr. B's that's made in the midwest. There's a possibility that I might be able to find something, although it's a lot more difficult to find eco-friendly products in Chicago than it is on the West coast. I guess you could say people just aren't as environmentally aware here.
The good thing is, even though my soap is being shipped quite a ways, by spending my money on a product like this one, I am at least showing interest in a "green" product. By buying products like Dr. B's, we can show the market that there is demand and money to be made from such products, which I think is a really important thing right now. After all, sometimes that's the best or only way change gets made.
Baking soda can be used to make a paste that is a great scouring agent, as another poster mentioned. In fact, I can clean everything in my house (myself included) with Dr. Bronner's, Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Water. Amazing!
I use plain old washing soda to wash my dishes in a dishpan!
Also, the "elder" generations know a thing or two about the "days before". I like talking to the mother of a friend of mine about these things: she used to make her own soap from saved animal fats and lye made from ashes. Soap for personal cleaning is a different story- vegetable oils are usually used; check out this recipe. She would also grate her bars of soap- whether home-made or store-bought- for ease of use for laundry or dishes.
Also, do you have any idea whether dishwashers potentially save water (as compared to doing the dishes in the sink)? My roommate thinks they do, but I'm skeptical...
Great blog!! You are really inspiring!
I'm curious how this would work.
http://www.kirksnatural.com/barsoap.html
Do you have a local source for Dr. Bronnar's soap? If not, how do you reconcile the cost in shipping (environmental cost) versus something not quite as good (environmentally) but locally available.
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Grant, what is your point?
Are you suggesting that liquid soap in plastic bottles is not shipped long distances? That seems like a pretty far-fetched assertion.
What proof do you have that bar soap is less "local" than liquid soap in plastic bottles? I'm sure they are both trucked cross-country, and the bottles are initially shipped to the liquid soap factory from who-knows-where before the full bottles are shipped to the the store. Then after the soap is consumed, there are the trucks that take the empty plastic bottles to the dump -- or the recycling center, where additional power is expended to turn the plastic into some other product (if we are so lucky).
Bars of soap take up less room and last longer than liquid soap in bottles -- they are therefore more efficient to ship -- so even if a bar of soap must travel cross-country before someone buys it, there is still a lot less energy consumed in the total process.
RR
You can find it at the local health store. You can generally find the lavender or unscented at CVS, Walmart, and Target.
http://gardenoffrancis.com (search for "bar soap for dishes")
I may try straight up baking soda.
One molecule makes the difference whether the soap is liquid based or a bar soap:
"Soap is made by saponifying a fat or oil with an alkali." (Dr. Bronner's is a castille soap that is vegetable based) "The alkali is either sodium (for bars) or potassium (for liquids) hydroxide, made by running electricity through salt water..."
go to the site for more info.
What alternative would be good for plastic. Yes, it's 100% post consumer recycled, but what alternatives are appealing to consumers at this point? Would like to know for research... Thanks
"Do your soaps contain any foaming agents/detergents like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
Absolutely not. Our soaps are 100% true pure-castile soaps. The high foaming lather of our soaps is from their high coconut oil content, which makes a more luxurious and rich lather than any detergent can ever create. "
Don't mis-represent, yo!