Review: Dr. Bronner Eco-Friendly Sal Suds in the Dishwasher

I picked up Dr. Bronner Sal Suds at a local health food store primarily to use on the floors, in the kitchen, and as an eco-friendly replacement for dishwasher and laundry detergent. So far I'm loving it as a laundry detergent, and tonight I tried it in the dishwasher. I had been mulling over the idea of using Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in the dishwasher until I discovered his Sal Suds which is a better grease cutter, more effective on greasy dishes. From the bottle:

Description:

Super-concentrated organic cleaner. 100% biodegradable. It is equally effective in hard or soft water and will rinse freely, hot or cold. Excellent for hard water shampoo, dishes, laundry, floors, rugs, cars, boats: All household uses!

Sal Suds is a balanced formulation of naturally derived surfactants with pure fir and spruce essential oils: it cleans and rinses with exceptional power, yet is mild and gentle on the skin. Sal Suds is not soap-based and is formulated especially for all-purpose hard-surface cleaning.

--Perfect for general household cleaning: dishes, floors, laundry, etc.

--Equally effective in hard or soft water, rinsing freely, hot or cold.

--Concentrated and self-preserving: no hidden preservatives or ingredients.

--No synthetic dyes or fragrances: all ingredients fully disclosed and described.

--Biodegrades rapidly after doing its job. Pure high-quality fir and spruce essential oils: no cheap harsh pine stump oil.

--No animal testing: Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics certified

Ingredients: Water, sodium lauryl sulfate, coco-betaine, lauryl glucoside, fir needle oil, spruce oil.

Free Of Harsh Chemicals, Phosphates, Silicates, Sequestering Agents or Other Strong Alkalies.

Directions

1. A few drops in a gallon of water removes all sprays from fruits and vegetables.

2. 1/4 oz. does a sink full of dishes.

3. 1/4 oz. in a basin of warm water cleans all your undies.

4. 1 oz. in a pail of water will clean your house and car from top to bottom.

5. For extra heavy jobs, cut it in half or use it straight.

6. Pour some on a fabric stain and watch it disappear.

7. Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds will also disappear-naturally-after it has done its job, without affecting nature's balance.

Warnings

Don't drink!. Keep out of eyes!. Sal Suds is an all-purpose cleaner, and is not intended for everyday body-washing use.

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http://www.vitacost.com/Dr-Bronners-Sal-Suds-All-Purpose-Cleaner-32-fl-oz

Results: Excellent! I winged it on the amount to add, and squirted about a teaspoon and a half into the detergent dispenser, then I filled the rinse dispenser with vinegar. The dishes are as clean as if I had used Cascade. There was no film on the dishes or glasses. I'm not even sure they needed the vinegar rinse, but it can't hurt. I'll try it without next time to see if there is a difference.

An excellent place to buy Dr. Bronner's online is Vitacost. Their shipping is a flat fee of $4.99 within the Continental U.S. only, excluding Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. I noticed that they ship Internationally as well.

Here is the link for finding Dr. Bronner's products outside of the U.S. It is sold by distributors in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Norway.

Earth Friendly Flea and Tick Lawn Treatment

Ticks and fleas love shady areas, and we've got a lot of it in our backyard. This year has been particularly bad for fleas and ticks. The pets need to be dosed with Frontline Plus every three weeks, or they get reinfested. Of course this doesn't help me any. I get ticks on my legs just going to hang the laundry on the line.

The problem is our lawn, it's full of fleas and ticks, and I didn't want to use any harmful chemicals , so we are trying natural food grade diatomaceous earth(DE) as an organic flea and tick killer. It works as a dehydrator and asphyxiator, eventually killing pests. The only downside of using DE is that the small dust particles can be hazardous to breath, so a mask would be necessary in order to sprinkle the stuff on the lawn. It also needs to be reapplied if it rains.

I've read that you want to find a natural food grade form of DE, not the one sold for swimming pools. The swimming pool grade DE is very toxic to pets and people. Reportedly, the food grade DE can be used directly on pets and carpets to kill fleas and ticks; however, I'd verify this with your vet. Here is the Material Safety Data Sheet on DE(PDF). Planet Natural has got a 1.5 pound box for $6.50.

I'm also considering an Organic Lawn & Garden Spray with Clove, Thyme, and Sesame Oil. Supposedly it kills fleas and ticks dead, and is safe around pets and children. Planet Natural sells a bottle which covers Covers up to 5,000 sq. ft. for $11.95 bottle.

Dirtworks sells huge bags of DE and other natural flea and tick killers for pets and lawn.

Garden centers are likely to carry DE as well as True Value and Ace Hardware stores, and places like Home Depot. I know Ace will order items for free delivery to the store if they don't stock an item. We use Ace Hardware for many of our organic gardening needs.

I'm trying the DE first; if it works I won't be purchasing the oil spray . I'll update this post soon with the results.

Bon Ami: An Old Fashioned Favorite and Non-Toxic All Purpose Household Cleaner

Bon Ami is non-toxic, allergy and earth friendly made of mild natural abrasives: sodium carbonate(washing soda), calcium carbonate and feldspar. Non-abrasive Bon Ami cleanser can be used for all household cleaning. First made in 1886, it has been a household staple for many years. Check Bon Ami's availability at stores here. Prices average about $ 1.50 for a 14 ounces can.

More information for multiple uses for this green product here. There are two products, the original 1886 formula( no detergent or bleach) and the polishing cleanser( biodegradable detergent and no chlorine). These products are phosphate free. The polishing cleanser is easier to locate in brick and mortar stores.

Collection of cute Bon Ami vintage advertisements.

Health and safety information on Bon Ami, rating of one.

A October 31, 2007 interview with Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Ph.D. via Townnews.com, author of "Safer for Your Baby: A Guide to Living Better with Fewer Chemicals: When asked what parents should do to handle serious cleaning situations, such as blood, bathroom substances and raw poultry, Ruggeri said, "Between Bon Ami, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and castile soap, you can clean most everything from pans and ovens to countertops, walls and floors." Bon Ami, French for "good friend," is a 120-year-old powdered cleaner made from the mineral feldspar. Read more here.