Next to Godliness Auto Dish Soap

Rating:
Price: $3.79

Features: Not very good at cleaning dishes, intriguing ingredients list

Found in: Cleaning / Bath Products

This Trader Joe's dishwasher detergent is "formulated to perform effectively while being safe for the environment." About that performing effectively part... I suppose it depends on what your standard for 'effective' is. Most name brand dishwasher soaps claim to be the most amazing thing on the market, not just effective. TJ's Auto Dish Soap sort of cops out before you even get going as the directions state to "presoak heavily soiled or baked on foods." Maybe I have seen too many years worth of advertising for other miracle and environmentally unfriendly products, but shouldn't a dishwasher be able to take care of really dirty dishes? Isn't that what the environmentalists say - don't prewash or you will end up using as much water as washing your dishes twice?

Let's go through the claims on the front of the bottle:

• Biodegradable - Ok, I believe that.
• Phosphate Free - True.
• Chlorine Free - True.
• Removes Dried on Foods - Mostly false.
• Removes Tough Stains - Mostly false.
• Built-in Rinse Aid - Ok...
• Dries Spot Free - False, more like "dries on a nice foggy film."

I wanted to try this product because I was intrigued by the ingredients list: Vegetable and Coconut Derived Surfactants, Earth Salt, Citrus Based Water Softener, Corn Based Thickener, Vegetable Based Drying Agent, Lemon Oil, Water. I thought it would be cool to get clean dishes using coconut dishwasher soap. Well, that would be cool, but this product doesn't quite get there.

Several of the 'mates have mentioned dishes not coming out clean, having to be re-run, or hand washed. Nothing exceptional either, it really should be able to take care of a dirty coffee mug. You also have to fill the soap dispenser all the way up every time, not the case with other products.

I don't doubt that this soap is a lot more environmentally friendly than others. But, if you have to use more each time and it doesn't do a complete job, are you really coming out ahead? How about a little compromise: Use the other Trader Joe's Environmentally Sound Automatic Dishwashing Detergent. It is cheaper, works fabulously, and makes an effort to be easy on the environment.

Looks like I am developing a thing for reviewing soaps of all kinds from Trader Joe's. I'm not sure what the deal is...perhaps because they are usually 'next to Godliness'? Hmm...

Tea Tree Oil Pure Vegetable Soap

Rating:
Price: $1.69 (2 large bars)
Features: Pure vegetable soap, mild tea tree scent, long lasting bars.
Found in: Cleaning / personal care products

I ended up giving this soap a try because the oatmeal soap I was looking for was out of stock. I'm glad I did, I like this stuff better! How much can I really say about a bar of soap? It comes down to a personal preference, but it's likely this is a good choice for most people. The scent is not overpowering, but you can tell it has tea tree in it, which I find pleasant. You get a lot of natural soap for your money. The large dense bars last a long time, and it is easy on the skin. I didn't give it 5-stars because I might like just a bit more tea tree scent, but I will be buying it again for sure.

Lavender & Chamomile Hand Soap

Rating:
Price: $2.99
Features: All natural, lots of soap for a low price
Found in: Cleaning / personal care products

This liquid hand soap gets the job done for me. I like the large bottle so I don't have to worry about replacing / refilling it often. One of the 'mates has already expressed a negative opinion of this product. Maybe it's just a personal preference thing? It does have a powerful scent, but I don't find it unpleasant. Worth a try for $2.99. If you hate it you can always go play hand soap fairy in your favorite understocked coffee shop bathroom!

Environmentally Sound Automatic Dishwashing Detergent

Rating:
Price: $3.49
Features: Great value, "environmentally sound"
Found in: Cleaning / personal care products

As Trader Joe's frequently reminds us: "cleanliness is next to godliness." No doubt this saying carries over into a world filled with dirty dishes! This dishwasher soap is definitely up to the challenge. It performs just as well as any other dishwasher detergent I have ever used, and it's an excellent value. I'd say you can run 20+ loads with one box, but that is an estimate because I have not finished off the first box yet.

I'm wary when it comes to phrases like "environmentally sound" or "earth friendly." What exactly does that mean? The product doesn't jump out of the box and rip a giant hole in the Ozone layer? At least the box gives us some more information here: Phosphate and chlorine free, biodegradable surfactants. Hmm, what the heck is a surfactant? Well, we are told these surfactants biodegrade, so that must be better than non-biodegradable ones, right?

Yeah, yeah, I'm giving it a hard time. It is probably safe to say this dishwasher soap is as "good" for the environment as one can reasonably hope for. Bravo, TJ's! Sparkling clean dishes with less impact...and, no suffocating cloud of lemony freshness when you open the dishwasher because it doesn't have any added fragrance either.

Maybe next time I will work up the nerve to try the Trader Joe's liquid dishwasher soap with cleaning agent derived from coconuts!