Cleaner Soaps

For seven years I went without a dishwasher. When I moved to DC, I had two requirements for an apartment: 1) Must Love Dogs, and 2) Must Have Dishwasher.

Now that I finally have the little gem, it occured to me that the soap I'm using probably goes into the water that washes the dishes, then down the drain to the lakes, resulting in algae blooms that kill happy fishes. This is because most dishwasher soaps have phosphates in them that are very rough on water bodies.

Its easy to find dishwasher soaps that are phosphate free and still effectively wash your dishes. Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's all offer organic, phosphate free soaps. You can also buy some here, here, and here.

By the way, make sure your dishwasher and clothes washer are always full before running them. The clothing can be cleaned with cold water to save power. And natural clothing detergents are also available.