The winner was Cascade All in One. Cascade with Extra Bleach was a close 2nd and half the price. [www.consumerreports.org]

Bah. It doesn't get more eco-friendly than this:

[brownthumbmama.blogspot.com]

I've been using Palmolive eco+ because it was on sale + I had a coupon. I think it works well. I haven't had any complaints. Of course, I am a stickler for refilling the rinse agent on a regular basis which probably helps.

DISCLAIMER: I work for an Industrial chemical company that has a strong green segment.

These days when people hear green they still think snake oil but the truth is that some green products are VASTLY superior to their conventional counter parts. There is green floor finish that is at least as good as its counterpart, green handsoap that is amazing, and green all-purpose cleaner that I just love.

Are good chemical products cheap? No, don't expect to ever see any products form my brand at the dollar store or a convenience store.

On a side note: Bleach DOES NOT CLEAN. IT DOES NOT CLEAN. It makes things white and it kills bacteria BUT it does not remove or help remove soil. Thereby all you get from using bleach on floors is white floor that is still dirty feeling to the touch. Also any type of soil is going to keep bleach from killing bacteria below it.
Bleach has its uses, but in household cleaning it is vastly overused and not properly used

We've been having a problem where the glasses come out of the dishwasher with scratches and barely ever actually clean. Not sure whether it's the detergent or the washer itself.

As long as I don't get balls of soap in my septic system, i'm happy.

I just set my plates on the kitchen floor and let my dog clean them.

Does anyone know of a detergent safe for rabbits? I have to deep clean my rabbit's new cage and want to scrub it down with soap. But everything that gets labeled "pet safe" doesn't usually mean rabbits, just cats and dogs.

I just set my plates on the kitchen floor and let my dog clean them.

People food is pretty bad for dogs. My dog only rarely ever gets a tiny piece of chicken.

Also, for anyone who has a dog and lives in an area where the weather causes flea problems, Dawn dishwashing liquid is a home remedy for fleas. I use it as shampoo and then condition with Buddy Wash dog conditioner afterward (Buddy Wash shampoo and Conditioner are great for humans, too -- get 'em both for about $8 each at drugstore.com, and they compare to a fine French shampoo, low lather, that's about $30 a tube).

@Berz:

I just set MY plates on the kitchen floor and let the kids clean them.......

:}}}}}

@pecan 3.14159265:

While I don't have rabbits, I have chinchillas, which are more sensitive. I use diluted vinegar to clean, and then a couple times a year take everything outside and power wash it.

Bosch washer + Electrasol cartridge thingies = clean, sparkly dishes and pans.

@pecan 3.14159265: Try Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps.

Phosphates also were the cause of the rise and fall of the little Pacific island nation of Nauru. After the phosphate was gone, they turned to money laundering, which lasted until the international community convinced them to get out of that business. Then, they tried to carry on with odd jobs like funding a Broadway flop and housing refugees destined for Australia for a few years, until the "Pacific Solution" became unpopular in Austrailia. Now, they're left to find a new trade to support their economy.

The moral of the story is that when you buy non-green, phosphate-containing detergent, Won't you please think of the Naurauns?

I have heard that how well the dish detergent works might actually depend on how hard the water is....makes sense, lighter more eco friendly chemicals won't work as well if the water is super hard.

@Amy Alkon: Also good for dog owners: picking up on joke comments.

@Batwaffel: Everything that goes into the dishwasher in my apartment comes out not much cleaner than when it goes in to the point that I just hand wash everything since that's what I wind up having to do anyway.

I've tried different kinds of detergent and finally complained to the property management and got it replaced with the same results.

I figure it's just one of those cheap dishwashers that they stick in your apartment so that they can claim you have a "modern" kitchen.

@pecan 3.14159265: Considering my rabbit ate plastic, its own poo and power cables that are still plugged in, I don't think soap is going to hurt them all that much.

I originally wrote eats instead of ate, but then realized that poor Snoopy died last month... hmm maybe all that plastic wasn't good for him (but he was kinda old).

@DePaulBlueDemon: Palmolive eco+ = That's what I use and have had no problems. Dishes come out clean.

Since this post doesn't actually tell us the result of the Consumer Reports testing... and the blog is now an arm of Consumer Reports... and the entry takes us to a Consumer Reports blog post telling us to subscribe to Consumer Reports to read more... well, shouldn't this entry be tagged as an advertisement?

Not that such tag does any good, since the ads here are now designed to look like blog posts.

Which begs the question: why does Consumer Reports promote itself in the same ways as the companies it criticizes for shady consumer practices?

@calquist: It especially shouldn't hurt them as long as you follow the golden rule of using soap: rinse until there's no more soap left. If detergent is good enough for plates and silverware you and your feeble human immune system are going to eat off of, it's good enough for your rabbit that, like you said, eats its own poo.

ARGH. This post is not up to The Consumerist's usual standards. The actual information is hidden behind a paywall, making this post totally uninformative. I've tried 7th Generation's detergent as well as Method's Smarty Dish, and it seems to me that nothing eco beats regular detergent. I was hoping to see if that's just because of my machine or what, but this post won't enlighten me. Thanks for nothing.

I love the Earth so I stay away from any dish detergent that might damage her. I simply purchase lots and lots of styrofoam plates and just pitch them in the trash after use.

I use those special mercury bulbs, too.

@itsgene: well said.

@pecan 3.14159265: Dawn dish detergent? I assume it's ok around animals, seeing how they use it on penguins and birds to clean them up from oil spills.

@DePaulBlueDemon: I am pretty disappointed with Palmolive Eco+. It left residue on my drinking classes. This may have something to do with not using rinsing agent and sharing dishes with four 19-21 year old males who don't know a lot about cleaning, but the residue issue was not nearly as severe when I used Target brand.

Here's an article about people in Spokane, WA smuggling detergent in to get their dishes clean:

[www.komonews.com]

I love Ecover dishwashing tablets. If they'd go "individual wrapper"-free I'd marry 'em.

@Pinget: Try ecover - they're better than anything else - and I was an electrasol devotee for years.

@pecan 3.14159265: I use diluted hydrogen peroxide, hot hot water, and a strong scrubbing arm on my rat cages. Will have the added benefit of sterilizing.

@DePaulBlueDemon: Which dishwasher detergent gives you good results seems to depend on the hardness of your local water, as well.

@pecan 3.14159265: Try Orvus, sold at farm and fleet supply stores. It's a horse and pig wash and not technically a soap. Doesn't leave residue. Considering how sensitive pigs are I can't imagine a rabbit being worse.

Skip the expensive Jet Dry. Fill your rinse aid dispenser with undiluted white vinegar.

@CFinWV: By the way, this stuff is also used by quilters and historic preservationists for washing textiles. It got out set-in red kool aid stains from a pale grey carpet that I inherited when I moved into an apartment. Awesome stuff.

@Robobot: Trying filling the rinse aid dispenser with undiluted white vinegar.

@celticgina: I eat over the sink. Who needs plates? (The only logistical challenge is making sure to send to kids and dog to someones house each night about dinner time.)

@itsgene:
Who needs Consumer Reports?
[www.consumersearch.com]

I don't have a dishwasher so everything gets done by hand but I love Seventh Generation dish soap.

It's super annoying that the actual content for this article is blocked for those that don't/won't/can't pay for the Consumer Reports subscription.

Anyway, nothing beats Electrasol tablets.

@Batwaffel:

This link might help you

[www.fixya.com]

To sum up their advice --

"You should stop using the sani-rinse cycle if there is such an option and switch to a gel format detergent as opposed to a powder. Use a rinse agent such as Jet-Dry. This should solve your etching problem."

@sponica:

Yep. I add a heaping tablespoon full of citric acid powder and the same again with a phosphate and bleach free detergent and it works fine. Without the citric acid to soften the water, my glasses look awful even with rinse aid.

Wow, an AD post. an informative disguised ad designed to lure subscribers.

@angrychicken:

Welcome our Consumer Reports Overlords.

@bobert: YES! I swear by Dr. Bronner's products. After hearing of how Swiffer liquid cleaners in particular toxic are for pets, I've switched to all natural cleaners. The stuff is SUPER concentrated, so you should dilute it heavily with water.

I use a combination of the peppermint/citrus soap to clean my floors and counters (mint is a natural disinfectant, and the orange makes the room smell nice!)

The tea tree version is also a great disinfectant. (And really great for your skin!)

@ElleDriver: (Apologies for my maiming of the English language - I got a little excited there.)

@qwickone: Thanks for sharing the info for us video deprived folk.

@Pinget: i saw a Today show segment that says it has to do with the water more than anything else...if you live in a mineral rich area (meaning your water is more than just H2O) the water is probably pretty hard....and the eco detergents don't like it

May I suggest a BAD-VERTISING tag?

@qwickone: Thanks, I hate being forced to create an account to view information.