Doyle signs law to limit phosphorus in dishwasher soap (www.jsonline.com)

A law that will limit phosphorus content in automatic dishwasher soap sold in Wisconsin has been signed by Gov. Doyle. The law will take effect July 1 to give retailers time to sell their current inventory of soap and switch to phosphorus-free detergent.

Twelve other states have already passed similar laws at the urging of environmentalists.

That’s July 1, 2010. If you’re a fan of good dishwashing soap, then stock up now.

Phosphorus is hard to shake (www.examiner.com)

On July 1 2009, the Wisconsin State Assembly referred a bill to ban phosphorus from dishwasher soap to the Senate’s Committee on Environment with the same reasoning behind the fertilizer ban almost four years ago. Several other states will enact laws banning phosphorus soaps by July 1, 2010. The Soap and Detergent Association, a trade organization that represents North American manufacturers of cleaning products, stated that they would be phosphorus free by that deadline.

So all is well. No more manufactured phosphorus polluting our environment.

The author of this piece, Brian Barger, seems to infer that this legislation is already enacted. From what we can tell, it’s not law yet. It has been passed from the Wisconsin Assembly and has been read through (WI-AB 281). We think it will go through but it’s not there yet.

Here’s an interesting link:

• The Soap and Detergent Association

On their site, they have an article about phosphates in dishwashing detergent:

DETERGENT “ALTERNATIVES” – THE FACTS

Claim: The environmental impact of detergent “alternatives” will be lower than that of laundry detergents because no chemicals are used.

Fact: Washing with detergent “alternatives” will have the same environmental impact as washing with water alone. But then, they only get clothes as clean as washing with clean water.

…As a result, it is totally false and misleading to describe laundry detergents as being toxic or pollutants. They are designed to go down the drain when their cleaning job is done, and be safely treated in municipal sewage treatment facilities or in septic tank systems. Detergents and their ingredients are well researched by toxicologists and environmental scientists, their fate in the environment is known, and they can be used by consumers with confidence in their human and environmental safety.

Interesting. The debate goes on!

Automatic dishwasher detergents are among one of the products that contain higher amounts of phosphates which can wreck havoc on the environment. The bad news is, from all my experimenting so far I have yet to find a recipe that actually works in a dishwasher but without leaving spots or residue behind on the the dishes.

I am extremely hesitant to recommend one of the “green” phosphate free brands though because many contain an ingredient called “zeolite”, which I have read may not necessarily be the lesser of the two evils. There is concern over the fact that because zeolite is undoubtedly not as effective as phosphates, more detergent or cleanser is needed- even more getting dumped into the environment. It is actually also cheaper and easier to remove phosphates from contaminated waters that it is for zeolite. As always, if something sound too good to be true there’s probably another side to the story…

There is also a popular recipe on the net that uses two tablespoons of half borax and half baking soda in the dishwasher. Once again, I have a hard time recommending this. Only in this case I’m not claiming it doesn’t work or isn’t more environmentally friendly , but borax has been linked in research studies to create fertility issues and just because it may natural doesn’t mean it’s innocent- remember borax is also used as a form of pesticide! Even though many swear by the use of borax in many types of homemade cleaners, I won’t use it in my home in areas that come in contact with my family at any time so I simply cannot recommend you use it to clean the same plates you’ll eat off of.

So what do we do? Well there is one tactic for the dishwasher I found to be at least helpful until better solutions are known of. First off I’ve found that you really don’t need as much dishwashing detergent as most brands recommend- using half of that amount does an excellent job in itself. Another thing that can be done mixing your powdered dishwashing detergent with as much as half baking soda, which acts as a water softener to make that lesser amount of detergent you use even more effective. Or even better yet, just do your dishes by hand!

Dishwasher detergents are an inevitable part of our kitchen hygiene. It is unavoidable whether the dishes are washed in a dishwasher or manually.

We use detergents to clean our dishes, but are they really doing their job? Have we ever thought about the ingredients of these detergents? Are there any side effects by using them? Now, with increased awareness about the health hazards presented by house-hold articles, doubts are being raised about its toxicity.

When dishes are washed with detergents, some of them leave a residue on the surface of the dishes, which is consumed when it is used next time. Some of these detergents have strong disinfectants, which are harmful to the skin. Some others emit gases that cause allergies and respiratory problems.

The detergents we use to clean our dishes flow down the drain after its purported use. They undergo chemical treatment in sewage treatment plants, before being released into waterways. During this treatment, most of the toxic chemicals are neutralized and made harmless. But some of them still remain, causing environmental pollution.

To analyze the effects of detergents, we need to know more about the common ingredients of commercial dishwasher detergents in the market. Among them the prominent are Phosphates, Chlorine and petroleum-based ingredients.

Phosphates are common additives in detergents to soften the hard water. It enhances the cleaning power of the detergents, which is very helpful in spiking its popularity and while marketing. However, it causes health problems and major environmental hazards. Phosphate residues on dish surface may cause nausea, diarrhea and skin irritations. Phosphates are still active after waste water treatment. When they enter waterways, they act as fertilizers and encourage overgrowth of algae, which leads to drastic reduction of oxygen in water. This results in the depletion of other living organisms like fishes in water bodies.

Chlorine bleach is added to detergents for its disinfecting properties. As it is highly corrosive, it causes many health troubles like respiratory and skin irritations and stomach disorders. When combined with other cleaners, it produces toxic fumes, which are proved carcinogens and pollutes the environment.

Petroleum based ingredients poses problems in two ways – for health and environment. They contain toxins that create unnecessary health problems. Also, while production of these petroleum products, environment gets polluted.

The residues formed on detergent-cleaned dishes may be too negligible. But each time when we use a dish, these toxins get absorbed into our system. This is more so when hot foods are taken in them. Over a period of time, these toxins accumulate in our bodies causing a variety of serious ailments like cancer, infertility and birth defects.

The next step is how to avoid these life-threatening cleaners and find a safe and environment-friendly dishwasher detergent. There are many detergents available in the market that satisfy the above conditions. However, finding them is not that easy in this world full of cheaters and tricksters. So follow these simple rules to zero in on a safe brand.

While buying do not get deceived by labels like ‘green’, ‘natural’ and ‘eco-friendly’. Those with specific claims like ‘No chlorine’ or ‘Phosphate-free’ are more reliable. Still, it is advisable to read the ingredients to find out whether they contain any harmful chemicals mentioned above. Avoid those detergents that contain triclosan and petroleum products.

In case you find ingredients with tricky, long names, contact the manufacturer for clarification. If you get a convincing answer, go ahead and use it. Otherwise, it may be another fraudster.

We use dishwasher detergents to clean the dishes and not to poison ourselves and get sick. Take ample care while selecting the right one.