Phosphates are inorganic chemicals commonly found in cleaning products and detergents that act as water softeners and grease cutters. In a nutshell, it’s the ingredient that cuts the grease on your dishes and makes your white laundry white.The good news is that this information has started to filter up to the right people and manufacturers are slowly phasing them out (hopefully for good). Citric acid is the front runner for phosphate’s replacement. It’s an organic acid containing natural preservatives so it’s perfect for creating your own environmentally friendly cleaning products. Check out the Soap Queen Blog for some eco friendly cleaning recipes.
Bramble Berry has never carried any products containing phosphates for the 11 years we’ve been in business. And, to the best of my knowledge, none of our customers made dishwashing detergent or laundry soap with phosphates either. The handmade laundry soap I’ve used has performed admirably over the years, without phosphates. Thanks to new formulation rules, our rivers and streams will be more healthy and by utilizing alternatives, such as citric acid, our clothes and dishes will get just as clean.
No, they don't work! It ruins my dishwasher and leaves my dishes so dirty I have to hand wash them! Phosphate dish Det. has been banned in my area and I hate it!!!!! Our water here is way to hard for the eco friendly det. to work. I have tried everything! I now have go out of the county to buy cascade!
All this talk about phosphates, but how come there’s not more talk about the global demand for palm oil causing clearing of rainforest to make way for palm tree plantations?
I’ve been surprised at how many soapers still use palm oil in their recipe. I for one wouldn’t dream of it.
In May, I will graduate with a major in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, and I am very happy to see this article. For those that are wary of phosphate-free detergents, let me give you a little info. I took 2 semesters of Organic Chem (and anyone who tells you it’s not the devil’s work is lying) and in the lab, I learned one very important thing. Organic chemicals are some of the most harsh, nasty stuff you can ever get near. A lot of the labs that we did would NOT clean up with soap and water, and most of the time we couldn’t even put the product down the sink. Acetone had to be used to clean most organic chem glassware. If what you have tried as far as phosphate-free stinks, try another brand and give them time. They will eventually get it right. I would imagine, from my experience, that they are probably trying to get concentrations right in order to be most effective without being too harsh.
We’ve kept abreast of the phosphate debate through the organizations we belong to; I really enjoyed your re-cap.
Very good information. I remember when the talk got big about phosphates. I appreciate the reminder, something to remember to be aware of.
Great info. I get scarred evertime I hear of a new Reg. But sometimes they do get it right.
Dear Anne-Marie,
It is great to know that phosphate
has an equivalent replacement.
I always use eco-friendly laundry detergent. It does work admirably, and also, alot of us Texans still have septic systems that are the conventional type, so we MUST take care or we will pay dearly!
However, and this is a BIG however,
the eco friendly dishwasher soap
s u c k s to be blunt
i cannot abide it and it does not
clean dishes.
so it’s good to know again that citric acid might have properties of softening water, cutting grease, etc etc etc!
thanks again for info that comes down the pipes. (pardon the pun!)