A new consumer report explores the contents of dishwashing detergents and the negative effects they can have on our health and on the environment.

A recent study has discovered that a common dishwashing detergent ingredient, styrene-acrylate copolymers, can cause cancer at concentrations of 21 per cent. The safety limit for styrene is only 50 parts per million, and the side effects are reported to include headaches, lassitude, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, unsteady gait, possible liver damage and reproductive effects.

If you’re not really careful to wash all the detergent off your crocks and cutlery, you could end up eating styrene with your food. And even if you do wash off the styrene off it goes into the water system. Fish have been discovered with high concentrations of styrene and other washing-up liquid ingredients: surfactants

In response to these health and environment concerns, companies have developed detergents that are meant to be safer. But not all these ‘green’ & ecological detergents are equally good either in ingredients or effectiveness

Top recommendation goes to: Dishmate Washing up Liquid

Dishmate Washing up Liquid was the hands down winner. Dishmate is so confident of the quality of its short list of botanical ingredients that it claims that “it can be used as a liquid hand soap and bath/shower soap”, and even “softens hands while doing dishes”— surprising for a dishwashing liquid. The surfactants in Dishmate are derived from coconut oil, and Dishmate says that they have excluded cocamide DEA, and put in almond and cherry oils for fragrance and skin care

In the test Dishmate worked as well as well known toxic commercial brands. On cost it is one of the least expensive of the green & ecological washing up liquids (0.005 p per mL) so it is very good value for money given its remarkable quality.

The well known brand Ecover did not do quite as well, with a couple of questionable ingredients. However it was judged to clean well and is a little cheaper than Dishmate (0.002 pence per mL)

Buy Dishmate Online here:UK / US

Treat yourself to a Earth Friendly Home Detox Kit including Dishmate Washing up liquid