Washing dishes with modern cleaning products does more than just make your fingers pruney. Toxic ingredients polute our waterways and can irritate the skin and leave unwanted residues on dishes.  Everybody washes dishes everyday, that's a whole lot of detergents and chemicals that are ending up in our waterways.  

Switch to plant-based dishwashing powder and liquid dish soap. These, unlike their chemical counterparts, are completely biodegradable, pose no threat to marine life, are less irritating on skin, leave no chemical residue on your dishes and they work well. 

If you own a dishwasher, conserve energy by refraining from using the drying function.  Instead, turn off the appliance after the final rinse, prop open the door and allow the dishes to air dry.  Air-drying in this fashion can save 10% of the energy used for each load!

As usual, when shopping, be wary of products that claim to be green but don't actually cut it. Read ingredients and steer away from phosphates, bleaches, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SDS), synthetic dyes and scents. And try to buy local, because it reduces transportation emissions.

We recommend: Nature Clean (produced in Toronto), Ecover, Seventh Generation. 

Also see: Homemade Cleaning Formulas