5 Best Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergents (Without Alcohol Ethoxylates)

The average dishwasher runs five cycles a week. For many, this appliance works even harder than that, sometimes doing multiple cycles a day. Every time you run your dishwasher, you can expose yourself, your family, and the environment to potentially harmful chemicals. Exposure to these toxins and harsh chemicals comes from either the steam emitted from the dishwasher or the residue left on your dishes. Either way, switching to a non-toxic dishwasher detergent is essential to keep your family and the environment safe from toxic chemicals. 

There are many so-called “eco-friendly” dishwasher detergents advertised as “green” or “natural,” but many of them contain ingredients to avoid and, hence, are not as safe as they imply. However, there are several kinds out there that are truly safe and effective for washing away food particles. I will give you my recommendations for the best dishwasher detergents, and you will also get insight into the tactics and drawbacks of the mainstream dishwasher detergent industry.

Before we go over the 5 best non-toxic dishwasher detergents, let’s discuss what is wrong with most conventional dishwasher detergents and why finding a non-toxic dishwasher detergent can be difficult.

Why Most Dishwasher Detergents Are Not Actually Non-Toxic?

To begin, many dishwasher detergents (and regular house cleaning products) include the following ingredients to avoid:

• ammonia
• sodium hypochlorite
• dyes
• artificial fragrance
• benzisothiazolinone
• methylisothiazolinone
• methylchloroisothiazolinone
• cristobalite
• polyalkylene glycol, and
• quartz.

All these chemicals have been linked to various medical issues including allergic reactions, dermatitis, eye damage, lung/throat/mouth irritation, cancer, and more. (Learn how to clean your house without chemicals here.)

Some examples of dishwasher detergents with ingredients to avoid include:

• Amway Home™ Automatic Dish Tablets
• Cascade Platinum ActionPacs
• Finish Quantum® Hard Water Tablets, and
• Frosch Lime Dishwasher Tabs.

Additionally, some dishwasher detergent companies have employed tricky schemes to hide certain ingredients. I assume that the hidden ingredients are toxic; otherwise, they would have no reason to conceal them. Let’s explore how they do it using Cleancult Dishwasher Tablets as an example. 

While Cleancult disclosed some ingredients, such as sodium percarbonate, they sneaked in 5 undisclosed ingredients. Here is how:

Water Soluble Film

This is not a name of a chemical or an ingredient. It describes a functional part of the tablets, but the ingredients in the film are unknown.

Granulation Excipient

Again, this describes a functional part of the dishwasher tabs. It is a hidden ingredient that produces a granular texture.

Plant Extract

There are thousands of plants out there. Therefore, there are thousands of possible extracts that could have been added. In other words, “plant extract” sounds too vague and abstract. Also, note that the mere presence of some plant extract in your dishwasher tabs does not make them “plant based.”

Surfactants

A surfactant is an ingredient to produce lather or foam. There are hundreds of them, some that are safe and many that are not. The most commonly used surfactants in dishwasher detergents are ethoxylated surfactants—which is what we need to talk about next.

Why Alcohol Ethoxylates In Dishwasher Detergents Are Concerning

Many companies have actually found it relatively easy to cut out the aforementioned ingredients like ammonia, chlorine, and synthetic fragrances to claim they manufacture a “natural detergent.” However, ethoxylated ingredients like alcohol ethoxylate, or alkoxylated alcohol, remain present even in so-called “non-toxic” detergents (like Dr. Mercola Greener Cleaner Dishwasher Pouches, and Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Packs).

The ethoxylated ingredients are concerning, because their residues, as this study found, can lead to the damage of the gut’s epithelial barrier, a condition called “leaky gut.” Further, the study explains that the “leaky gut” condition is a central factor leading to the systemic inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, and a long list of other chronic noninfectious inflammatory diseases. 

Moreover, scientists have been exploring the role of “leaky gut” in systemic autoimmune and metabolic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and autoimmune hepatitis.

Additionally, inflammation linked to leaky gut and microbiome imbalance may play a role in neurological and mental health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, chronic depression, and autism spectrum disorders (source).

In sum, switching to an alcohol ethoxylate–free dishwasher detergent makes sense—and it’s something I did years ago. In fact, I was diagnosed with “leaky gut” and an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After making several lifestyle changes, including switching to a safer dishwasher detergent, I recovered from both. Learn more the changes I made in the blog post about my health.

Fast forward to 2025, I was tested for more than 100 biomarkers, and biologically, I’m 12 years younger than my chronological age. You can learn more about that experience in this email here.

How To Choose A Healthy Dishwasher Detergent For Your Home

Finding a non-toxic dishwasher detergent can be challenging because usually no single detergent can be effective for all levels of water hardness. And I should know since I’ve studied the whole dishwasher detergent market and even researched possibly making my own solution at one point. 

Thus, it’s helpful to know your water hardness level:

• 0.3 gpg (grains per gallon) – soft water,
• 3.5-7.0 gpg – moderate water,
• 7-10.5 gpg – hard water, and
• over 10.5 gpg – very hard water.

If you don’t know your water hardness, call your water district or buy a test online or take a water sample to a pool or pet supply store.

This is important because hard water is often the reason a dishwasher detergent doesn’t work well. The good news is that I’ll guide you through this as I walk you through the dishwasher detergent options next.

Safe Dishwasher Detergents I’m Comfortable Recommending

First, I think it’s a good idea to go for dishwasher powder or dishwasher tabs rather than coated dishwasher detergent pods or packs (such as Grove Collaborative dishwasher detergent packs).

The reason is that coated dishwasher detergent pods or packs are enveloped in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). There is evidence that PVA does not break down and disappear within wastewater treatment plants. Instead, it poses a pollution concern to the environment (source).

Second, to avoid health risks, including the “leaky gut” condition, caused by residues of harsh chemicals on your dishes, it is a great idea to switch over to a non-toxic dishwasher detergent.

Branch Basics Dishwasher Tablets

First, in my opinion, Branch Basics is one of the best sources for all cleaning supplies, including its plastic-free, eco-friendly dishwasher detergent. The detergent (and all their other products) does not include alcohol ethoxylates or other harmful chemicals.

It contains enzymes that play a critical role in its performance. While enzymes (i.e., protease and amylase) can irritate the lungs if substantial amount of dust is airborne and inhaled, I don’t think dishwasher tabs pose such a risk. Just use them according to the instructions and don’t let your kids play with them.  

The good news is that Branch Basics reformulated their non-toxic dishwasher tablets back in October 2022 to make them work better in hard water. 

If you are interested, you can find Branch Basics Dishwasher Tablets here.

Pure Haven Dishwasher Detergent

Second, Pure Haven’s liquid dishwasher detergent is hands down my favorite. It leaves dishes sparkling clean—no matter how hard or soft your water is—which is no easy feat when you’re working with truly safe ingredients. Of course, the formula is free of alcohol ethoxylates and other concerning chemicals.

I started using this product as soon as Pure Haven began making it. In my experience, it delivers squeaky clean dishes every time. If you have soft water, you can actually fill your dishwasher’s detergent compartment less than halfway—and that means you’re saving both your health and money.

Another bonus? It doesn’t contain natural enzymes that we talked about previously. And it has a light, pleasant scent that comes from lemongrass essential oil—no synthetic fragrances here.

Pure Haven also makes other excellent cleaning and personal care products. Their Master Blaster Stain Remover is a staple in our home, and their Supergreens Shampoo and Conditioner are my absolute favorites for adding volume, shine, and even helping stimulate new hair growth.

After extensive research into Pure Haven’s practices and mission, I truly believe their entire line is free from harmful contaminants like heavy metals, benzene, bacteria, and PFAS. You can read more about the company and how their products compare to others in my Pure Haven Review.

If you are interested, you can find Pure Haven Dishwasher Detergent (with a discount code) here.

Blueland Dishwasher Tablets

Third, Blueland is not one of my top natural cleaning supplies brands because they include fragrances and synthetic dyes (which I consider ingredients to avoid) in some of their products. However, I highly appreciate their eco-friendly plastic-free packaging and have had success with two of their products that do not include artificial ingredients.

Among their ingredients, the Blueland dishwasher tablets have no fragrance, dyes, or alcohol ethoxylates. Like the Branch Basics detergent discussed above, they have enzymes, too.  I don’t believe, though, that detergent tablets can be easily airborne and inhaled. These uncoated detergent tabs must work great in both hard and soft water. 

If you are interested, you can find Blue Land Dishwasher Detergent Tablets here.

MamaSuds Dishwasher Powder

Next, MamaSuds is eco-friendly dishwasher powder that I would only recommend for soft water. This dishwasher detergent without alcohol ethoxylates has a safe and familiar ingredient list, including sodium carbonate, and excluding any harmful chemicals. It is completely biodegradable, plastic-free, and contains no enzymes.

If you are interested, you can find MamaSuds Dishwasher Powder (with a discount code) here.

Earthley Powder Dishwasher Detergent

Lastly, Earthley dishwasher powder is another dishwasher detergent without alcohol ethoxylates for soft water with some of the safest ingredients out there. It’s vegan, non-GMO, biodegradable, plastic-free, and is free of parabens, fragrances, sulfates, and harsh chemicals. All ingredients are natural and safe and work together for a super effective formula. 

If you prefer scented detergents, the scented Earthley powder dishwasher detergent options are scented with essential oils only. Overall, the powder is pretty safe unless you are sensitive to certain essential oils (learn more about natural fragrance here). Both the scented and unscented formulas are effective and non-toxic based on my criteria. 

If you are interested, you can find Earthley Dishwasher Detergent here.

Bottom Line On Non-Toxic Dishwasher Detergents

In sum, removing harmful chemicals in your home does not have to be difficult or stressful. You’ve learned about why switching to a safe dishwasher detergent is important.  Fortunately, there are several companies out there that provide products that are non-toxic and have just as much cleaning power as their chemical-ridden counterparts.

For your convenience, here are the healthy dishwasher detergents that I mentioned above:

• Branch Basics Dishwasher Tablets
• Pure Haven Dishwasher Detergent (what I currently use)
• Blue Land Dishwasher Detergent Tablets 
• MamaSuds Dishwasher Powder
• Earthley Dishwasher Detergent

I hope this blog post takes the stress out of learning and your house can soon be full of the best ingredients that are safe for you and the environment! 

And for washing dishes by hand, please refer to my Non-Toxic Dishwashing Soap Guide. To get exclusive content, inspiration, and discount codes, access my bi-weekly emails.