Phosphorus Ban Information > Alternatives to Phosphorus-Containing Cleaning Products

Alternatives to Phosphorus-Containing Cleaning Products

Phosphorus in dishwashing detergents softens “hard” water, which reduces the spots and film on dishes. Phosphorus also makes the water’s pH more alkaline, which can help in food removal.

Alternatives to phosphorus, such as enzymes, have been shown to be just as effective at food removal and spot reduction as phosphorus-containing soaps. A 2005 study by Consumer Reports stated that phosphorus-free dishwashing detergents (or “nil-phosphate” detergents) do a “good to excellent job cleaning”.

Examples of Alternative Products

You can find ratings for various detergents on Consumer Reports free web site Greener Choices.

The following list contains examples of alternative, phosphorus-free, commercially-available dishwasher detergents.

Note:  this is not intended to be a comprehensive list of products.  Please see Ecology's Content Policy for more information.

• Bi-O-Kleen
• Country Save
• Ecover
• Palmolive eco+
• Planet
• Seventh Generation
• Shaklee

 

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