RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—They’ve been dubbed “Bubble Bandits”: Rogue Spokane Washingtonians have started crossing the border into Idaho to buy dishwashing detergents full of phosphates, which became illegal in Spokane in July 2008. The reason? Many people who live there don’t feel that phosphate-free detergents (those sold by green-minded companies like Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Method) get the gunk off their dishes, or get rid of stains and water deposits, as well as phosphate-heavy brands like Cascade and Electrasol. And by this time next year, many more Americans may be faced with a similar dilemma.
THE DETAILS: While Spokane residents may be test subjects now, similar bans will take effect next year in 12 states, and many detergent manufacturers are fiddling with existing formulations to find alternatives to phosphates, which are very damaging to waterways and aquatic ecosystems. Spokane County lawmakers instituted the ban after realizing the havoc phosphates were wreaking on the Spokane River, which at one time was one of the most endangered rivers in the country, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.
Phosphates have a few different purposes in dish detergents, says Adam Lowry, cofounder of green cleaning products company Method and a chemical engineer. “Detergents work better in soft water,” he says, “and phosphates are the cheapest and most effective chemicals for softening water.” In a dish soap, phosphates suspend food bits in water and keep them from redepositing on dishes once the food is washed off. “The problem is,” he adds, “when it gets out of the dishwasher, it’s plant food.” When the phosphates enter waterways, they feed algae blooms that kill off fish, plants, and virtually everything else living below the surface.
WHAT IT MEANS: Tests done in 2005 by Consumer Reports found that phosphate-free detergents performed just as well as phosphate-based ones. Perhaps resentment at having to switch detergents is causing Spokane residents to notice food residues or water spots that they used to ignore? In any case, you can go phosphate free without being tempted to get involved in the illegal-detergent trade.
If your ecofriendly detergent isn’t getting your dishes as clean as you like, try these tricks:
• Pre-scrape, don’t prerinse. As we’ve said before, prerinsing is a waste of water and can negate any water and energy savings you get with an efficient dishwasher. Remove stubborn gunk with a wet scouring pad, dish brush, or dishcloth before loading, and you’ll cut down on the food particles getting washed around inside your dishwasher.
• Clean your filter. Gunk on your plates may have more to do with a filter that needs to be cleaned than ineffective detergent. “Food builds up on the drain,” says Lowry. “Without proper drainage, the food that’s taken off dishes can redeposit.” Plus, he adds, all that detritus can harbor microbial growth, so clean out your dishwasher’s filter to both wash your dishes and sanitize them.
• Let powders prevail. Powdered detergents dissolve better in hot water than liquids—and if the liquid doesn’t dissolve, it just washes away before it has a chance to work. Not only that, powders are better at removing stains. “Oxygen bleaching systems are not stable in liquids,” says Lowry. Powders, on the other hand, allow green cleaners to use bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide that will remove coffee and spaghetti sauce stains. In liquids, he says, the bleaching power will come from chlorine (another ecohazard), or else the detergent won’t have any bleaching agents at all.
• Save by using less. In her book Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home
• Swap your rinse aid for vinegar. Rinse aids may keep water spots off your dishes, but you can save money by using vinegar instead, says Jean Nick, Rodale.com’s Nickel Pincher. How well it works will depend on your local water quality; if vinegar doesn’t work, try powdered citric acid
• Experiment. What works for East Coasters may not function well in Northwestern waters. If you’re unhappy with one phosphate-free brand, experiment with a few others before crossing aisles or borders for the toxic stuff.