Washing up liquid warning: UK households issued advice over popular dish soap brands

It’s something most households use everyday but the washing up liquid you are using could be harming you and the environment. Environmentalists warn ingredients in certain popular brands can harm wildlife when it gets into rivers and seas, and harmful chemicals banned from use in skincare are free to be included in dish soaps despite the fact they also come into contact with skin.

Ethical accreditors, The Good Shopping Guide, say that in 2020 an estimated 4.15 million people in Britain were using washing up liquid at least four times a day. A spokesperson for the company said: “One of the main environmental issues with washing up liquid is toxic chemicals. Some washing up liquids contain toxic chemicals, such as triclosan, formaldehyde and phthalates.

“Many washing up liquid formulas also contain petrochemical surface-active agents or surfactants. Petrochemical agents are often derived from crude-oil, a finite resource. Whilst petrochemical agents and other petroleum derivatives are not necessarily toxic for humans, there are concerns about our over-dependence on this finite resource.”

The added: “Toxic chemicals such as triclosan, formaldehyde, phthalates can cause skin irritation, rashes and can even damage our organs. Not only can toxic chemicals harm our bodies directly, we should also consider where washing up liquid ultimately ends up.”

Sophie, founder and content creator at the Sustainably Lazy website, says she has been using eco-friendly washing-up liquid for years and would never go back. She says: "By choosing a sustainable brand, you can at least scrub your pans without feeling eco-guilt.

“Conventional dish soap usually comes in a single-use plastic bottle full of ingredients derived from petroleum, a fossil fuel. The multinational corporations that produce it create huge volumes of plastic and many (like Fairy) are not cruelty-free."

Sophie also mentions the methods used to create the strong synthetic smells often associated with cleaning products. She says: "What they don’t tell you is the cocktail of chemicals used to make the fragrances, some of which are classed as 'toxic to reproduction' by the EU."

One example of a ‘hormone disrupting chemical found in cleaning products is Lilial (Butylphenyl Methylpropional). Sophie says this is “classified by the EU as carcinogenic and reprotoxic”, hence the synthetic floral scent being banned in cosmetics in the EU, however, its still permitted in cleaning products, although legally has to be listed on labels.

The Ethical Consumer website, who create independent product guides, research, and information, has compiled a list of the good, and not so good when it comes to washing up liquids. Rated on animal products and testing, climate, company ethos, harmful ingredients, packaging, palm oil, tax conduct and workers, these are their top ten rated brands, including their score out of 100:

1. Fill Refill washing-up liquid
2. SESI washing-up liquid
3. Greenscents washing-up liquid
4. Miniml washing-up liquid
5. Faith in Nature washing-up liquid
6. Friendly Soap washing-up bar
7. Bio-D washing-up liquid
8. Smol washing up liquid
9. Sonett washing-up liquid
10. ecoleaf washing-up liquid

And it’s not just what’s in the bottles but the bottles themselves which pose a risk, so the eco-friendly and ethical experts also recommend finding a refill store so you can use containers over and over again, or companies who will accept returned bottles so they can be reused and/or recycled.