Plastic free washing up liquid options

Every day, it’s a constant battle to keep on top of our dirty dishes. Habitually, the tendency is to reach for a bottle of plastic washing up liquid. Yet when a Fairy Liquid bottle washed up on a beach in the UK that was at least 47 year’s old, it can make us all think twice about repeat buying plastic bottles that last for hundreds of years and pollute our environment. Thankfully, there are many fantastic ways to get plastic free washing up liquid. 

If you’re looking to reduce the number of plastic bottles that come into your house, then these alternative methods will help you go plastic free in the kitchen. 

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Plastic free washing up bar soap 

An option is to try using washing up liquid in bar form. The LoofCo Fragrance Free Washing Up Soap is an effective plastic free, zero-waste alternative to traditional washing-up liquid bottles. It’s tough on grease, which keeps your dishes clean and sparkling. This biodegradable soap bar is also suitable for multi-use. It’s gentle enough to use on your skin as well as for handwashing laundry, which makes it a great travel option.

To clean your dishes using washing up bar soap, simply create a lather with warm water onto your brush of choice. I like to use a natural coconut scourer. Once the soap is applied, wash the item as usual and rinse. Be sure to keep the soap dry between use.

DIY plastic free washing up liquid 

If you purchase a bar soap and decide it’s not for you, don’t fear it’s easy to convert the bar into plastic free washing up liquid. You can also try this out with any natural bar soap. Here are the steps. 

Items required:

• 10 grams of grated bar soap
• 300 ml of boiling water
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda

Step 1. Grate 10 grams of bar soap onto your scales

Step 2: Measure out 300 ml of boiling water in a jug

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Step 3: Pour in the bar soap and add 2 teaspoons of baking soda and mix thoroughly

Step 4: Pour into an empty bottle of your choice. I use an old shampoo bottle. Enjoy clean dishes with your plastic free washing up liquid.

Refill your washing up liquid bottle at your local bulk store

Another option that will save on plastic is to refill you washing up liquid bottle. There are many refill shops popping up all around the world. All you have to do is take a container of your choice along and fill it up with your preferred product. If you’ve not been to a bulk store before and need some tips on how to navigate them, take a look at this guide on what to bring and how they work.

Other plastic free kitchen tools

If you’re feeling inspired to go completely plastic free in the kitchen, be sure to also check out these instructions on how to make your own dishcloth. Otherwise, here are some other cool products on the market.

Eco Friendly Washing Up Scrubbing Brush & Eco Sponge plastic free wooden scrubbing brush made from beech wood. The scrubbing brush bristles are also plastic free. They’re fibre taken from the Palmyra and sisal plants (sometimes called tampico), native to Mexico.

Eco Dish Brush Set Dish Arya brushes are a natural and biodegradable alternative to flimsy, single-use plastic brushes and synthetic sponges. Their sisal dish brush comes with a replacement head, so when your bristles do finally wear out you need only replace the brush head, not the whole thing. When eventually disposed of, your biodegradable dish brushes will decompose and return to the earth naturally.

What’s your favourite way to keep your kitchen plastic free? Leave a comment below and let me know your favourite! If you’ve found this blog helpful, you can support me and the site by buying me a  cup of coffee or sharing the site with a friend. Your support means the world to me!