tree hugger tip

So about 10 years ago, Ed used to buy this earth-friendly dishwashing liquid that I hated. It never produced any kind of lather so it felt like you weren't actually washing your dishes. It's hard for me to get behind a green product if it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. I was convinced that was as good as earth-friendly dishwashing was going to get, so I had been reluctant to try any new ones. But now, with my mission to be more green, I'm pleased to report, I've found better options.

I had started with this lovely bottle of Method. Isn't it pretty? And ahhh, the cucumber scent -- intoxicating! But as much as I love the sleek, clean design of the bottle, the functionality wasn't very great. It was really hard to get the soap out (and yes, I did squeeze it). And truthfully, I had heard enough complaining from the husband. So I had to say goodbye to my little Method friend. Sniff.


But then I tried Seventh Generation. It's sudsy, it smells good and the bottle works like a dream (but doesn't look as pretty as Method sitting on the countertop). According to the bottle (and why would a bottle lie to a person?): "If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 25 oz. petroleum based dishwashing liquid with our 25 oz. vegetable based product, we could save 81,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 4,600 U.S. homes for a year!" So go on and get yourself some why don't you! You can find it at Target. And for those of you with dishwashers, they do make automatic dishwasher powder and gel too.



And speaking of Seventh Generation, I've also been using their lavender eucalyptus laundry soap and me likes. I admit, I thought I'd miss the fresh laundry smell on my clothes. But once I came to terms with the fact that clean doesn't have a smell, I got over it. And the clothes do still smell fresh when they've been washed in this soap, it's just a little more subtle than most laundry soaps.