Detergents: Find one without unwanted chemicals
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Detergents: Find one without unwanted chemicals

The chemical test of dishwashing detergent for hand washing shows that you can find plenty of good choices if you are looking for a dishwashing detergent without unwanted chemicals.

Christel Søgaard Kirkeby · Foto: Getty Images · 7. januar 2022
Dishwashing detergent for hand washing poured on sponge

You may use dishwashing liquid daily when washing pots, plates and pans after a meal.

Skin contact with the dishwashing liquid itself is almost unavoidable.

Therefore, it is a good idea to avoid problematic substances in dishwashing detergents.

Detergents are often without unwanted chemicals.

The test of dishwashing detergents for hand washing shows that you generally can find plenty of good choices if you are looking for a dishwashing detergent without unwanted chemical.

8 out of 19 dishwashing detergents in the test receive the highest rating, the A-rating.

They have both an eco-label and an allergy label, which are good labels to look for if you want to take care of both the environment and your health.

11 dishwashing detergents contain perfume

Perfume is often used in dishwashing detergents. In the test, 11 out of 19 are with perfume, which can cause allergies.

It is a good idea to limit your exposure to perfume enabling you to reduce your risk of developing skin allergies.

1 dishwashing detergent receives the lowest rating

One of the perfumed dishwashing detergents - Fairy - gets the lowest chemical rating, the C-rating, in our test.

In addition to perfume, this product also contains the allergenic preservative benzisothiazolinone.

The substance is not allowed in e.g. hand soap.

About the test

  • The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals has selected 19 widely used dishwashing detergents from the Danish market.

    We have contacted the relevant companies to check that the products are still readily available on the market.

    The products partly overlap with a test from 2021 by the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals.
        
    We have obtained the ingredient lists from the label and the manufacturers' websites, and we have checked whether the ingredients could have problematic properties.

    This is a declaration test. Therefore, no chemical analyses have been made.

  • This is how the 19 hand dishwashing detergents are distributed:

    • 8 dishwashing detergents get the best rating, the A-rating.
    • 10 dishwashing detergents get a medium rating, the B-rating, due to the content of perfume.
    • 1 dishwashing detergent receives the lowest rating, the C-rating, due to the content of allergenic preservative - benzisothiazolinone.

    Compared to previous declaration tests, the prevalence of isothiazolinones has decreased significantly:

    • 2016 test - isothiazolinones in 12 out of 33 products.
    • 2019 test - isothiazolinones in 10 out of 65 products.
    • 2021 test - isothiazolinones in 1 out of 19 products.