Cruelty Free
Cruelty Free is a certification process through PETA that labels products that are not tested on animals. All companies that are included on PETA’s cruelty-free list have signed a statement verifying that they don’t use ingredients or create finished products that help conduct or pay for any tests on animals.
Paraben Free
Parabens are synthetic chemical preservatives, commonly used in beauty products like shampoo, lotion, and deodorants. Parabens can accumulate in your body, and have been linked to hormonal disruption and reproductive problems. In studies of breast cancer patients, parabens have been found in the tissue of cancerous tumors–yikes! If you want to avoid Parabens in your beauty products, keep an eye out for methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben in the ingredients list.
Sulfate Free
Sulfates are synthetic chemical ingredients commonly used in beauty products and household cleaners, like shampoos and dish soaps. You can usually identify sulfates in an ingredients list by looking out for the most common types: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLC) and Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLES). These chemicals, often derived from petroleum, are used to help form the “lather” we’re used to seeing in our beauty and cleaning products. When used in the shower or sink, these chemicals can flow through the pipes and into our waterways. Synthetic sulfates have been linked to allergic reactions, eye and skin irritation, and hair loss, and some studies suggest they contain carcinogenic ingredients.
Handmade
We support small businesses and craftspeople who create each of their products with care. Handmade products are generally produced on a small scale, without the use of large energy consuming factories and production facilities. Buying handmade helps support art, communities, and people’s livelihoods.
Sustainable Manufacturing
Some or all of the energy used to make this product is produced via renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydropower.
Charitable
This company donates a portion of their time or profits to charitable efforts in their community or abroad.
Vegan
This product does not contain any animal products or byproducts, and has not been tested on animals.
Recycled Packaging
This product is packaged or shipped in materials that contain recycled content.
Made in the USA
This product was made in the United States. Buying locally made items helps to reduce harmful emissions that result from transportation during and after the production process. Purchasing products made in the United States also ensures that the items are produced in ways that meet strict safety and labor standards.
The zero waste kitchen solution you didn't know you needed is finally here: Handmade Castile Dish Soap. Bestowed Essential's knew how hard it was to find alternatives to typical plastic dish soap bottles, and wanted to create a vegan, natural formula that also worked hard to get even the dirtiest dishes clean. This 12oz concentrated solid dish soap does just that, using the power of french green clay, sea salt, and natural oils to lather and cleanse dishes. Pair with a natural loofah or sisal waRead Moreshcloth for a zero waste clean! Plus, for every order, Bestowed Essentials collects & recycles 1 lb of beach trash through their partnership with Ocean Blue Project!
kianestarnes (verified owner) –
this brand was my first time trying out a block dish soap and I was really impressed ! It did leave residue on some of my dishes but since then I’ve tried the meliora dish soap (also found here on earth hero ) and so far the meliora brand has never left residue ! this is an excellent zero waste alternative but the meliora brand will continue to be my go to brand !
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polina.abramson (verified owner) –
This is my first time using a bar dish soap and so far I’m happy with the experience. It doesn’t lather as much as liquid dish soap, but it still lathers enough for me to feel like I’m getting my dishes clean. I’m using this with the Heirloom Mayan Loofah Scrubbers from this site and they work really well together. My only concern is that it might not last as long as I would like it to. I bought the “Handmade Cedar Soap Dish” to hold this soap and it almost seems to be melting (dissolving?) into the dish a little bit. I paid $15 for this soap (a little peeved that it has now gone down to $13 as I write this review) so I really hope it lasts at least 6 months. I’m willing to pay more for sustainable products, but that is A LOT more than liquid dish soap.
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rosslynlyell (verified owner) –
Seems like it will last me a while! Great product so far and great purchase. Definitely recommend.
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zenjenknight (verified owner) –
Love how it makes my hands feel. Other dish soaps make my hands break out.
It doesn’t lather as much as the usual dish soap, but rightly so! It doesn’t have damaging surfactants in it. I’m okay with that!
Cleans well.
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Taylor (verified owner) –
I like how it’s a big block; will definitely last me for a while! I cut off a small chunk of the block and boiled it in 1.5 cups of water, and then added more water when I transferred it to a reusable glass soap container. The ratio I used lathers up nicely and leaves my dishes clean 🙂
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EarthHero –
Hi Taylor, thank you so much for sharing this experiment with all of us! We’re stoked to find yet another positive about these Castile dish soaps 🙂
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gradeshpande (verified owner) –
I’d buy it for that reason alone – regular dish soap makes them like sandpaper in the winter! Plus I love the fact that it came wrapped in literally nothing but brown paper. Like other commenters, I just hope it lasts a while – the round dish soap I bought previously got used up about as fast as a big bottle of (much less expensive) liquid dish soap.
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mikem654 (verified owner) –
Really happy I made this purchase! It came exactly as I ordered and works well. I hope it lasts a while!
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Heather (verified owner) –
I’ve been a frequent purchaser of dish blocks recently. This one is expensive (ish) but it is also huge and lasts for a very long time. Smaller blocks wear down faster and you tend to lose more of the soap into water puddles, if that makes sense. The heft and texture of this soap really makes the cost worth it, in my opinion.
I have not bought bottled soap in so long I cannot promise that this is a better value than the plastic-using alternative, but from my experience, this castile soap is worth it.
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MEOD (verified owner) –
A great alternative to bottled products. With a soft bristle brush a little of this soap will do a great job of cleaning dishes and kitchenware. Some mention a residue – we have found that using the brush to apply the soap and then rubbing vigorously leaves everything nice and clean. A little goes a long way!
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danielle.e.beaudoin17 (verified owner) –
It’s Castile soap, and it’s plastic free. So obviously it works amazing and is worth the cost all while helping the environment. Sometimes it can leave a residue, but that is mostly because I didn’t rinse it well enough.
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nashninja (verified owner) –
The soap lathers nicely and easily with a soft bristled brush, which is nice. Residue can be avoided by using a conservative amount of soap and lathering it up – a little goes a long way! I also like the faint olive oil smell. 🙂
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lauramnevill (verified owner) –
I really wanted to switch to a zero waste dish soap as we do not have a dish washer, so we go through a lot of dish soap! I looked at this and the “NoToxLife Dishwashing Block”. I went with this one on EarthHero and it has been fine. It doesn’t suds up a whole lot, but enough to satisfy. The biggest downside is that it does leave a bit of residue, and definitely leaves spots on our silverware and glasswear. I may try another block next time, though I anticipate next time being a long ways away, as it is a large block.
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shedge425 (verified owner) –
I love that this soap is zero waste, and that it works so well. I just wish I’d bought it sooner.
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Question
Laura –
How many average loads of dishes will this wash?
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hey Laura! This zero-waste alternative to dish soap is one of our favorites! Many of us in the office use this in our own homes and have found that it lasts just as long as a conventional bottle of liquid soap. Of course, the life of the product will depend on how often one washes their dishes and the amount they like to have on a sponge or dish brush!
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Kat (verified owner) –
I’m so happy I was able to find an effective zero waste alternative to dish soap! It lathers very nicely and leaves no greasy residue. I also have very hard water so I’m glad this didn’t impact the effectiveness of the soap. The soap itself is a very big block and will last a long time. Great investment!
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Anita Flantz (verified owner) –
This soap cleaned well but left a dull film unless thoroughly rinsed. It loses lather quickly. After a few tries I gave up. I remember castile soap from my childhood but we did not use it for dishes. I will find another use for this soap.
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earthfulenlightenment (verified owner) –
This dish soap is the best I’ve used! It leaves no waxy or foggy residue on the dishes, and it lathers quite nicely. Best of all, no plastic bottle. And it lasts forever! You should check out Bestowed Essentials on YouTube, where you can watch this being hand made! I’ve ordered this twice and I will be sticking with this soap from now on! Love it!
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sarahrippere (verified owner) –
This soap is fantastic. Sudsy and great on grease, plus it lasts forever and keeps my hands from drying out like other dish soap. The packaging is also wonderful – no plastic, no box, just the soap.
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sare0511 (verified owner) –
So far, so great. This is my second attempt at finding a good dishwashing block soap. I had purchased a No Tox Life block a few months ago, but I felt like it left a white film on some of the dishes, and it didn’t lather well. Not only does this one seem like the most bang for your buck, but it leaves my dishes sparkling, and lathers really well, when I’m using my dish brush.
Pro tip: be sure to pair this with the Redecker brand “Slatted Thermowood Soap Dish” – this block fits in it perfectly, and it helps keep the soap dry and well-drained to prolong the life of it.
This is definitely now my go-to.
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e.kepl (verified owner) –
This soap is amazing and a perfect option for less plastic use! The soap works wonders for dish and hand soap and suds very well! We leave this in a dish with a sponge on top (great area to put sponge too!) and all you have to do is rub your sponge/brush/hands on the block for a sudsy wash. Honestly I think it is easier than regular dish soap where you don’t have to deal with the plastic bottle itself! Love this soap and will never go back to regular dyed dish detergent!!
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Kyle Lear –
It seems like it will last for a long time! And one block definitely outlasts multiple bottles of dish liquid!
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mikaela.gilbreath (verified owner) –
Been using this for a few weeks and this works nicely. I do scrub off food from my dishes first with just water then go back with this soap and a brush to do a final clean. No issues so far!
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dljohnson798 (verified owner) –
Such a great alternative to dish soap in plastic bottles. Wish I had switched over years ago!
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cmpdreamgirl (verified owner) –
It suds, it washes, it’s plastic free. What’s not to love?!
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kathycanuel (verified owner) –
I’m transitioning slowly to more zero waste products. When it came time to get my next dish soap, this is the one I went for. I expected it to take way longer to get used to washing dishes with this thing, but really it’s been super easy. Instead of squirting the soap into the sink of water, you just let the dishes soak in plain water for a little and then get whichever brush you’re using wet, tap the top of the soap, and go to town. I find it seems to work better with very minimal water in the dish itself as you wash. Plenty of lather. Seriously, I couldn’t be more pleased. It does need a soap dish, but I don’t think that’s really surprising. I got the Redecker soap dish with the metal slats in the middle, and it’s like they were made for each other. All in all, I couldn’t be more pleased.
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garglinggorilla (verified owner) –
Live that this soap has no packaging. Works great on my greasy dishes, and personally a plus for me that it is unscented. I use it with a scrub brush, but you can rub your sponge or pad on the block, too. Definitely needs a soap dish or wooden blocks to sit on for proper drainage, or rotate the block every now and then so it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom–but really not an issue. Looks great on the counter, too!
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mvdawn (verified owner) –
Great soap, lasts a long time and works well.
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juliarlr (verified owner) –
This works very well! I just rub my dish brush in it in circles and it suds up very nicely. It’s unscented and unmessy.
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grumpyandgranny (verified owner) –
What a simple and great solution to throwing away hundreds of plastic dishwashing liquid bottles. This works surprisingly well. You just rub a wet rag, sponge, or scrubber against the soap bar and then scrub your dishes with it. I suspect that this block of soap will last a long time, too.
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alana.michele.clements (verified owner) –
Lathers and cleans well. It can leave a slight film, but nothing that can’t be removed by drying with a dish towel.!
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Brightme3 (verified owner) –
I love that this soap does not include a plastic bottle but I’d also say that this is just a fantastic soap. It takes a second to get used to rubbing your sponge on it instead of squeezing soap onto your sponge. Also it needs a good holder that has adequate drainage. These are very small prices to pay though. The soap is extremely effective and the sudsiness lasts longer than standard dish soap out of a bottle (I find I don’t have to relater as often). I always presoak my dishes so maybe that helps with getting them clean with one wash but I still think it works better than a standard (I haven’t used something like dawn in ages so my standard is more like meyers of other eco-friendly soaps). The dishes do seem slipperier when I use this soap though so beware of slippage! Maybe it’s the oil used to make this soap that makes everything slippery, either way I think I’m a total convert.
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Question
Stephanie –
Hello there! Where can I also purchase the little brush and the bamboo holder along with the block of soap? Thank you.
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EarthHero –
Hi, Stephanie! You can purchase the brush and block of soap on our site (linked), but we are out of stock in a similar bamboo soap holder! Hoping to get it back in stock soon- for now, we have this great option as an alternative! I hope this helps 🙂
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Shelby (verified owner) –
I like using Castile soap for showering and hand washing but it just doesn’t cut the grease for dishes. I’m a little disappointed that it was advertised as dish soap.
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EarthHero –
Hi, Shelby! Thank you for reaching out! We love Castille soap for all of those uses, too, but it can be tricky to make the switch to dishes sometimes. Other customers have found better luck with our Lemon and Unscented Meliora Castille dish soap block (also plastic-free) but find that it makes more suds, and perhaps would cut the grease better!
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iwillalwaysloveyou013 (verified owner) –
This product tackles grime and grease better than any dish soap I’ve ever used. Never going back to plastic packaging filled with crappy dish soap again!
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carinadimyan24 (verified owner) –
It really is the same thing as liquid. I was a little scared to try this, but so glad I did. First of the block is HUGE, this is so cheap compared to other dish blocks. I just take a sponge and rub it on top till I get my desired amount of soap and that’s it! I’m so happy this is unscented because it’s less irritating on hands.
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Question
Paula –
Is this soap essented? If not, do you know where I can buy on e that is?
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hi Paula! This dish block is not scented, but this one by Meliora comes in a fresh lemon scent. 😀
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Question
Kristin –
What are the dimensions of the block?
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hi Kristin! This dish block measures 3″ x 2″ x 2″. 🙂
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liudmila.johnson (verified owner) –
I love having this instead of liquid dish soap we’ve been using. Weeks in, and I’ve barely made a dent. It works well and will last a long time.
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Thailand –
Gentle Multi-Purpose Soap. We are so proud to offer a dish soap without all the harsh chemicals that can be used in so many different ways. Besides cleaning your dishes sparkly clean, it can clean more than dishes. Use it to clean floors, dirty, greasy hands, walls, counters, high-chairs, baby toys and the list is endless.
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coynebk (verified owner) –
Honestly I was unsure about switching to a bar soap, but I love the lather this works up! It works just as well at getting grime and grease off my pots and pans, too!
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Sue (verified owner) –
First time using bar dish soap. I love it. I get good suds and my dishes are clean. Doubt I’ll ever go back to liquid dish soap.
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Nikki (verified owner) –
Love it! Works just as well as liquid soap!
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Question
Adrienne –
I have a septic tank as this contains oil should i avoid using it
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hi Adrienne! This dish soap is comprised of a biodegradable formula and won’t have a negative impact on your septic tank! Plus, it’s gentle ingredients won’t disrupt the crucial bacteria present in the tank.:)
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rworden1 (verified owner) –
I did not expect the block to lather so well! The texture of the soap is different than traditional liquid soap, but it hasn’t made a difference in the lather or how it cleans. Will be buying again!
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Question
Amy –
Does this soap cube leave a film in your sink? Ive had other dish bars that left a film all over my stainless steel sink. Thanks!
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hi Amy! This Dish Soap Block rinses completely clean and shouldn’t leave any residue on the sink or on dishes. The oils in the soap do a fantastic job of breaking down grease, too. 🙂
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ljmjrk (verified owner) –
Easy to use, works well and eliminates my plastic Dawn bottles! I use it with the bamboo scrubber and with a sponge, both work well.
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ptaaaf (verified owner) –
This is so much better than using plastic bottles with liquid soap. I keep it in the repurposed plastic lid from a take-out package, but my sister is making me a ceramic soap dish to fit. I just rub the scrubber over the soap and wash.
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tdc.taylorcleveland (verified owner) –
I have hard water with a water softener. Sometimes shampoo bars don’t work for me, and I have been told it is because of our very hard water. My block just came in the mail today, it worked great! I washed some dishes to test it out. Rinsed off well, sudzed up well, and all around easy to use. I paired it with the copper scrubbing pads. I’m so excited this product works well! I had doubts but it proved me wrong.
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r.shkeyrov (verified owner) –
This dish block smells great and works really well with the dish brush. I think it will last a long time because you don’t see it shrink at all, whereas when you use dish soap from a bottle you truly see it disappear each day. If I can update this review I will update it when I have used it all up to see how long it lasted me 🙂
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Question
Yolanda –
What are the general dimensions of the block?
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EarthHero (verified owner) –
Hi Yolanda! Ellie from EH, here. I just measured the one I have in my kitchen and it is 3″ x 2″ x 2″. Love it!
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marzy (verified owner) –
This is my first time using a solid dish washing soap. It gets very lathery and cleans well.
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Judith A. Davis (verified owner) –
I was skeptical at first, but this is definitely the answer to my dish soap conundrum.
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ranaefithian (verified owner) –
Obsessed with this soap bar! It’s huge (definitely worth the price), lasts forever (very hard to overuse, unlike liquid soaps), and you can get a nice lather going (an issue I’ve had with other environmentally-friendly soaps). I’ve recommended it to all my friends and family, they’ve all loved it as well.
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Alex Kropp (verified owner) –
This does clean dishes great, but it takes some extra effort to make sure all the soap is washed off dishes because it doesn’t make suds the way liquid soap does
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Question
Melody J. Kraus –
How long does the soap block last for dishes for the average couple?
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Admin EarthHero –
Hi Melody! This soap block should last you a couple of months. It’s easy to blow through liquid soaps and we find that this one doesn’t get used up quite as quickly. To extend its life even longer, we recommend pairing it with a slotted soap dish so that it may properly dry between uses!
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Question
Scott Andrews –
How do you actually use this? Just lather it on a cloth or something? Does it make suds in the water?
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Admin EarthHero –
Hi Scott! Thanks for your question. This dish block makes for an excellent plastic-free alternative to generic liquid dish soap. Since it lacks common surfactants like SLS, it won’t lather in quite the same way, but the coconut and olive oils cut grease like no other! We like to use it with a dish brush like this one or with a compostable loofah. With solid dish soap, the rougher the washing tool the better!
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HappyCustomer (verified owner) –
I had been using a bar soap that was meant for babies, and it worked just fine. However, I prefer this soap since it’s meant for cutting through grease, and it lasts longer. Which means it ends up being more economical than the other bar soap I was using. I have to use a little more than I expected to get a lather, but overall, I’m happy with the product. I also like that the company aims to be as minimal waste as possible.
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Tonalea Putzler (verified owner) –
I love this product for its simplicity and effectiveness. I’m trying to purchase more items that don’t contain chemicals or have plastic packaging. It suds up really nice and rinses clean.
I use it with the walnut shell scrub pads that I also purchased from earth hero.
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Question
J.B. –
What’s the grease-cutting capacity of this soap? Several of the natural dish soaps I’ve tried have been borderline useless when it comes to cleaning up butter or other cooking oils.
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Admin Ellie Mersereau –
Hi! One of the best ways to cut grease is actually with oil. Since two of the main ingredients in this soap are oils (olive and coconut), it works wonders when lathered up with a dish brush or sponge.
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