No dishwasher? What do you use for dish soap?

[Paper Roses]

I seem to be one of the few people around without a dishwasher and I have "dishpan hands".

I used Palmolive for years but for the past few months have been using eco-friendly dish soap. I have not been pleased with any brands that I tried because they don't seem to have the grease cutting capabilities of regular soaps and the suds die in a few minutes. They also cost a lot more.

I will admit that my hands were in better shape with the eco-friendly soaps. I went back to Palmolive a few days ago and now my cuticles are ragged and my hands are once again dry and red. Do any of you fine cooks who wash by hand use a regular brand of soap that does not wreck your hands?

Care to share?

[hippywife]

1. I use Seventh Generation.

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

I bought a little portable dishwasher off craigslist after years of doing dishes by hand and I don't like the way it cleans so I went back to doing them by hand.

I won't buy any other kind of dish soap. They just don't talk the talk, this company. They are excellent all the way around.

:hi:

[hippywife]

17. I forgot to add that

I have no problems with my skin of any kind from it's use, but I tend not to have dry hands anyway for some reason.

The recommendations in this thread to moisturize right after doing dishes are very sound.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

2. Mrs. Meyer's

For some reason, the lavender scent makes me skip the dishwasher a lot of the time. Of course, I don't have my hands in it for long, but it's organic and seems gentle enough. (Ooooh--they've got pine-scented stuff now. . .)

Or have you tried Dr. Bronner's Sal-Suds? That's good for everything. Someone posted a great price here.

Otherwise, someone in GD turned me on to Charlie's Soap, which I use for damned near everything and it's amazing. I got the big jug of laundry soap (one pump per load and no fabric softener needed) and another jug of the all-purpose cleaner (use straight or dilute hugely for spray bottles). It worked okay in the DW, but I suspect it would be better to use the powdered for that. They say you can use it for everything from greasy shop rags to the family pet and after six months, I have to say it's proven true.

[The empressof all]

4. I love the lemon verbana!

Mrs. Meyers is a great brand!

[CrispyQ]

26. Tom's of Maine used to make a lemon verbena scented liquid soap.

I was really upset when they discontinued it. Thanks for this - I'm going to check out Mrs. Meyers.

[hippywife]

27. Tom's of Maine was purchased

by Colgate-Palmolive. Another good company gobbled up by the corporate monster.

[beac]

20. I bought 4 bottles of Mrs. Mayer's Basil scent on sale. That was a year ago and I still have two

full bottles. A little goes a long way and it smells lovely.

I liked her laundry detergent too, but it's gotten too expensive. :( I've been used ECOS, but am thinking about trying 'Soap Nuts' next: http://www.squidoo.com/soap-nuts.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

23. I really like the soap nuts idea

. . . and would have bought some last year, but I stumbled across Charlie's Soap before I could pull the trigger. I think Charlie's is much less expensive and since it can be used as an all-purpose cleaner as well, makes good sense. It's amazing to get clothes not only really clean with a natural soap, but since you don't need fabric softener, towels actually absorb and nothing gets stiff. We get so conditioned to have scents and stuff added, we don't realize what it means to have genuinely clean clothes.

I saw Mrs. Meyers' basil when I posted the link and was really intrigued by it. I've never seen it in the stores--usually just lemon verbena, geranium, and lavender. Will have to spring for some now, just because it's there. :)

[beac]

24. I've been meaning to try Charlie's soap too.

We just spent the weekend with friends and the linens on their guest bed nearly gave me fits. The perfume from the dryer sheet was overwhelming. Yuck.

Glad to be home to my own organically-clean duvet with the lightest whiff of Mrs. Meyer's Geranium laundry detergent still lingering in the cotton.(I've been hoarding the last half of the bottle and only using it as an occasional 'treat.')

[CrispyQ]

25. I've tried the soap nuts & was not impressed with them.

First I washed a load of clothes in warm water, including some workout stuff & was really disappointed. Then I did a load of towels in hot water & had better success, but still not pleased enough that I would ever buy them again.

[Warpy]

3. Ivory gave me the worst case of contact dermatitis in the world

but I found I could use Palmolive. I'm trying out some all natural stuff, but I'm not particularly happy with it, it just doesn't have the staying power of the Palmolive.

Neither one gave me dishpan hands. The soap in the hospital did, though.

The reaction to Ivory had me washing dishes in Dr. Bronner's for about a year. If I wanted to get through a crowd, all I had to do was hold up my hands and yell "SKOAD!" and they'd part like the Red Sea.

If you're finding you're getting dry, cracked hands from dishwashing, there's a marvelous invention that will stop it: household gloves.

You'll find those great for nasty cleaning jobs, too.

[Paper Roses]

10. Hi Warpy, I use gloves when I do heavy cleaning such as woodwork

and floors but I find that when I'm in the kitchen, I have my hands in the dishwater without thinking. I hoped someone would haver the name of a milder soap that would do the job. I know me, I will never put gloves on when I have dishes, pots and pans and other cooking stuff going.

I'm not really lazy, just constantly in and out of the water. A few hints as to brands to buy so I don't waste $$$ trying many different ones would be great.

[Warpy]

12. It's a habit that needs to be developed

like wearing a new pair of glasses, for instance. Keeping the gloves on the edge of the sink helps to remind you to slip them on when you have to wash something.

The real disadvantage to gloves is not being able to feel that invisible scuzz that is stubbornly clinging to a plate and use a fingernail to dislodge it.

Some of the all natural stuff is unscented, and that can help. All detergents will remove oil from your skin. You can replenish it with a pump dispensed handcream at the sink, but that's almost as hard a habit to get into as wearing the gloves so you don't need it.

[The empressof all]

5. Caldera---OMG

Expensive Cleaning Products is a major weakness of mine. When I want to absolutely splurge I buy Caldera. I routinely use their general cleaning solution. Diluted and kept in spray bottles the cost is actually well within limits. A bottle lasts a long time. The Basil Blue Sage is practically Orgasmic!

[elleng]

6. I use Ivory, but AND ALWAYS use Lubriderm lotion after.

[grasswire]

7. I love lubriderm lotion with the oat extract

It smells vaguely forest-y, and works better than anything I've ever used. (And I'm a big lotion fan.) I particularly like not smelling like a dessert pastry (vanilla cream??!!) or fruit. I can't stomach kiwi-raspberry and that ilk.

[elleng]

8. I like the unscented, and didn't like the oatmeal lubrid!

As to scents, only in my perfume, thank you!

[Warpy]

9. I make one exception there

I love the old fashioned glycerine and rose water. It's strong at first but dissipates quickly and leaves your hands feeling great.

It's the only thing that worked on my hands when I had to use that hospital soap every 5 minutes. The hospital hand cream also gave me contact dermatitis, although it wasn't nearly as gross as the Ivory.

[elleng]

15. I love glycerine and rose water too, Warpy!

Used it years ago.

[Lugnut]

16. I have a dishwasher but....

I wash most of the large pots and pans by hand with Palmolive.

Avon sells a hand cream - Silicone Glove - that does the trick for me. My Avon rep told me she sells a lot of it to health care professionals who are constantly washing their hands. It's not greasy but it doesn't wash off easily either.

[japple]

18. I used to use Lubriderm, but have recently started using Kiss My Face

Olive & Aloe (for sensitive skin). It is by far the best lotion I have ever used. A bit pricey, but worth every penny.

[elleng]

19. Won't even try it

until I can afford it! Sure could use something for my face!

[Lars39]

11. Gloves.

I have to really protect one of my hands, so I use a good moisturizing lotion, put the gloves on, do the dishes and then re-moisturize. I miss the days I could just plunge my hands into dish water....I could get things done a little faster.

[Inchworm]

13. Dawn or Joy - which ever is cheapest

I've tried others, but keep coming back.

I like Joy the best because a little goes a LONG way. That is handy when I soak dishes and forget to wash them. It seems like I'm not wasting so much that way.

I like Dawn because it absolutely eats greasy oily crud off my hands when I work on the car. Hmm.. not seen Dawn around here for ages, and I'm stained :P

:hi:

[cbayer]

14. I just keep a bottle of lotion next to the sink and use it frequently.

i also use very, very little water and never really submerge my hands, so that might make a difference.

:hi:

[kestrel91316]

21. I am currently using some Mrs. Meyers that I got with a coupon. It's

pricey, but smells great and a little goes a long way. When I run out, if I don't have more coupons, it will probably be 7th Generation.

At the office I have Dawn on hand because it is sort of the gold standard for getting oil out of fur. But I think it is over-scented, and the dye in it creeps me out since I switched away from mainstream products.

[csziggy]

22. That's funny - the "green" dish detergent I tried left my hands raw

It was obviously a contact dermatitis or allergy. As soon as I stopped using it and went back to the regular dish detergent (lemon scented Publix store brand) my hands cleared up, but it took several weeks for all the lesions to heal.

I get the same reaction from every Ivory product and a number of other detergents, so I have to be careful. :shrug:

[TreasonousBastard]

28. Have you tried a Castile soap? It's an ancient type made from...

olive oil and other vegetable ingredients, rather than animal tallow. I suspect Charlie's soap is a castile, from the description they give.

It's not terribly expensive, but not always easy to find locally, and it's not difficult to make it yourself, if you're into digging around in buckets of goop.

(Personally, I get whatever's cheap, although I found the dollar store stuff watered down and not worth even the dollar.)

[The empressof all]

29. Dr Bronners is a Castile soap I believe

There's nothing better in the summer than a shower with Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap. He has other "flavors" now but the Peppermint is the best.

[beac]

30. Agreed. I've been using Dr. Bronner's Peppermint for almost 20 years. My ex-husband

introduced me to it nd now I've got my 2nd husband hooked on it.

I guess you could say Dr. Bronner is my longest love relationship. ;)


I've never tried doing dishes with it, though. Have you?

[The empressof all]

31. I haven't done dishes with it

I'm sure it would be just fine to do it...though I think I'm of the opinion...Why waste that tingly goodness on dishes. I never use it in the winter though. I associate it with summertime.

[NashVegas]

32. It's Not the Soap - It's the GLOVES

Dish soap hasn't touched my hands since I was 14. Seriously.

[pleah]

33. Lemon scented Ajax dish soap. The cheapest I can get.

The grapefruit smelled great, but they put bleach in that flavor now. I don't want bleach in my soap. I'll add it myself if and when I need it.