SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A bar of dish soap is an excellent alternative to a bulky, plastic bottle of liquid dish soap, and the list of reasons you should consider making the switch between liquid and bar dish soap is quite compelling.
Liquid dish detergents are typically 50% or more water, and they’re sold in single-use plastic bottles. Bar dish soaps are better for the environment because they usually arrive wrapped in recyclable paper.
But if the idea of a bar of dish soap sounds unusual to you, it’s probably a good time to mention that shampoo comes in bars, too.
How to use your bar of dish soap
If you’re accustomed to using a pump and liquid soap to wash your dishes, washing just a few dishes in a sink full of suds and water can waste soap, water, and time. But buying a block of dish soap and a scrubbing brush means you can wash one dish at a time without filling your sink with hot, sudsy water.
That means your kitchen sink can stay clean.
It’s easy to use your dish soap bar, too. Just wet your dish brush and rub circles against your bar of dish soap until it lathers, then wash your dishes! Quickly rinse off the suds with clean water and place your dishes on a dishrack to dry.
And if you’re accustomed to soaking your dishes in soapy water, know that filling a dirty pot with hot water for 30 minutes will loosen any stubborn food stuck to the bottom. You can also add baking soda to the water for the dirties of dishes–the baking soda will help remove harsh smells and even tougher stains.
Yes, it is that simple.
Here’s a great dish brush from the Earthling Co.
Blocks of dish soap are often made with more natural ingredients
The ingredients in a block of dish soap are typically easier on your health, as most bar dish soaps are made of non-toxic oil/fat, water, and lye. These ingredients are often better for the planet and easier on your pocketbook.
Liquid dish detergents are often made from petroleum.
Solid bars of dish soap do not require disposable plastic bottles, and many bars of dish soap come in a reusable tin.
Production of dish soap bars is more energy efficient and produces much less waste.
But there is no lack of lather with either liquid or solid dish soaps–it’s a personal preference.
But once you realize that solid dish soap lasts longer, you might enjoy saving money and the time you would have spent at the store buying more liquid soap.
