Seventh Generation Free & Clear Dishwashing Liquid

I have used a few Seventh Generation products, and I generally like them. This is a very good soap, with no dyes, perfumes, or chemicals, and it is reasonably effective. It suds up brilliantly, but doesn't cut grease as well as I would like, leaving a thin film on washed storage containers, and you might need to work quickly as the suds lose their effectiveness after a short time. I would still buy it over standard commercial detergents, but have since found a dish liquid that I definitely prefer.

I have started to use this product over the last few months after switching from nature clean and find it to be superior to any green dish liquid I have used and I have used many. The suds are great, it lasts a long time and my hands are dry and chapped. My husband who has excema can use this too and not have it affect his hands. The best dish soap on the market!

A good green dishwasher detergent is tough one to accomplish. (Very similar to the difficulty in developing a good green HE detergent. No mainstream brand has even come close to getting that right.) The best TRULY green dishwasher formula I've been able to come up with is a combination of a thickened soap nuts / saponin liquid, with a vinegar rinse. Too thin of a soap nut liquid doesn't dispense properly. The machine type however is a big variable. It's a hit and miss scenario depending on your machine and how you use it. But this is not about that.

This is about 7th Gen's "free and clear" dishwasher detergent. Is anyone else getting bored with ALL the "free and clear" products, of which I haven't found even ONE to be (sans whatever particular ingredient that is on the current negative buzzword list) from ANY producer. Thank you for getting rid of the phosphates and chlorine, too. Albeit, it was not a matter of actually having a choice.

Think about it: "Free and Clear". Can it get more nebulous? As far as I can determine (from ingredients and actual use) there is nothing special with this product that the leading competing "greener" products don't offer or do equally. As usual, we just pay a little more to have a pretty, greener LOOKING container. And also as usual, I admit to be irritated by the overall deceptiveness of the marketing.

BTW: The last time I wrote something unfavorable about 7th Generation, I was contacted by their marketing department. Can you believe that??? Look boys, not ALL your products are "bad". I've even given you folks positive feedback on a couple items. I will express my opinion as I choose, when I choose. If you don't like the heat. Get out of the kitchen. You'd gain more points with me if you'd get off this overly hyped "green" wave you are riding, and just be REAL. We (the consumers) are getting wiser everyday. Sooner or later, all your little games (even as smooth as they are) will catch up with you. There are many like me that put integrity first - that see through all the smoke and mirrors.

I began using this as an alternative to Dawn when I found out how many chemical compounds were in it.  While it works like it says it does it still contains "chemicals", I was disappointed that it was not toxin/chemical free.  I have since began using another product that is enzyme based and works even better and in cold water!