What’s in Your Dishwasher Detergent? Ingredients, Plastics and Organic Alternatives

For many households, the dishwasher is one of the hardest-working appliances in the kitchen. We load it with the plates, glasses and cutlery we eat and drink from every day, add a tablet or powder and usually give very little thought to what is actually inside the product.

But dishwasher detergents are powerful formulations. Dishwasher detergent ingredients can include surfactants, enzymes, bleaching agents, polymers, fragrance and corrosion inhibitors – and the label does not necessarily tell the customer precisely what has been used.

These ingredients have to remove dried food and grease, work at high temperatures and perform within a relatively short machine cycle.

So what do dishwasher detergents contain – and how much can we really tell from the label?

This was one of the questions that led us to develop Greenscents Organic Dishwasher Powder. It remains just as relevant today as we expand the Greenscents dishwasher range.

Written by Christina Hawkes, Co-founder, Greenscents · Updated September 2026

What is in a conventional dishwasher detergent?

 There is no single formulation. Dishwasher tablets, powders and liquids can contain combinations of ingredients including:

• oxygen-based bleaching agents

• non-ionic surfactants

• phosphonates and polycarboxylates

• enzymes

• corrosion inhibitors

• synthetic fragrance

• water-soluble synthetic polymers

• ingredients derived from petrochemical feedstocks.

Many single-dose dishwasher products are also enclosed in a dissolvable film, commonly made from polyvinyl alcohol, usually abbreviated PVA or PVOH. Finish, for example, describes the film surrounding its dishwasher capsules as a water-soluble plastic. [1]

Some detergent surfactants may also be manufactured from petrochemical raw materials. Published life-cycle research on detergent surfactants describes alcohol ethoxylates made from both petrochemical and plant-derived feedstocks. [2]

These ingredients perform different functions. Some break down food residues, some help disperse grease, some manage minerals in the water and others protect particular materials inside the dishwasher.

The question is therefore not whether a dishwasher product contains “chemicals” – everything, including water and citric acid, is made of chemicals.

The more useful questions are:

Which ingredients are being used? Why are they there? Are they necessary? And can the customer find out what they are?

Do dishwasher detergent labels list every ingredient?

Not necessarily.

Under the detergent regulations applying in Great Britain, manufacturers do not have to print a complete recipe on the pack.

The Health and Safety Executive explains that categories such as non-ionic surfactants, phosphonates and oxygen-based bleaching agents can be declared in concentration bands. Enzymes, disinfectants, optical brighteners, perfumes and preservatives have separate disclosure requirements, as do certain fragrance allergens. [3]

Manufacturers of domestic detergents must also make a less detailed ingredient data sheet available to the public online, while more complete information must be available to medical personnel. [3]

So a detergent label may quite legally tell the customer that the product contains “non-ionic surfactants”, for example, without identifying every individual surfactant on the pack.

We have always taken a different approach at Greenscents.

The ingredients in our Dishwasher Powder are listed individually:

citric acid, maltodextrin, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium citrate, sodium chloride, soap nut shells, apple vinegar fruit extract, neem leaf powder, olive fruit oil, sodium gluconate and eucalyptus smithii leaf oil.

Organic ingredients are identified on the pack, and ingredients used in the formulation must meet the requirements of our Soil Association certification.

For us, ingredient transparency is not an optional extra.

Why look more closely at fragrance in dishwasher products?

Fragrance is a good example of an ingredient that is not required for the actual cleaning of dishes.

In 2026, the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals assessed 40 dishwasher detergents for ingredients it considered unwanted or problematic. Half of the products assessed contained fragrance. The Council points out that fragrance does not make dishes cleaner and recommends fragrance-free products for consumers wishing to avoid it. [4]

This is particularly relevant to dishwasher products because scent is not needed to determine whether a plate or glass is clean.

Greenscents Dishwasher Powder belongs to our Nonscents range. We do not add synthetic fragrance to it.

What is benzotriazole and why is it used in dishwasher detergent?

The same 2026 Danish Consumer Council assessment looked at a range of substances considered problematic for health or the environment.

Seven of the 40 products contained benzotriazole, a corrosion inhibitor identified by the Council as a suspected endocrine disruptor. The Council also notes that benzotriazole was classified as persistent in the environment in 2025. [4]

The proportion had fallen compared with the Council’s 2022 assessment, when benzotriazole was found in nearly one third of the products tested, but it had not disappeared. [4]

The 2026 assessment also identified one product containing trisodium nitrilotriacetate, which it describes as suspected of being carcinogenic, as well as products containing substances considered harmful to the environment. [4]

This type of assessment identifies ingredients present in a formulation rather than measuring the actual exposure received by an individual using the finished product.

That distinction matters. It is possible to be concerned about unnecessary ingredients without making claims that the evidence cannot support.

What is in dishwasher rinse aid? Alcohol ethoxylates explained

A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2023 investigated the effects of commercial dishwasher detergents and rinse aids on laboratory models of the human intestinal epithelial barrier. [5]

The researchers found that rinse aid caused dose-dependent effects in the laboratory models they used. When individual components were investigated, alcohol ethoxylates produced a strong toxic and barrier-damaging effect and were identified by the researchers as the principal component responsible in the rinse aid tested. [5]

Alcohol ethoxylates are a class of non-ionic surfactant widely used in detergents and cleaning formulations.

The researchers used cell cultures and advanced laboratory models designed to reproduce aspects of human intestinal tissue. Their clearest evidence of rinse-aid residue remaining on washed dishes related to professional dishwashers, where rinse aid may be used differently from a domestic machine. The research did not investigate long-term health outcomes in people. [5]

Nevertheless, the findings raise an important question about whether alcohol ethoxylates are ingredients we need in products used to wash the plates, glasses and cutlery from which we eat and drink.

Greenscents does not use alcohol ethoxylates in its dishwasher products.

This research was one of the considerations behind our decision to develop our own Organic Rinse Aid rather than simply introducing a conventional rinse-aid formulation alongside our new Dishwasher Liquid.

Do dishwasher tablets contain plastic?

Plastic in dishwasher products is not limited to the outer packaging.

Many modern dishwasher pods and tablets are enclosed in a dissolvable film made from PVA/PVOH, a synthetic water-soluble polymer. At least one major manufacturer describes this material directly as a water-soluble plastic. [1]

European Ecolabel rules for dishwasher detergents treat water-soluble film used around a dose as part of the product formulation for assessment purposes. [6]

This should not be confused with microplastics, which are generally insoluble plastic particles of very small size. A soluble PVA film and a microplastic particle are not the same thing.

But microplastics have also been investigated in relation to dishwashing.

What does research say about dishwashing and microplastics?

A peer-reviewed study published in January 2023 examined microplastic release during domestic dishwashing.

The researchers analysed three commercial dishwasher detergents – two cubes and one pod – and detected microplastic particles in all three samples. Based on the size of each dose, they estimated that the detergents examined contributed between 12 and 52 microplastic particles per washing programme. [7]

The detergent itself was not the largest source identified.

The researchers also found microplastic release from plastic components within the dishwasher and from plastic items being washed. In their experiments, the presence of detergent increased the release of polypropylene microplastics from dishwasher accessories by 35–54%. [7]

Higher temperatures and longer intensive programmes were also associated with increased release from plastic components. [7]

This was a limited experimental study. It does not establish that every dishwasher detergent contains microplastics or that every dishwasher will produce the same results.

It does show that automatic dishwashing can contribute to microplastic release from several different sources and that the materials used in both dishwasher products and the machine itself deserve attention.

Greenscents Dishwasher Powder is supplied as a loose powder rather than an individually wrapped tablet or pod, so there is no PVA/PVOH film around every dose.

What happens to dishwasher ingredients after they go down the drain?

What disappears from the dishwasher has not necessarily disappeared from the environment.

A UK study published in Environmental Science & Technology in 2011 investigated benzotriazole and tolyltriazole in wastewater, rivers and drinking water.

The researchers found both substances in the UK water environment and concluded that their use in dishwasher formulations could represent a significant source entering wastewater. [8]

That study is older, but the environmental concern surrounding benzotriazole has continued. The Danish Consumer Council’s 2026 assessment notes its 2025 classification as persistent in the environment. [4]

This is one reason ingredient choice matters beyond the immediate question of whether the dishes look clean.

A household cleaning product ultimately becomes part of a much larger water system.

What does certified organic mean for a cleaning product?

Words such as natural, green and eco are easy to put on packaging.

Independent certification is different.

Soil Association Certification includes cleaning products within the scope of its Health and Beauty certification standards. Certification covers requirements around ingredients, processing, manufacturing, traceability and other standards rather than relying solely on a manufacturer’s own description of its product. [9]

Greenscents Dishwasher Powder is certified organic by the Soil Association. It is also certified vegan, cruelty free and palm-oil free.

Our Dishwasher Powder is formulated without:

• chlorine bleach

• phosphates

• enzymes

• alcohol ethoxylates

• petrochemical surfactants

• synthetic fragrance

• individually dosed water-soluble plastic wrappers.

The individual ingredients are disclosed rather than being hidden behind broad ingredient categories.

This is what we mean when we talk about proof rather than promises.

Why we developed Greenscents Dishwasher Powder

Developing a Greenscents dishwasher product proved considerably more difficult than many of our other household formulations.

A dishwasher is demanding. A natural formulation has to remove food and grease without creating excessive foam, work at temperature, rinse effectively and cope with widely differing machines and water supplies.

After around two years of development, Greenscents Organic Dishwasher Powder was launched in January 2024.

The finished powder combines mineral and botanical ingredients and is highly concentrated. The recommended dose is just 6g – approximately one heaped teaspoon – for a standard load.

More is not better.

Using too much dishwasher powder can make rinsing more difficult and contribute to deposits on crockery and glassware.

The Powder is packaged in a compact paper pouch, with approximately 30 washes per 180g pack.

Most importantly, it has developed a loyal following.

Many customers obtain excellent results with it and continue to choose the dry format because it is simple, concentrated and economical to use.

Why dishwasher performance is not only about detergent

This became increasingly clear as we continued our dishwasher development.

The performance of any dishwasher product depends partly on the machine and the water entering it.

Hard water contains higher concentrations of calcium and magnesium, and this can contribute to limescale, spotting and filming. Many dishwashers also have an internal water-softening system which needs to be set correctly for the hardness of the local water supply.

We cover this in detail in our companion guide:

Hard Water and Your Dishwasher: Why It Matters and What to Do →

It explains how to find the actual hardness of the water supplied to a home, why generic hard-water maps can be misleading, how dishwasher salt and rinse aid work, and why machine settings matter.

Dishwasher powder vs liquid: which should you choose?

In September 2026 we are expanding the Greenscents dishwasher range with our new Organic Dishwasher Liquid and Organic Rinse Aid.

That does not mean our Dishwasher Powder has been superseded.

If Greenscents Dishwasher Powder already works beautifully in a particular machine, there is no reason to change.

The Powder remains our original compact dry-format dishwasher detergent and an excellent choice for the many customers who achieve good results with it.

The new Dishwasher Liquid gives customers another option. It has been developed and tested for hard and very hard water conditions.

The new Organic Rinse Aid performs a different job. It is used during the final rinse to support drying and help reduce spotting and filming where this is needed.

Prefer both together? Our Organic Dishwasher Liquid & Rinse Aid Bundle brings the two hard-water products together in one option.

We have previously suggested organic white vinegar for customers who wanted a rinse aid with the Powder. Our purpose-designed Organic Rinse Aid will now replace that recommendation.

If washing and drying results are already excellent, there is no need to add a rinse aid.

Dishwasher Powder, Liquid, salt and Rinse Aid: what does each do?

The simplest way to understand the expanded range is:

Dishwasher Powder or Dishwasher Liquid – choose the cleaning format that works best for the machine and water supply.

Dishwasher salt – supports the dishwasher’s own water-softening system where the machine requires it.

Rinse Aid – helps the final rinse and drying where spotting, filming or retained water are a problem.

Clean dishes – with evidence behind the claims

Our original Dishwasher Powder demonstrated that a certified-organic approach to automatic dishwashing was possible.

The next stage has been to understand more about the factors that affect performance – particularly water hardness – and to expand the range without abandoning the product that many customers already love.

The principle behind all three products remains the same.

We want to know what is in the products we use around our food, our homes and our water systems. We want every ingredient to have a purpose. And where we make environmental or organic claims, we want independent evidence behind them.

That is why full ingredient transparency and Soil Association certification remain at the heart of the Greenscents dishwasher range.

References and further reading

1. Finish UK. Does the plastic on a dishwasher tablet dissolve?
Undated; accessed 5 September 2026. Manufacturer information on the PVA/PVOH film used around dishwasher capsules.

2. Golsteijn L, Menkveld R, King H, Schneider C, Schowanek D, Nissen S. New and updated life cycle inventories for surfactants used in European detergents. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.
Published 2018. Describes detergent surfactant production using petrochemical and oleochemical feedstocks.

3. Health and Safety Executive. Detergents in Great Britain.
Current guidance; accessed 5 September 2026. Detergent regulation, labelling, ingredient disclosure and consumer ingredient data sheets.

4. Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals. Your dishwasher tablets may contain more than you expect – see the contents here.
2026 assessment; accessed 5 September 2026. Review of 40 dishwasher detergents for fragrance, benzotriazole and other substances of concern.

5. Ogulur I, Pat Y, Aydin T, et al. Gut epithelial barrier damage caused by dishwasher detergents and rinse aids. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Published online 1 December 2022; journal issue February 2023, 151(2):469–484. Laboratory investigation of dishwasher detergents, rinse aids and alcohol ethoxylates.

6. European Commission. Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1216 establishing the EU Ecolabel criteria for dishwasher detergents.
Adopted 23 June 2017; consolidated version incorporates later amendments. Includes water-soluble film within product assessment criteria.

7. Sol D, Menéndez-Manjón A, Carrasco S, et al. Contribution of household dishwashing to microplastic pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Published 26 January 2023; 30:45140–45150. Experimental study of microplastic release from dishwasher detergent, dishwasher components and plastic food containers.

8. Janna H, Scrimshaw MD, Williams RJ, Churchley J, Sumpter JP. From dishwasher to tap? Xenobiotic substances benzotriazole and tolyltriazole in the environment. Environmental Science & Technology.
Published May 2011; 45(9):3858–3864. UK research into benzotriazoles in wastewater, rivers and drinking water.

9. Soil Association Certification. Beauty and wellbeing certification / Health and Beauty Standards.
Current certification information; accessed 5 September 2026. Includes cleaning products within the certification scheme.

Companion Greenscents guide

For practical help with water hardness, cloudy glasses, dishwasher settings, salt and rinse aid, see:

Hard Water and Your Dishwasher: Why It Matters and What to Do →