Any time I am asked which products are best switched to natural alternatives, when people are concerned about potential health risks, I always start with anything that's going to touch your skin or your food and drink. For anyone who owns a dishwasher, one of the first things I get them to swap out to natural cleaning products is their dishwasher tablets or powder.

Many commercial automatic dishwasher products release fumes that can cause some people respiratory issues. Many also have warnings about not touching them with your hands. These warnings do not instill a lot of confidence if residue happens to stay on your plates.

We have two options in the dishwashing powder and also two options in the dishwashing tablets. Here's a comparison and cost guide on each product.

Abode Dishwashing Powder

The powder is available in a 1kg size and 5kg size. With approx 50 washes per kilo, it's 26 cents per wash from the 1kg tub and 18 cents per wash from the 5kg tub. 5 litre and 5 kilo bulk cleaning products from Abode are hard for us to keep on the shelves. We do run out of stock on a regular basis. Please plan in advance if you want to purchase in bulk.

Abode is Australian Made and we carry their full range.

Kin Kin Dishwasher Powder

Their 1.1kg powder advertises 70 washes making it 20 cents per wash from the smaller size and 16 cents per wash from the larger 2.5kg bag. We only stock the Kin Kin dishwasher powder and their dishwashing liquid.

Kin Kin is Australian Made.

Lil'Bit Better Dishwasher Tablets

This is an Australian artisan brand who only use palm oil free ingredients. They are 60 cents per wash and use naturally occurring mineral salts and Australian essential oils to clean your dishes and leaving your kitchen smelling amazing. They use Cajeput which has a fresher aroma than Eucalyptus.  They are hand made in small batches. Buy choosing this brand, you are supporting small and local manufacturing in Australia.

Eco Store Dishwasher Tablets

These were removed from our store for quite some time and have recently come back. We had an issue with the pricing policy where supermarkets get them cheaper than the health industry. We decided to bring them back and permanently discount them down to the price they're available elsewhere. They are 48 cents per wash when on sale, and if we sold them at full price, they would be exactly the same price as the Lil'Bit. Considering they're made in bulk and shipped from New Zealand, we're not sure how that works. None the less, they are a popular product in store.

Price Range

From 16 cents per load to 60 cents per load, regardless, it pays to wash with a full load to both save money on your cleaning products and save water.