Dish Soap Vs. Detergent
Soaps in various forms have been around since ancient times. Dish soaps are made from natural products, while detergents are made from synthetic materials. The first detergents were developed in Germany in 1916 to compensate for a shortage of animal fats necessary for soap making during World War I.
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Dish Soap
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Dish soap is made from natural materials like vegetable oils and fats. These oils are saponified (put through a chemical reaction necessary to make soap) with either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. Natural ingredients are less harmful to sensitive skin. Dish soaps made from renewable products are more environmentally friendly than detergents.
Drawbacks of Soap
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Dish soap reacts with calcium and magnesium compounds found in hard water. Soap produces a scum that causes streaks and spots on dishes and leaves a residue on shower stalls. Soap scum buildup can also give clothing a grayish tinge.
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Detergents
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Detergents are made from petroleum products. Chemical additives give detergents grease-cutting capabilities. Unlike soaps, detergents will not react to calcium and magnesium compounds found in hard water.
Drawbacks of Detergents
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Detergents are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable product. They contain chemical additives which could adversely affect people with sensitive skin. They are not environmentally friendly. Some detergents still contain phosphates which harm and kill aquatic wildlife.
Considerations
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According to Wellsphere.com, if every household in the United States replaced one bottle of 25-ounce petroleum-based dish detergent with a 25-ounce bottle of plant-based dish soap, we would save 81,000 barrels of oil per year. That's enough oil to heat 4,600 homes for a year.
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References
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