If you’ve spent your whole life squeezing liquid dish soap out of a bottle, rubbing a dish brush against a solid block of soap can feel a little strange at first.
But solid dish soap is one of those swaps that makes a lot more sense once you actually try it.
It’s concentrated, easy to use, eliminates the need for a disposable plastic bottle, and, perhaps most importantly, it actually works.
We recently filmed a demonstration of one of the solid dish soaps we carry at Reboot Eco. After lightly dabbing a wet dish brush into the soap just once, we kept washing dishes for nearly two minutes without needing to add more.
So, if you’ve been wondering whether solid dish soap is worth trying, here’s what you need to know.
What is solid dish soap?
Solid dish soap is essentially what it sounds like: dishwashing soap in a concentrated solid or semi-solid form rather than diluted into a liquid.
Instead of squeezing soap onto your sponge or into the sink, you wet your dish brush, sponge, or dishcloth and rub or dab it directly onto the soap. Once you’ve worked up some suds, you wash your dishes just as you normally would.
Because you aren't buying a product that's packaged as a conventional liquid, solid dish soap can also eliminate the need for a single-use plastic dish soap bottle.
Does solid dish soap actually work?
Yes!
And you don't need nearly as much as you might think.
When you're accustomed to liquid dish soap, it's easy to squeeze a generous amount onto a sponge or brush. With a concentrated solid soap, a few swipes or a small dab may be enough to wash quite a few dishes.
In our recent demonstration with Nellie’s Dish Butter, one small application to the dish brush produced enough lather to keep us washing for nearly two minutes.
That means one of the biggest adjustments when switching to solid dish soap may simply be learning that you don't need to use very much.
How do you use solid dish soap?
For everyday dishwashing:
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Wet your dish brush, sponge, Swedish dishcloth, or other scrubber.
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Rub or gently dab it onto the solid dish soap.
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Work up a lather.
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Wash your dishes as usual.
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Add more soap only when you actually need it.
That's really it.
If you prefer filling the sink and soaking your dishes, some solid dish soaps can also be held under running water as the sink fills to create soapy water.
One important tip: let your solid dish soap dry between uses. Keeping it sitting in water can cause it to soften and disappear much faster. A draining soap dish or other setup that allows air to circulate can help extend its life.
Is solid dish soap better than liquid dish soap?
We don't think sustainable living needs to be an all-or-nothing competition, so the better question might be: which one works better for you?
Solid dish soap has some definite advantages.
It is highly concentrated, requires very little product per use, and can be packaged with little or no plastic. Because you're not transporting a large bottle of liquid, it can also be a compact option to keep around the kitchen.
And there's no empty plastic dish soap bottle to dispose of when you're finished.
Liquid dish soap, meanwhile, is familiar and convenient. And when you buy it from a refill shop, you can continue reusing the same bottle instead of purchasing a new one every time.
At Reboot Eco, we're fans of both options.
If you already have a bottle you love, refill it.
If you'd rather eliminate the bottle altogether, solid dish soap is a great alternative.
The goal isn't to find the one universally “perfect” sustainable product. It's to find something effective that you'll actually continue using.
Two solid dish soaps to try
We currently carry two different solid dish soap options at Reboot Eco.
Nellie’s Dish Butter
Nellie’s Dish Butter is a semi-solid concentrated dish soap with a light lemongrass scent.
It comes in a white ceramic container that can be reused or repurposed when the soap is gone, which also makes it a particularly nice option if you don't want a loose soap puck sitting next to the sink.
Nellie’s says one container of Dish Butter can last the equivalent of approximately three bottles of leading-brand liquid dish detergent.
To use it, simply wet your dish brush, sponge, or cloth and gently dab it into the Dish Butter. As our own dishwashing experiment demonstrated, start small. You may be surprised by how far that little bit of soap goes.
After washing, tip out any excess water and leave the container uncovered so the Dish Butter can dry between uses.
Meliora Solid Dish Soap
If you prefer a traditional solid soap puck, Meliora's Solid Dish Soap is another great option.
Each 7-ounce puck is plastic-free, palm-oil free, preservative free, cruelty-free, and made without synthetic fragrance. It is also MADE SAFE Certified.
The soap uses coconut and sunflower seed oils as its base and is available in both Lemon, scented with organic lemon peel oil, and Unscented.
You can keep the puck on a draining soap dish or coaster, wet your brush or sponge, rub it across the soap, and wash away.
For dishes that need to soak, Meliora recommends holding the soap under the running faucet while filling your sink.
What if I'm not ready to give up liquid dish soap?
You don't have to!
One of the things we try to emphasize at Reboot Eco is that reducing waste doesn't require replacing everything you use with the trendiest zero-waste alternative.
If liquid dish soap works best in your household, keep using it. Just bring your clean, dry bottle back and refill it when you need more.
But if you've always looked at solid dish soap and wondered whether it could really replace the bottle next to your sink, consider this your invitation to give it a try.
You might be surprised by just how much washing you can get out of one tiny dab.
Try solid dish soap at Reboot Eco
You can shop our solid dish soap and other lower-waste cleaning products online or visit us in Middletown, Connecticut.
And if you've never visited a refill shop before, don't worry. Bring a clean, dry container from home, choose one of our donated containers, or purchase a new reusable container in the shop. Our staff handles the filling for you.
Reducing household waste doesn't have to mean changing everything at once.
Sometimes it starts with something as ordinary as washing the dishes.