We’re always on the lookout for natural, environmentally-friendly cleaning products that are not going to adversely affect our home sewage treatment plant so we were very interested to try Smol’s dishwashing tablets.
Smol’s USP, based on their website, is that their dishwashing tablets are smaller, contain 50% less chemicals and are environmentally-friendly.
There’s no ingredients list on their packaging, so we’ll have to take Smol’s word that they are environmentally-friendly, but we can vouch that their tablets are in fact half the size of every other dishwashing tablet we’ve ever used.
Their branding is attractive, and the tablets arrive in a small, recycled cardboard box. The packaging is 100% plastic-free, which we really liked, and the box will end up on our compost heap when the tablets are done. The protective film around the tablets is water-soluble and biodegradable. Full marks here.
Due to the diminutive size, this makes postage much cheaper, and you can opt for a subscription service with them where they’ll keep sending you more tablets on your schedule. Simply visit their website, put in the average amount of times you use the dishwasher on a weekly basis and they’ll send you new packs on that cycle. It’s a clever business model.
So how did they perform? Well, we think that they did very well. We put on our usual load of plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery. We set the dishwasher to the Eco wash cycle at 50C, and when we unloaded the dishwasher everything was sparkling, spotless, well rinsed with no residue and the plates felt ‘soft’.
It’s worth noting the tablets are unscented, but this is something we’re used to because we don’t like or use tablets that are scented. This may not be everyone’s choice, but it works for us and it’s part of our eco mantra.
Smol’s 30 tablet pack costs £4.60, which is very competitive and beats the competition like ecover based on price, with the same level of cleaning and performance based on our usage.
So what’s the verdict? We think that the subscription model is clever and offers a great level of convenience. They’re eco-friendly and get the cleaning job done. At full price, compared to other eco tablets on the market, they are cheaper, and are therefore good value for money.
We’ve used the tablets for two weeks (seven washes) and we have joined their subscription because it makes financial and environmental sense for us. We use the dishwasher 3-4 times per week, which equates to receiving a pack every 40 days.
It’s also worth mentioning that Smol offers a trial pack, nine tablets for £1, which is a good way to see if these tablets are right for you.
Of course you could always make your own, save even more money and know the ingredients 🙂
https://winkos.wordpress.com/2019/06/05/how-to-make-dishwasher-tablets-and-a-web-page-update/
Thanks Eddy. We’ll try this recipe out in the weeks ahead.
I would suggest using the sink to wash dishes would be more sustainable than using a dishwasher.
Thanks for the comment and feedback Jasper.
This is something that I have looked into and I’ve crunched the numbers and evaluated our water consumption for washing the dishes manually versus our dishwasher. As it turns out, given that each plate, mug, bowl, etc. must be rinsed individually, we are saving 30-40 litres of water per wash. In addition to this, the dishwasher only comes on in the day when we’re generating solar polar.
Interesting to realize there are various moving parts to consider when looking to see what is environmentally the most sustainable practice. It takes more than simple intuition. Thanks.
It is also worth remembering that dishwashers are generally better for use with home sewage treatment plants as they emulsify and dilute fats more effectively than hand washing dishes.
Great point. Never considered that, but makes a lot of sense.
Great post. So important we all do what we can to minimise waste.
Since restrictions my purchases are now pretty much 100% online giving me more choice in what I buy. Recently I also ordered environmentally dishwashing tablet and surface cleaning here in Sydney from a brand called Koh. Dishes are coming out cleaner ????. But the surface cleaner suggest using dry cloth followed by a sanitiser to kill germs. Personally I cant seem to get used to not using hot water when cleaning. Is that just habit? ????
Thanks for the feedback Sal. I think a lot of us are now only buying online and as you’ve said it’s provided us with a lot of options. The consumer landscape for grocery shopping in the UK has shifted drastically since the covid lockdowns with more and more people opting to get their shopping done online.
What’s been great is having access to new products, as you’ve had with Koh, and trying them out.
I like eco products!