As someone who tries to use natural products as much as possible, I often wonder how they stand up to “regular” products. I decided to test it out with something most of us use every day: liquid dish soap. This article will compare Sun & Earth Hypoallergenic Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, a “natural” product, with Aloe to Ajax Antibacterial Dish Liquid, a “regular” product.
The “Natural” Brand: Sun & Earth
The Sun & Earth Dishwashing Liquid boasts on the back of the bottle, “Powerful, Natural Cleaning Products That Really Work!” The bottle also says that the soap is “gentle on the earth and your family’s health.” The ingredients are simply “natural based surfactants (derived from coconut and vegetable oils), orange oil, natural softeners made from plant fiber, aloe, water, and preservative.”
The “Regular” Brand: Ajax
The Ajax Dish Liquid makes no claims about being safe for the earth, and contains a warning to “keep out of reach of children.” If it is accidentally swallowed, the user is warned to seek medical attention from a poison control center immediately. (This problem does not arise with the Sun & Earth soap.) There is a long list of unrecognizable ingredients on the bottle.
Animal Testing
The Sun & Earth Dishwashing Liquid is not tested on animals. In contrast, the Ajax Dish Liquid, which is made by the Colgate-Palmolive Company, makes no such claim.
As a Hand Soap
One possible benefit of the Ajax is that it contains .08% triclosan, which is an antibacterial agent. The bottle says that the Ajax soap can also be used as a hand soap. While the Sun & Earth Soap makes no such claim, it does mention that Sun & Earth is “dermatologist recommended,” and “won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin.”
Scent
Both the Sun & Earth and the Ajax dishwashing liquids are orange-scented. They both smell great, but the difference is obvious. While the Ajax smells like orange Jello, the Sun & Earth smells like fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Effectiveness in Washing Dishes
The most important question, arguably, is the following. How well do these two products actually wash the dishes? I tried equal amounts of both on equally dirty pots, and found absolutely no difference in effectiveness. Both the Sun & Earth dishwashing liquid and the Ajax Dish Liquid worked equally well in cleaning the pots. I also did a “suds” test, pouring the same amount of each liquid into two bowls, and adding water. Both products made the same amount of suds.
Cost
The Ajax Dish Liquid sells for between $1 and $2, while the Sun & Earth Dishwashing Liquid sells for between $2 and $3 for the same amount of product. Thus, the Ajax is cheaper.
Recommendation
Since both products work equally well, I would definitely recommend the Sun & Earth Dishwashing Liquid over the Ajax Dish Liquid. The Sun & Earth is natural, and does not hurt the environment, your health, your skin, or animals. The Ajax on the other hand contains many chemicals and does appear to test on animals.
