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As far as chores go, I actually don’t mind washing the dishes (though doing laundry is another story entirely). While my hands work through the stack of dishes that somehow always pile up in the sink, my mind is able to wander a little, and there are no distracting social media rabbit holes to go down. It’s almost relaxing — unless I’m constantly having to slather the sponge with more dish soap and feeling my hands grow drier by the second.
I grew up in a household that was big on brand loyalty, so when I moved away from my parents, I continued to use the products I was used to seeing underneath our kitchen sink. As I’ve tried more and more cleaning products, I’ve found that the popular brands aren’t really as good as they should be (sorry, Mom!). My breakup with the leading brand happened immediately when I started using Grove Collaborative’s Ultimate Dish Soap a few months ago.
What Is the Grove Co. Ultimate Dish Soap?
Grove Collaborative is a collective that sells more than 200 brands, and they also have an in-house cleaning product line. Grove Collaborative sells its dish soap in aluminum containers, rather than plastic, and these are usually deposited into some kind of dish soap dispenser (I put mine in one that Grove Co. sent me). Grove Co. boasts that food that has been stuck on plates for 48 hours can be scrubbed away with its formula. The soap is made of 98 percent plant-based ingredients, is free of triclosan, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, and dyes, and is cruelty-free. Plus, it features natural fragrances.
Why I Love Grove Co.’s Ultimate Dish Soap
Truthfully, I never thought I’d like a cleaning product so much. After so many years of product testing, I am skeptical of everything. But after two nights of use, I noticed that I wasn’t slathering on copious amounts of hand lotion to undo the damage done to my hands after dishwashing. In fact, this dish soap has also saved me from going through a bottle of hand lotion every two months.
A little bit of this dish soap goes a long way, too. I’m able to get through multiple pots and pants without having to add more soap to my sponge. I also don’t think I have to scrub as hard to get caked-on food and grease, which is a relief. The fragrance I currently own is no longer available, but it is very light and pleasant compared to other dish soaps, and it doesn’t smell chemical or fake.
So far, I’ve only gone through less than half of the first bottle of dish soap (you get two refills) and I’ve been using this soap for nearly four months now. For $9, I think that’s a great deal.
Buy: Grove Co. Ultimate Dish Soap, 2 Refills, $8.99
