Rethinking Clean: The Benefits of Solid Dish Soap
- Cullowheegee Farms
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
If we want to make a meaningful impact on our environment and on our health, we have to start rethinking the everyday products we use — especially the ones that touch our hands, our dishes, and ultimately our food. Dish soap may seem simple, but when you take a closer look at conventional liquid options, there’s a lot more going on than bubbles and a fresh scent.
At Cullowheegee Farms, we’ve been making solid dish soap since 2017 because we believe clean should be effective, simple, and intentional.
What’s Really in Commercial Dish Soap?
Most conventional liquid dish soaps are primarily made up of water — often 60–90%. That means you’re paying to ship water in a plastic bottle from a manufacturing facility to a warehouse to a store shelf and finally to your home. It’s heavy, resource-intensive, and inefficient.
Beyond water, many commercial dish soaps contain:
Synthetic detergents like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) or SLES (sodium laureth sulfate)
Artificial fragrances (often containing phthalates)
Synthetic dyes
Preservatives such as methylisothiazolinone or benzisothiazolinone
Petrochemical-derived surfactants
While these ingredients are widely used, they can be harsh on skin, disruptive to sensitive systems, and contribute to environmental pollution once they wash down the drain.
And then there’s the packaging.
The Plastic Problem
Liquid dish soap almost always comes in a plastic bottle. Even recyclable plastics often don’t make it through the recycling stream. Millions of plastic bottles end up in landfills and waterways every year, breaking down into microplastics that persist for generations.
When you consider that a product made mostly of water is packaged in single-use plastic and transported across the country, it raises an important question:
Is there a better way?
The Solid Dish Soap Solution
Solid dish soap eliminates the unnecessary water and the plastic bottle entirely. What you’re left with is a highly concentrated, long-lasting bar that does the job beautifully.
Since 2017, Cullowheegee Farms has crafted a solid dish soap formulated with a higher concentration of coconut oil. Why coconut oil? Because it creates a rich, super bubbly lather and has a natural ability to cut grease effectively. It powers through stuck-on food while still being gentle on hardworking hands.
A little goes a long way. Because it’s concentrated, you’re not diluting your clean with water — you’re getting pure, hardworking soap in every swipe of your brush or sponge.
More Than Just Dishes
One of the most overlooked benefits of solid dish soap is its versatility. It’s not just for plates and pans.
Our customers love using it to:
Wipe down and degrease kitchen counters
Spot-treat stains on clothes
Clean sinks and stovetops
Wash reusable containers
It’s a simple, multi-purpose staple that reduces the need for multiple specialty cleaners.
Small Changes, Big Impact
When we choose products that are plastic-free, concentrated, and thoughtfully formulated, we reduce waste, limit our exposure to unnecessary chemicals, and lessen our environmental footprint.
Switching to solid dish soap may seem like a small shift, but small shifts add up. Every bottle not purchased. Every synthetic fragrance avoided. Every piece of plastic kept out of a landfill or waterway.
If we truly want to make a positive impact on our environment and our bodies, we have to be willing to question convenience culture and choose better when we can.
Since 2017, we’ve believed that clean can be simple, effective, and responsible. Solid dish soap is one small but powerful way to move in that direction.
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