Hands-on with our Natural Dish Soap; learn what makes our formula so effective

Transforming an everyday experience into a meditative act, our Natural Dish Soap boasts the uplifting and enlivening aromas of lemon, myrtle and mandarin. These antibacterial pure botanical essential oils are combined with plant-based surfactants to create an efficacious sudsy formula that effortlessly breaks down oils, grease, and food residue to leave your dishes, pots, and pans sparkling clean.

As washing the dishes is one of the most hands-on regular cleaning processes, it was important for us that every ingredient in our Natural Dish Soap was gentle on the skin while being tough on germs — with our thoughtfully chosen ingredients meaning you don’t need to don gloves when you tackle the dishes!

How does our Natural Dish Soap work?

Available in both standard and 1L refill sizes, our non-toxic Natural Dish Soap works by combining pure essential oil with plant-based surfactants, solubilisers, and essential oils. The essential oils and plant-based ingredients in our Natural Dish Soap work synergistically to create a highly effective formula that cleanses dishes of grease, stains, and food residue while eliminating unpleasant odours and replacing them with the vibrant citrusy scents of mandarin and lemon myrtle.

Here, we break down ingredients in our Natural Dish Soap and explore how they contribute to creating an efficacious, non-toxic, biodegradable formula.

Surfactants

Surfactants — which means ‘surface active agent’ — help trap impurities and lift them off surfaces, making them an apt addition to many cleaning products (they’re also found in our Natural Laundry Wash and natural surface cleaners). Surfactants are what provide our Natural Dish Soap with its foaming, sudsy properties that work to attract and lift stains and residue from your dishes.

We use both sodium polyglucosides and cocamine oxides in our Natural Dish Soap, with these surfactants derived from renewable sugars and coconut oil, respectively. They are completely biodegradable, meaning they won’t contribute to environmental pollution once washed down the drain.

Solubilisers

Solubilisers are a type of surfactant. As the name suggests, they’re water soluble and can disperse small concentrations of oils in water-based formulas. Their small molecular size allows them to evenly distribute the essential oils in our formulas, meaning that every drop of our Natural Dish Soap contains an equal amount of essential oil. Solubisers allow the essential oils in our formulas to be distributed in minute particles, which results in an even, consistent solution.

Benzoic acid

Selected for its antimicrobial, antiseptic, and disinfectant properties, benzoic acid is a powerful addition to our Natural Dish Soap due to its ability to eliminate harmful pathogens. Benzoic acid also has preservative qualities which extend the shelf life of our Natural Dish Soap, making it a safer alternative to parabens.

Citric acid

Citric acid is derived from citrus fruits such as lemons and limes, and is the component that gives them their sharp, sour taste. A natural antibacterial, citric acid is able to kill mould, mildew, and bacteria and is particularly effective at eliminating soap scum, hard water stains, calcium deposits, lime stains, and rust. These qualities make our Natural Dish Soap the ultimate cleaning multitasker.

Xanthan gum

Naturally derived from renewable sugars, xanthan gum is used as a thickener in our Natural Dish Soap; this gives it a satisfyingly easy-to-use consistency.

Essential oils

Pure botanical essential oils underpin every Koala Eco product, and our Natural Dish Soap is no exception. Selected for not only their cleaning properties but also for their ability to speak to the senses and uplift the spirits, lemon myrtle and mandarin take centre stage in this formula.

• Lemon Myrtle: boasting fresh, evergreen notes along with the delicate, subtly sweet scent of lemon, this essential oil packs a powerful punch. Its antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties make it the hero ingredient in our Natural Dish Soap, working to deodorise dishes and eliminate bacteria to promote a safe and healthy household.
• Mandarin: joyful and uplifting; mandarin is a familiar scent in many Australian households. Evocative of a quiet sense of contentment and calm, mandarin boasts antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, complementing the sweet, creamy scent of lemon myrtle.