Nature Clean Dishwasher Pacs

Nature Clean Dishwasher Pacs offer a long list of features for the eco-minded parent. They’re free of chlorine, phosphates, sulphates, perfumes and dyes, and are certified kosher, vegan and cruelty-free. These detergent pacs are made from 96 percent plant and mineral ingredients, are readily biodegradable and come with EcoLogo certification for reduced environmental impact. They’re also septic tank and grey water safe.

CLEANING POWER

Both our editors and parent testers weighed this product’s ecological benefits against its ability to clean. While unable to provide the spotless results of some conventional alternatives, Nature Clean Dishwasher Pacs still performed well in the Today's Parent Approved lab. Editors put a variety of messes through the dishwasher to see how this detergent handled baked on cheese and tomato sauce, pasta, peanut butter, egg yolk, mashed potatoes, milk and extra pulpy orange juice—on dishes (plastic and ceramic), glasses, pots, baking dishes, cutlery and a box grater. Overall, most dishware, cookware and cutlery came out clean, but some with caked-on sauces needed a quick wash by hand to remove all spots and speckling.

Parent testers had similar experiences at home. Although mostly satisfied with the quality of this detergent, one tester noted her dishes required pre-rinsing, and that her glassware and pots were left with water spots and residue. Crusted and burnt-on foods were more challenging for these detergent pacs in real-life homes, but overall, most of our parents were satisfied with how clean their dishes came out of the dishwasher.

EASE OF USE

Our lab found the instructions for these detergent pacs straightforward, with one pre-measured pac per load and no additional steps needed. The plain image directions come with clear directions against misuse, and our parent testers experienced no issues following instructions whatsoever.

The packaging is resealable for convenient storage, and our lab noted the quality of the easy-glide seal and its durability. While the pull tab on the outer package didn’t come away so easily—our editors had to cut it away with scissors—this detergent was rated highly by both editors and parent testers for its quick and easy use.

FINAL WORD

Most of our parent testers gave Nature Clean Dishwasher Pacs very good or good ratings for ease of use, quality and value. They all liked the eco-friendly nature of the ingredients, and that the pre-measured pacs made it easy to toss one in the dishwasher. Editors were impressed with how well this detergent cleaned up messy dishes, even baked-on casseroles. The majority of parent testers said they would purchase this product again, and most agreed it was worthy of the Today's Parent Approved seal of approval.