Although we think of it as a cleaning product, dish soap can actually cause great harm to the ecosystem. Not only are most commercial dish soaps made with toxic chemicals, but they also typically come in single-use plastic containers.
To help, TikToker TheNaturalHome (@thenaturalhome) offers a simple solution that only uses a handful of clean ingredients.
@thenaturalhome Replying to @Amie DIY Dishsoap #toxinfreeliving #toxinfree #cleaningredients #wellness #wellnessjourney #toxinfreejourney #toxicfreeliving #toxicfree ♬ Stories 2 - Danilo Stankovic
The scoop
Begin by dissolving half a tablespoon of salt into a cup of boiling water. To that, add two tablespoons of lemon juice. The last addition is a half-cup of a biodegradable cleaner (the video recommends Sal Suds).
The mixture is quite liquidy at first, but TheNaturalHome points out it will thicken as it cools. After being transferred to a reusable pump bottle, the soap comes out nice and foamy, ready to tackle whatever may be left on your dinner plate.
How it's helping
Over the past decade, demand has grown for natural cleaning products, and it's easy to see why.
Many dish soaps are made with petroleum-based ingredients, which cause environmental damage. These soaps are also typically used for washing hands, and those toxic ingredients can cause skin irritation.
Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?
For some great hand-washing alternatives, check out our list of the best clean hand soaps.
Maybe worst of all, however, is all of the unnecessary plastic created by liquid soaps and detergents. Only 6% or so of plastic is recycled each year in the United States. Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills and oceans each year. And roughly 40% of plastics made are for single-use purposes.
By making your own dish soap and keeping it in a reusable bottle, you can drastically cut down on the amount of plastic you use in the kitchen.
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Freeing up shelf space 
What everyone's saying
Some commenters asked about using a different brand of biodegradable cleaner, especially after TheNaturalHome mentioned that theirs "exploded" while in a one-gallon bottle. But the creator insisted there was nothing to be worried about.
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"A poor choice of words on my end," they said. "But the bottle somehow popped and I woke up to my kitchen floor covered."
Still, most users were pleased with the option of an easy, toxin-free dish soap.
"Great share," one commented.
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