The Bottom Line
Pros
- Pre-formed tabs make loading easy
- Phosphate-free, bleach-free, non-toxic, biodegrabeable formula
- Comes in pink grapefruit scent, or dye- and perfume-free formula
Cons
- Isn't quite as tough on filthy dishes as some other brands
- May still leave a slight residue on dishes if used with hard water
Description
- Each package of Method Smarty Dish comes with 20 pre-formed tabs, enough for 20 loads
- Available in pink grapefruit or dye-and perfume-free formula
- Suggested retail price about $7 per bag
Guide Review - Method Smarty Dish Dish Tabs
Sometimes, I'll admit, the environment takes a backseat on my list of priorities. It's not that I don't understand the importance of taking good care of the riches and beauty of our earth. It's just that five kids, too many pets, a home, a job, and a billion outside activities usually make their way to the top of my list. And if I do have some free time, I'm hoping some of it can be spent making my life run a little smoother.That's where a product like Method's Smarty Dish can help. Those of us who are concerned about the environment will love Method's commitment to a phosphate- and bleach-free formula for our automatic dishwashers. Method's Smarty Dish formula is biodegradable and non-toxic. Even the flexible packaging uses less plastics than other more rigid containers. But what about performance?
I'll be honest. Method's Smarty Dish won't clean away an entire cake from a cake plate washed in the dishwasher. It won't remove lasagna residue that has dried for a day or so. But there are many phosphate and bleach formulas on the market that won't do those things either.
Consistently, dishes that were lightly rinsed and placed in the dishwasher after dinner were cleaned and cleaned well by Smarty Dish. One tablet did a fantastic job. The results were a little more mixed the one time my son forget about the dishes for several hours and loaded them with no rinsing. He's still in training.
The other issue with some phosphate-free detergents is how they react with hard water. I'm used to my hard water and expected a lot of residue left on my dishes when the cycle was done. And while there was a little on a couple of dishes, I was surprised by how fully the eco-friendly formula rinsed away.
Overall, Method Smarty Dish is a winner in the eco-friendly dish game.
