Chores- the word is usually associated with boring tiresome and exhausting tasks. One such major chore is dish washing. Imagine having beautiful manicured hands soaked in water and chemicals for hours and ending up with dry hands that are shriveled and damaged. Studies show that ‘The major causes for such skin issues are, surprisingly, the common household cleaners like detergent and dishwashing soaps/gels.’
Dishwashes are generally formulated to remove oil and grease from kitchen utensils. But they also end up stripping away the natural oils found on the surface of our skin. Most common dishwash soaps or gels found in the market are not pH balanced and contain harmful chemical & preservatives. The preservatives like Formaldehyde, Triclosan & in some worse cases - isothiazolinone like MIT, can cause skin irritation, dryness and sensitivity. Regular exposure to such preservative filled products can be unsafe. Triclosan is quite aggressive & is a known endocrine disruptor and a suspected carcinogen. MIT - a chemical used in the automobile industry is quite toxic but is one of the ingredients found in some common dishwash liquids.
These chemicals are also filled with phthalates for fragrance and synthetic colors which do not get rinsed out easily. When we use such soaps or liquids, they leave behind residues after drying which force us to wipe down the dishes that we spent hours washing. And they are obviously not safe for the planet that we are all consciously working to keep green.
No matter how effective a cleaner is, what it is made of, is what matters at the end of the day. Our ancestors who had no access to chemicals, explored and used natural ingredients specific to each type of stained utensil or article (like burnt vessel, greasy articles, etc..). They figured out how to activate and use such products to get the desired cleanliness. It was definitely time consuming and used up a lot of their energy but that was the time that they lived in. Fast forward to our generation where everything is fast paced. Figuring out the right ingredient for each item or article and decoding the way to activate and combine such natural ingredients to get the results is not something we can afford with the time we assign for these chores.
Let’s look at what the ingredients are used to formulate vooki’s dishwash liquid
SOAPNUT
Soap nuts, soap berries or SAPINDUS MUKOROSSI are naturally found cleansing agents. When activated, they are safest option to switch to for anyone with Eczema, Psoriasis or delicate and sensitive skin. Soap nuts are quite delicate on the skin ensuring that theTEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss-the loss of moisture from skin) is very low. These soap nuts are fragrance free, anti bacterial, anti fungal & rich in fatty acids (good for all types of skin including mature & ageing skin). They also do not cause any disposal pollution as they easily biodegrade naturally.
TAMARIND
Tamarind helps remove the sticky greasy stains from burnt utensils.
It softens the accumulated dirt & cleans tarnished copper vessels. Traditionally, Indian women used tamarind for washing pooja items and other such valued antiques passed down from generations.
When used with salt --> Quality of cleaning improves.
When used with lemon --> Adds shine & removes burns.
LEMON
Lemon is quite effective in removing heat stains caused on utensils, it is also found to break through mild rust that forms when the vessels are not dried fully and left with moisture. Lemon is also a natural cleansing ingredient that not just kills germs from the utensils or articles that we wash, but also disinfects the surface.
The acidic nature of lemon also makes it a good antiseptic.
ROCK SALT
Rock salt is naturally abrasive and removes grimes, food debris and greasy stains easily because of its coarse texture. It also reacts with the metals like calcium & magnesium in the hard water and softens it to ensure no soap clumps are left as residue. This scoring agent is found very effective for polishing copper & brass.
PAPRIKA ORANGE PEEL
The refreshing smell of orange is unbeatable on any time of the day. Some women find dishwashing as a therapy to unwind and declutter their thoughts throughout the day. Paprika Orange peel infused makes this a refreshing, relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Essential oils extracted from orange are even prescribed in aromatherapy for patients suffering from depression.
1. Mix 1 tbs (4ml) of vooki Nature Powered Dish wash liquid with (40ml) of water in a bowl.
2. Dip sponge/ scrubber, and scrub utensils
3. Rinse with water to get squeaky & shiny clean vessels.
For tough or stubborn stains, use undiluted.
Innovation through Green Chemistry All vooki products are made based on the 12 principles of Green Chemistry. Green Chemistry is the innovative thought process that re-looks at conventional methods of production. There are a lot of processes involved in creating a product starting from design, development and implementation. This pushes the innovators to figure out creative and innovative ways to reduce waste, conserve energy, and discover replacements for hazardous substances. To know more about Green Chemistry, look out for other blogs from us.