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Proof! is an independent testing service for the consumer of alternative and complementary health remedies and products, such as supplements and herbs, as well as eco and 'green' products and services. Its tests establish the active ingredients in products - which can differ dramatically from the claims made on the labels - as well as their reliability, shelf life and usability.

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Dishing the Dirt on Dishwashing Liquids

Dishwashing detergents have never looked prettier or more harmless. They now come in such bright colours, with added fragrances and lyrical names such as Natural Extracts Aloe Fresh, Citrus Burst, Floral Breeze and Purple Herbal. But what’s actually inside of that squidgy plastic bottle by your kitchen sink?

Think of the things these detergents have to cope with: congealed food, burnt-on grease and oils of all kinds. A quick sluice under the hot-water tap clearly isn’t enough—what’s needed is a serious bit of cleaning. The answer, according to the dishwashing-liquid industry, is to use a cocktail of industrial chemicals.   

Heading the list of ingredients in dishwashing liquids are substances called ‘surfactants’—short for ‘surface active agents’. As the name implies, these are chemicals that can affect surfaces—in this case, the surface tension of water. Surfactants work by allowing water molecules to attach themselves to substances, such as grease, that ar...

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About Proof! - Proof is an independent research group that assesses the thousands of products in the alternative, complementary and eco markets.

Free Report: Dishwashing Liquids - Dishwashing detergents have never looked prettier or more harmless. They now come in such bright colours, with added fragrances and lyrical names such...

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WDDTY Blog Speak

Free Report: Dishwashing Liquids - Dishwashing detergents have never looked prettier or more harmless. They now come in such bright colours, with added fragrances and lyrical names such...

Green Cleaners: Cleaning your home without chemicals - Everyone seems keen to be clean these days, and the burgeoning range of personal hygiene products—from shower gels to sanitary wear—is rivalled only b...

The best Aloe vera juice - If Aloe vera were a pop group, it would undoubtedly be The Beatles. It is probably the single most popular - and possibly the best known - alternative...

Baking soda and elbow grease - The main ingredients in most oven and drain cleaners are sodium hydroxide (lye), a caustic that can cause burns to the skin and, in severe cases, blin...

Chemical crippling - Although much has been written about food allergy in causing arthritis, far less is known about the role of chemical sensitivity to the the chemicals...

Household cleaners - A witch's brew - Most household cleaners are a witch's brew of toxic chemicals, industrial waste and carcinogens when all you need are some old fashioned cleaning stap...

Environmental chemicals - The chemicals in your environment, particularly your office, can have endless effects on your health. Fluorocarbons that are present in aerosol prope...

Chemical-Free Paints - Paint manufacturers argue they have to add a cocktail of chemicals to their products - but for many they are a hazard to our health. Small independent...

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