6 Best Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets in 2023
Over the past several months, we have tested fragrance-free dishwasher tablets from Seventh Generation, Puracy, Palmolive, Ecover, and many more to find the absolute best dishwasher tablets in 2023. Read on to find the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets.
- Why Choose A Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent?
- Does Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent Clean Well?
- Types of Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent
- How We Tested The Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets
- The Best (and Worst) Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets In 2023
- Our Pick: Puracy Fragrance-Free Dishwashing Pods
- Beyond Natural Dishwasher Tablets – Fragrance-Free
- Palmolive PowerPacs Dishwasher Detergent Pods, No Added Fragrance
- Ecover Automatic Dishwashing Tablets Zero
- Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Packs, Free & Clear
- Which Dishwashing Tabs To Avoid
- Grab Green Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Pods
- The 5 Best Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets in 2023
- Other fragrance-free products that we have tested
Fragrance-free dishwashing tablets might not be something you’ve thought about before. But if you’re sensitive to fragrance or just want to avoid fragrances in your everyday life, then keep on reading and learn why you should avoid fragrances in your daily products.
Living fragrance-free includes avoiding perfumed dishwashing tablets and going for fragrance-free dishwashing tablets.
Why Choose A Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent?
Exposure to fragrance chemicals, including in personal care products, household products, and cleaning products, has been linked to a range of adverse health effects, such as asthma attacks, headaches, skin irritation, endocrine disruption, and carcinogens.
Avoiding any fragranced product is essential to reducing exposure to toxic chemicals. That’s why we recommend switching from a conventional perfumed dishwasher detergent to a fragrance-free alternative.
And, as we shall learn next in our guide to guide to fragrance-free dishwasher tablets, perfume does not impact cleaning power.
Does Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent Clean Well?
Fragrance-free dishwasher tablets clean just as well as their perfumed counterparts because perfume doesn’t provide cleaning power. So aside from avoiding harmful fragrance chemicals, you also prevent the lingering perfumed scent or taste on your dishes and glassware.
Types of Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Detergent
We personally prefer dishwasher tabs, which are the most popular choice among consumers, although there are other choices. Selecting a dishwasher detergent is typically a matter of personal preference, but there are some key distinctions between the various dishwasher detergents. Here’s a closer look at the different types of fragrance-free dishwasher tablets:
Tablets
This is the most popular option on the market. Tabs come in handy dosages, so you don’t have to estimate measurements. They are convenient and are the most efficient way to clean. The downside is that they are more expensive than liquid or powder detergents.
Powder detergent
Powder detergent is the most cost-effective dish detergent option. However, it is less convenient and messier than tabs because you must measure the amount. However, in homes with hard water, powder detergent can be a more effective alternative to tabs because powder detergent is most effective at removing limescale deposits, streaks, white spots, and cloudiness on dishes and glasses caused by hard water.
Liquid
Last but not least, there is the alternative of using liquid detergent. However, it does not clean as well as tabs or powder detergents. In addition, it can occasionally leave spots or streaks on dishes, so we generally do not recommend liquid detergent, fragrance-free or not.
How We Tested The Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets
Today’s store shelves are crammed with dishwasher detergents, including an increasing number of options for fragrance-free detergents.
To put these fragrance-free dishwasher detergent brands to the test, we washed plates, bowls, and cutlery with only a short rinse. Each detergent brand was used with the same program over several weeks, and our tests are based on numerous washes for each brand, eliminating the risk of chance.
To assist you in choosing the best fragrance-free dishwasher tabs, we’ve compiled a list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tabs below. Read on for our picks for the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets in 2023.
The Best (and Worst) Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets In 2023
Our Pick: Puracy Fragrance-Free Dishwashing Pods
- Made from plant and mineral-derived ingredients (99.5% natural).
- Free from perfumes, phosphates, SLES, parabens, chlorine bleach, petrochemicals, animal by-products, dyes, and phthalates.
- Safe for gray water and septic systems.
- Tablets are designed to work better when you skip the pre-rinse.
- Effectively dissolve food stains without leaving residue behind.
- Certified Cruelty-Free.
First on our list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets is Puracy’s Free & Clear Dishwasher detergent packs. These fragrance-free and biodegradable tablets are made with plant-derived enzymes. The tablets don’t leave a scent, and they effectively remove stuck-on foods while leaving dishes and flatware squeaky clean and glassware free of water spots. We were thrilled that dishes, glasses, and silverware consistently came out spotless after each load without any white film or soap residue.
If you’re looking for a plant-derived, cruelty-free, and biodegradable dishwasher detergent, then go for Purey’s Free & Clear dishwasher pods, which tops the list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets in 2023.
• Price per load: ~26 cents
Beyond Natural Dishwasher Tablets – Fragrance-Free
- Dishwasher tabs have built-in rinse-aid.
- Made with a plant-derived and mineral-based formula.
- Tabs contain 75% biobased content.
Another great option and high performer is Beyond Auto Dish Tabs. Each Beyond dishwasher tab is individually wrapped in plastic that dissolves completely in the wash cycle (be careful not to take the plastic off before using).
We initially feared that mineral- and plant-based detergents wouldn’t clean nearly as well as the traditional ones, but we were pleasantly surprised by the cleansing power of these dishwasher tabs. Dishes, glasses, and silverware came out sparkling clean, which is why Beyond’s auto dish tabs are second on our list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tabs of 2023.
• Price per load: ~34 cents
Palmolive PowerPacs Dishwasher Detergent Pods, No Added Fragrance
- Enzyme-powered dishwashing pods formula with stain removal.
- No pre-wash or rinse aid is needed.
- Leaves glassware sparkling and spotless.
- Made without parabens, phosphates, or chlorine bleach.
- Packaging is made with 25% post-consumer recycled material.
Next on our list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets is the Palmolive powerpacs. They don’t have a scent, and they clean very effectively. We were very impressed with the dishwashing pods, and we even tested the dishwashing pods without a rinse aid to thoroughly test them (Palmolive claims that no rinse aid is needed when using the dishwashing pods). It turned out to be true. Our plates and glasses still came out sparkling clean despite not using a rinse aid in our dishwasher.
Note that some customers report that the green liquid in the “wings” of the pod regularly leaks or sticks together in transit, but that wasn’t our experience.
• Price per load: ~33 cents
Ecover Automatic Dishwashing Tablets Zero
- Dishwasher tablets are made with plant-based and mineral ingredients.
- Fragrance-free biodegradable, and phosphate-free formula.
- Never tested on animals.
If you prefer dishwasher tablets made with plant-based and mineral ingredients, consider Ecover Zero’s dishwasher tablets. We were impressed by the tablets that left us with sparkly clean glassware and flatware and without the dreaded detergent residue or streaks on dishes. Each tablet is individually wrapped in plastic (which you have to open), which we are not fans of. But the benefit is that the pods don’t stick together.
In our 2023 review of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets, Ecover Zero’s automatic dishwasher tablets are among the best-performing detergent packs.
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Packs, Free & Clear
- Seventh Generation’s detergent packs are made with plant-based ingredients and are free of fragrances, dyes, phosphates, and chlorine bleach.
- USDA-certified bio-based product of 78%.
- Leaping Bunny Certified.
Last on our list of the best fragrance-free dishwasher tablets, we find the dishwasher packs from one of our favorite brands, Seventh Generation. We generally like a lot of Seventh Generation’s fragrance-free products, and these dishwasher tablets are no exception. The fragrance-free tablets are formulated without harsh ingredients such as dyes, phosphates, and chlorine bleach. We had consistently excellent results, and the tabs cleaned very well without leaving visible streaks. Compared to some competing brands, one minor drawback is that you need to pre-rinse your dirty plates and that the formula doesn’t contain a rinse aid.
If you value a USDA-approved plant-based formula and like the thought of a company certified by Leaping Bunny & Peta, then the Seventh Generation dishwasher tabs are for you.
• Price per load: ~28 cents
Which Dishwashing Tabs To Avoid
Grab Green Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Pods
- Septic safe and made from naturally derived plant and mineral-based ingredients.
- Dishwashing tabs are made without fragrance, masking agents, phosphates, phthalates, chlorine, toxins, or dyes.
- Made in the USA, cruelty-free.
These dishwashing detergent pods from Grab Green were some of the worst that we’ve tested – and on top of that, they are also the most expensive in the test. The tabs consistently left white films on dishes and glasses. Even after thoroughly scraping off food residue and rinsing plates, we still ended up with poorly washed utensils and white residue on dishes and glasses (we know you’re not supposed to rinse, so with tried both rinsing and not and with similarly poor results).
• Price per load: ~47 cents
The 5 Best Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets in 2023
Summary of The 5 Best Fragrance-Free Dishwasher Tablets in 2023
We found that fragrance-free dishwasher tablets clean equally as well as their perfumed counterparts in our review of the top 5 fragrance-free dishwashing detergent tabs in 2023. By avoiding fragranced dishwasher detergent, you can avoid being exposed to harmful chemicals or having that lingering perfumed scent on your dishes and glassware.
And for that reason, we recommend you switch from the conventional scented ones to fragrance-free dishwasher tablets.
Other fragrance-free products that we have tested
If you are looking for fragrance-free dishwashing detergent, you’re probably also interested in other fragrance-free household and personal care products. Luckily, we test lots of them for you to live your life fragrance-free.
7 Best Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergents in 2023
The 3 Best Fragrance-Free Hand Sanitizers In 2023
