In February we commented about how the joke was starting to wear out on the phosphorous-free dish washing detergent - how it felt like people were starting to adjust.  Then we learned last week that the joke was on us.  Major newspapers across the country, from The LA Times to the Chicago Tribune, ran stories about Spokane's infamous soap smugglers - drawing attention away from the real issue, the health of the Spokane River, and turning it into a fluff piece for section C.  Thankfully, the writer of one such piece, Kim Murphy, made it very clear that phosphorous is in the process of being phased out of dish washing detergents entirely and that Spokane is just the first to put it into effect.

So it was particularly odd timing that our local Department of Ecology sent out a press release offering tips for "Soap Smuggler's Blues".  Nothing like some bad PR to urge action.  But in all fairness, we know first hand that the local Department of Ecology has been working diligently on the public education piece of this ban (they've had a website up for over a year) - it's just unfortunate that everything wasn't in sync. 
In the press release, Ecology reports that the 10-month-old ban on high-phosphate dishwasher detergents is beginning to pay off for the Spokane River (though not supported by any evidence yet).

But the real reason for the release was to offer tips on how to get your dishes clean using what many are calling dish detergent Lite.  And since we're a blog of the people - here's a little DTE help on washing your dishes.

Get rid of your dishwasher.  Collect rain water or use as little tap water as you can.  Wet dishes.  Scrub really hard using some sort of non-toxic, chlorine free, biodegradeabel dish soap.  Air dry. Presto

In all seriousness though, here is Ecology's guide to "Soap Smuggler's Blues":

• Check Consumer Reports’ product ranking: http://www.greenerchoices.org/ratings.cfm?product=greencleaning. Choose a phosphorus-free soap that ranked well.

• Choose products with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment certification (http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/label.htm)

• Spokane has hard water. That means it has a high concentration of minerals. Hardness in water causes it to form scales and makes it resistant to soap. Choose a brand that contains some form of salt to help soften the water and allow the soap to grab grease and food particles more easily. Look for sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Or you can add washing soda purchased from the laundry aisle at your grocery store.

• Some brands work better than others. Talk with neighbors, friends and nearby family members about what brands are working for them.

• Some manufacturers recommend using a rinse aid to help soften the water and reduce spotting. Distilled white vinegar also can work as an inexpensive alternative to commercial rinse aids.

Why phosphate-free dish detergents matter

One pound of phosphorus can grow 700 pounds of algae. When a lake contains too much phosphorus or other nutrient pollution, algae and other water plants thrive. The pollution acts like fertilizer, stimulating the growth of aquatic plants. When these plants decompose, they use up the oxygen in the water. There’s too much nutrient pollution in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane – meaning too little oxygen to support a healthy a healthy fish population.
The existing treatment plants along the Spokane River can remove a great deal of the phosphorus in the water. But in order to comply with the state standard for phosphorus, more has to be removed.
Other things people can do to reduce phosphorus to the river and Lake Spokane include:

• Properly disposing domestic pet waste in the trash,
• Fencing animals out of the creek on small farms or covering the waste,
• Using only natural, low phosphate fertilizers and pesticides on lawns and gardens, and
• Inspecting septic tanks regularly and having them pumped out at regular intervals.

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