Breakin’ it Off with TruEarth Dishwasher Tablets

One thing I find really frustrating is seeing those dishwasher pods sold in plastic tubs. It just seems like plastic in plastic–double the plastic. So dishwasher tablets seem like a great option, and I was excited to see these TruEarth tablets in a nice, compact cardboard box. This is a great idea for a plastic-free dishwasher detergent option.

Breaking it Off

I will start by saying that I love the package. There is no waste in this package–the box is small, slim, and the tablets fit tightly in the box. There is no empty space, no added wrappers inside (that you can’t see from the outside) and no plastic.

The one disappointment is that once you open the package, and slide out a row of connected tabs, it is REALLY hard to break off just one tablet for your load of dishes. There are small break lines in the white chunk that you pull from the box, but it not easy to snap one off. After I tried with my hands, I thought maybe I needed to score it more with a knife. But the brick of detergent is abrasive and difficult to cut through–I made little progress in deepending the score, and I thought I would dull my knife. Next, I tried cracking it against the counter. That didn’t help. Finally, I took a hammer to it, and was able to break off two tablets. At that point, I was happy to have a smaller piece, and shoved the double dose into the machine and ran it.

Since then, I have successfully broken off one tablet a couple of times, and have also had luck asking my husband, who must have stronger hands, to break off a single tablet. But mostly I get frustrated and revert back to my dishwasher powder.

If Only

If only I could get one of these tablets off the &#%!@?! block, they work great! My dishes came out nice and clean and no undisolved gunk was left in the machine. I would definietely use these again if I could just break them apart.

Because of these challenges, I continue on my search for a truly plastic-free dishwasher detergent. I will undoubtedly finish this package of TruEarth tablets, but the irritation of trying to break them apart is a deal-breaker for me–I will not buy them again.