Usually found inMany fragranced cleaning and laundry products, hidden inside the word “fragrance”

Why we cut itSeveral phthalates are classified in the EU as endocrine disruptors, and because fragrance recipes are legally private, they can be present without ever appearing on a label.

In Dip insteadEvery fragrance ingredient named on the pack, and no phthalate carriers.

Usually found inLong-lasting fragrances in detergents and softeners

Why we cut itThese compounds are built to persist, so they accumulate in waterways and in people instead of breaking down.

In Dip insteadA fragrance blend that works without fixatives.

Usually found inMost premium dishwasher tablets, and the bathroom and kitchen sprays that promise to kill everything

Why we cut itA respiratory and skin irritant, the main reason tablet packets carry warning symbols, and it creates harmful by-products when it meets other cleaners.

In Dip insteadEnzyme and plant-surfactant cleans across the range.

Usually found inConventional glass and multi-surface sprays

Why we cut itA respiratory irritant with a sting you can smell. It works, but you breathe it in the whole time you clean.

In Dip insteadCitrate and plant surfactants that leave glass clear without the fumes.

Usually found inAntibacterial sprays and wipes

Why we cut itOverused antibacterial agents linked in research to skin and respiratory sensitisation, and to bacterial resistance concerns.

In Dip insteadPlant-derived cleansers for everyday cleaning, which is what most cleaning actually is.

Usually found inMany dishwasher products and most conventional rinse aids

Why we cut itA surfactant class linked in research to gut-barrier disruption. Residues on “clean” dishes go straight onto food.

In Dip insteadPlant-derived cleansers that rinse away and break down readily.

Usually found inCheaper detergents made outside the EU

Why we cut itRestricted in the EU since 2003 because they break down into compounds that persist in rivers and harm aquatic life.

In Dip insteadPlant-derived surfactants that biodegrade readily.

Usually found inSome liquid detergents and washing-up liquids

Why we cut itIt can react with other ingredients to form nitrosamine impurities, which EU rules restrict for good reason.

In Dip insteadFoam from coconut-derived cleansers that don’t carry the risk.

Usually found inLiquid detergents and cleaners that need a long shelf life

Why we cut itDMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15 and their relatives work by slowly releasing formaldehyde, a well-documented skin sensitiser.

In Dip insteadDry sheets barely need preserving. Where a made-up formula does need a preservative, as the multi-surface spray does, we use phenoxyethanol.

Usually found inOlder antibacterial soaps and cleaning products

Why we cut itBanned in EU cosmetics over health and environmental concerns, yet still permitted in some cleaning products. We hold cleaning to the cosmetic standard.

In Dip insteadNothing. Your machine and the detergent do the job without it.

Usually found inPhosphates in older formulas, restricted in the EU since 2017; phosphonates in most modern “phosphate-free” tablets

Why we cut itPhosphates feed the algal blooms that suffocate rivers and lakes, which is why the EU capped them. The industry’s replacement, phosphonates, dodges the cap but biodegrades poorly and persists in waterways instead of breaking down.

In Dip insteadTrisodium citrate. It softens the water, protects your glasses from limescale, then breaks down readily.

Usually found inMost mainstream laundry detergents

Why we cut itThey don’t clean anything. They coat fibres with a UV-reactive layer that makes fabric look whiter, and that layer transfers to skin.

In Dip insteadActual cleaning power. Whites come out clean, not coated.

Usually found inBlue liquids, brightly swirled pods and neon sprays

Why we cut itDye does nothing for your clothes, dishes or surfaces. It’s there to make the product look like it’s working.

In Dip insteadSheets the colour they come off the press.

Usually found inAerosol furniture polish and bathroom sprays

Why we cut itVolatile hydrocarbons that go straight into the air you breathe, and the single biggest reason cleaning products rival traffic as an indoor air pollution source.

In Dip insteadA hand-pump bottle. Your arm is the propellant.

Usually found inTrace contamination in some cheaply made surfactants

Why we cut itIt’s a by-product of a common manufacturing shortcut, tracked by regulators as a contaminant. It never appears on labels because it isn’t an ingredient, it’s a residue.

In Dip insteadRaw materials specified with the residue stripped out at source.