I am just about as bad about dishwashing liquid as I am shampoo – constantly looking for something new, different, and better. The “oxy” craze is making the rounds in the dishwashing arena now, but how new and different is it? Being the conscientious shopper and dedicated Epinioner, I figured I had to check it out. After sniffing the choices, I opted for Palmolive Oxy Plus Dishwashing Liquid in Alpine Purity fragrance.

The Product

Palmolive Oxy Plus is a concentrated dishwashing liquid with oxygenated cleaning action, designed to remove tough baked-on grease and foods, yet still be gentle on skin. It comes in a translucent blue 13 fl oz bottle, and contains a relatively thin clear liquid, with a pleasant herbal-citrus scent.

This product contains no phosphates. For all the searching I did, I couldn’t come up with either a list of any ingredients or an MSDS sheet, though.

Palmolive Oxy Plus is also available in Marine Purity scent.

General Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. Do not use with chlorine bleach. Avoid contact with eyes. For accidental contact, flush thoroughly with water, and seek medical attention if irritation persists. Do not use in an automatic dishwasher, washing machine, or for personal hygiene. This product is also not recommended for cleaning carpets.

Methinks. . .

At first glance, you’re going to think this stuff is as thin and cheap as a dime store brand. It’s pretty thin, but don’t let that fool you. Palmolive Oxy Plus is really concentrated and it doesn’t take much to suds up the sink. As a matter of fact, I overdid it on my first use, and the suds did runneth over. For applying directly to a sponge, you really only need a few drops. A quarter-sized amount on a sponge cleaned two large pots, a greasy skillet, and all of the cooking utensils – with what looked like a ton of it left in the sponge.

As far as performance, Palmolive Oxy Plus works just as well as other major grease-cutting liquids, but not really better. What I feel it has over the competition is it rinses cleaner and leaves no residue. Other bonuses I notice, I attribute to the “oxy” – like the sponge stays really clean and bright, and my stainless steel (now that’s an oxymoron) sink stays shiny, bright, and stain-free.

Mild on hands? Not as mild as other Palmolive products. I blame this on the “oxy,” too. It doesn’t really dry out my skin completely, but my hands still have enough of a dry feeling to make me search for the lotion.

Palmolive Oxy Plus is not antibacterial. I do prefer an antibacterial soap for dishes (especially glasses), but it is certainly not a requirement. If the dishes are thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried, they are absolutely clean enough. I just like that extra sense of comfort I get from an antibacterial with my son’s sippy cups, which sometimes go unfound for a few days with milk in them. Yuck.

I must rave about the Alpine Purity scent while I’m here. I just love herbal fragrances, and this has a really great blend – a little on the masculine side with enough of a hint of citrus and Juniper to be pleasing for the ladies. I’m hoping it is masculine enough for the hubby to use without begging, threats, and/or promises.

I’ll give Palmolive Oxy Plus 4 stars. If it were a little milder on the skin, it would be perfect. Well, as perfect as a dish soap can be, that is. This is a great dishwashing liquid I don’t hesitate to recommend.

© 2004 Donna Standridge


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