What was used to was dishes prior to 1945 when powdered laundry soap start being used for dishes?

Question

In the 1970's liquid dish soap became available although some of it contains formaldehyde.

Laundry soap was used on laundry prior to powdered detergent but that does not work to wash dishes with unless I did it wrong.

Val from Texas · Accepted Answer

Prior to 1945, soda ash, charcoal, baking soda or just plane water was used to wash dishes.

Karen L · Answer

Liquid dish soap, or more accurately liquid dish detergent, was certainly available before 1970 because I remember using it in the 60s as a teenager. Try googling "dishwashing history".  eHow has an article on it. People also used to use soda to wash dishes.

c c · Answer

Lye soap was used waaay back. You used lye soap for bathing, dishwashing and clothes washing. You used it in bar form for bathing, and grated it for dishwashing and clothes. You could also grate it, then dissolve the chunks in water to make a sort of liquid soap.

EDIT: you can also take plain white bar soap (like Ivory) and grate it. You will have to rub as you rinse since any 'soap' will leave residue.

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What was used to was dishes prior to 1945 when powdered laundry soap start being used for dishes?

3 Answers