Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets, Fragrance-Free

1. Ingredients 35% of the rating 4 of 5

   Ten named ingredients (eight with CAS numbers) and no fragrance, dye, preservative or PVA film, with points off for a synthetic polymer (sodium polyaspartate), cellulose and silica fillers, and two enzyme blends marked proprietary with no allergen note.

2. Cleans well 20% of the rating 2 of 5

   We found no independent cleaning test, and in 2020 an advertising review found Blueland’s own third-party lab results did not support its claims of beating leading brands, which it agreed to drop.

3. Independent testing 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   EPA Safer Choice, Cradle to Cradle (Gold, matching the new formula) and EWG all list a Blueland dishwasher tablet and the maker pays for them, but EPA’s and EWG’s records do not show which formula they cover and no lab tested the finished tablet.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   It names every ingredient and flags which are synthetic, but the formula changed while two marks still describe the old one, a 2020 NAD review made it drop comparative claims, and it pays affiliate commissions, though we found no recall.

5. Value 20% of the rating 3 of 5

   $21 for 60 tablets is 35 cents each (28 cents on autoship, 32 cents for 240), and you also need the tin (about $10) or a starter set.

The rating, 3.2 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank cleaning & laundry and our standard.

• Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $19.35. Blueland’s own listing: sold by Blueland, shipped by Amazon. It shows the current ten-ingredient formula and the UPC (810018394127) in EPA’s Safer Choice record.
• Walmart (opens in a new tab) approx. $19.35. Sold by Blueland on Walmart.com, 60 tablets, Free & Clear. The UPC (810018394127) is the one in EPA’s Safer Choice record.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Sodium citrate
2. Sodium carbonate
3. Sodium percarbonate
4. Protease enzyme blend
5. Microcrystalline cellulose
6. Sorbitan caprylate
7. Hydrated silica
8. Water
9. Sodium carboxymethyl inulin / sodium polyaspartate
10. Amylase enzyme blend

• Paid certification EPA Safer Choice

  Lists “Automatic Dish Washer Tablet Free & Clear” from Blueland as Safer Choice and fragrance-free; Blueland has been a partner since 2020. EPA’s records carry no formula version, so we cannot tell whether the listing covers the 2026 reformulation. The program reviews ingredients; it is not a lab test of this tablet. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Paid certification Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

  Lists Blueland “Dishwasher Tablets” as C2C Certified Material Health Gold, version 5.0, certification number 12224, valid until May 7, 2028. The maker-written description (“formulated with enzymes and oxi action”) matches the new tablet. It scores ingredient chemistry, not cleaning or safety of the finished product. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Paid certification EWG Verified March 8, 2023

  Lists “Blueland Dishwasher Detergent, Fragrance-free” as EWG Verified with ingredient disclosure rated good. Its data is from March 8, 2023 and its ingredient list differs from today’s label (it has citric acid and an alkyl polyglucoside, and lacks sodium percarbonate and sodium polyaspartate). Read 2026-10-22; EWG’s site was behind a human check on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Did the formula change, and do the marks still apply?

Yes it changed. Blueland’s page calls the tablet “NEW and improved”, with “oxi stain-fighting action”. EWG’s 2023 list differs from today’s label, and EPA’s table shows no formula version, plus a “Cucumber Basil” scent Blueland no longer sells. Cradle to Cradle’s entry fits the new tablet. We have asked Blueland to confirm the other two.

Were Blueland’s cleaning and safety claims ever challenged?

In 2020 the BBB’s National Advertising Division, on a challenge by competitor Clorox, found that Blueland’s test reports (opens in a new tab) did not support claims that it “outperformed the leading brands in efficacy tests completed at third party labs”. It also recommended dropping comparative safety claims such as “all without harmful chemicals” and some recyclability claims. Blueland said it would comply. Its page today still has a table rating Seventh Generation, Molly’s Suds, Dropps and Finish as lacking “clean ingredients”.

Are PVA-wrapped pods a microplastic problem, and are these tablets plastic-free?

Blueland says PVA film “dissolves, but does not disappear”. A 2021 modelling study estimated that most PVA from pods ends up in the environment through sludge or water, and it measured no health effect (PMID 34205161 (opens in a new tab)). Blueland co-led a petition asking EPA to require PVA testing. EPA denied it in April 2023 (opens in a new tab): the petition did not show the existing data were insufficient, and the study it leaned on left out properties that matter for the PVA used in films. The industry group American Cleaning Institute says PVA is biodegradable and called the petition part of a marketing campaign funded by a company with a stake. These tablets have no PVA film. The label does list sodium polyaspartate, which Blueland marks synthetic, so “100% plastic-free” means no film, not no polymer.

Does dishwasher detergent damage your gut? Blueland says its tablets avoid “potentially gut-harming ingredients”.

A 2023 lab study found rinse aid from professional dishwashers damaged gut-cell barriers because of alcohol ethoxylates left on dishes (PMID 36464527 (opens in a new tab)). It used cell cultures, not people. Blueland says these tablets have a rinse aid ingredient built in; none on its label is an alcohol ethoxylate.

Do influencers get paid to promote it?

Blueland runs an affiliate program (opens in a new tab) that pays commission each month through Impact, with no posting rules. The rate is not on the page we read.

• EPA’s Safer Choice table lists “Automatic Dish Washer Tablet Free & Clear” from Blueland, partner since 2020, with the fragrance-free flag set to true. We read it on 2026-10-23.
• EWG’s directory lists “Blueland Dishwasher Detergent, Fragrance-free” as EWG Verified, with ingredient disclosure rated good. Its data was last updated March 8, 2023.
• Two more registries list Blueland’s dishwasher tablets: Cradle to Cradle’s (Material Health Gold, version 5.0, certificate 12224, valid to May 7, 2028) and the USDA BioPreferred catalog (Certified Biobased label). Cradle to Cradle’s description reads “formulated with enzymes and oxi action”, the words Blueland uses for the new formula.
• The current label has 10 ingredients on the product page, eight with CAS numbers and two enzyme blends marked proprietary. The tablets have no film wrapper: the page says “100% plastic-free”.
• Blueland publishes its prices: $21 for 60 tablets, $42 for 120 and $75.60 for 240, with 20% off on autoship.

• The formula changed. Blueland’s page calls it “NEW and improved” with “oxi stain-fighting action”, and it now lists sodium percarbonate and sodium polyaspartate (marked synthetic). EWG’s 2023 list has neither, and has citric acid and an alkyl polyglucoside that today’s label lacks.
• EPA’s table still shows an older name (“Free & Clear”) and a “Cucumber Basil” scent that Blueland’s page no longer sells. Its records carry no formula version, so we cannot tell whether the listing covers today’s tablets.
• At $21 for 60 it is about 35 cents a tablet, or 28 cents on autoship. You also need the tin (about $10), or a starter set.
• Blueland’s certifications page names no certificate numbers or listing links for its marks. The Cradle to Cradle number above comes from that organization’s own registry.
• We found no independent cleaning test, and the 2020 advertising review found its own lab comparisons did not back its claims.

1. Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablet Refills product page. Maker’s page. Prices, ingredient list, comparison table and the “NEW and improved” formula note as seen 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Blueland certifications page. Maker’s page. Says EWG Verified covers the Fragrance-Free dishwasher tablets. Gives no certificate numbers. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Blueland affiliate program. Maker’s page. Commission paid monthly through Impact; no posting requirements. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. EPA Safer Choice products table (Envirofacts), rows for Blueland. Certifier or regulator listing. Lists dishwasher tablets Free & Clear, Lemon Zest and Cucumber Basil. EPA’s product finder entry for the first is https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/products#search=a04t0000006pd0tAAA (opens in a new tab). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning: Blueland Dishwasher Detergent, Fragrance-free. Certifier or regulator listing. Carries the EWG Verified mark. Data last updated March 8, 2023. EWG’s site blocks automated fetches. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Cradle to Cradle registry: Blueland Dishwasher Tablets. Certifier or regulator listing. C2C Certified Material Health Gold, version 5.0, certification number 12224, valid until May 7, 2028. The product description is written by the manufacturer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. USDA BioPreferred catalog, search for dishwasher. Certifier or regulator listing. Lists “Blueland Dishwasher Tablets” (One Home Brands, Inc. dba Blueland) with the Certified label. A search tool with no link for a single listing. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. BBB National Programs, NAD Case #6416: One Home Brands, Inc. d/b/a Blueland. Test report. October 7, 2020. Challenge by The Clorox Company. NAD found some environmental claims supported and recommended dropping comparative cleaning-performance and safety claims. Blueland said it would comply. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. EPA, Federal Register: Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA); TSCA Section 21 Petition for Rulemaking; Denial of Requested Rulemaking. Certifier or regulator listing. April 27, 2023. EPA’s reasons for denying the petition filed by Blueland, Plastic Pollution Coalition, MADE SAFE and others. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. Bergeson & Campbell: Coalition Petitions EPA to Require Health and Environmental Testing and Regulation of Polyvinyl Alcohol. Independent source. November 15, 2022. A law firm’s summary of the petition and of the American Cleaning Institute’s response. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. Rolsky and Kelkar 2021: Degradation of polyvinyl alcohol in US wastewater treatment plants. Test report. Int J Environ Res Public Health. A model built on a consumer survey and a literature review; measures no health effect. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. Ogulur et al. 2023: Gut epithelial barrier damage caused by dishwasher detergents and rinse aids. Test report. J Allergy Clin Immunol. A cell-culture and organoid study; the damaging component was alcohol ethoxylates in rinse aid. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Branch Basics Dishwasher Tablets, Fragrance Free EWG Verified, with a label that matches EWG’s listing, about 39 cents a tablet. It lists a synthetic polymer too.
• ECOS Dishwasher Gel, Free & Clear A budget gel with an EPA Safer Choice listing, about $8 for 40 fl oz, but no load count.

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