Pilates Self Care Saturday: Are Your Dishes Harming Your Gut Health?

A dishwasher filled with dirty plates and utensils, highlighting hidden chemical residues post-wash.

Since moving back to the UK and into the farmhouse, life has become a little more hands on and that includes the washing up. There’s no space for a dishwasher in the kitchen, so we’ve gone back to washing everything by hand. And while it might feel like a throwback, it’s actually raised some interesting questions around gut health, something we Pilates teachers are always tuned into.

We often focus on what we put into our bodies: nourishing meals, quality supplements, and consistent movement. But today, let’s talk about what we clean our plates with, because it matters.

Are Dishwasher Tablets Safe?

If you’ve still got a dishwasher at home, you may want to check what's in those little tablets. Supermarket brands, whether from Tesco or anywhere else, often contain a cocktail of ingredients such as:

• Surfactants to lift grease

• Chlorine based bleaches

• Alcohol ethoxylates

• Fragrances and colourants

• Enzymes and preservatives

While they’re effective cleaners, studies have shown that some of these ingredients can leave trace residues on dishes, even after the rinse cycle. For most people, this goes unnoticed. But for anyone dealing with gut sensitivity, allergies or leaky gut, that ongoing exposure to low level chemicals might quietly be doing harm.

One particular study highlighted how alcohol ethoxylates, a common chemical in tablets, can be toxic to intestinal cells at low concentrations. For anyone working on healing the gut lining or reducing inflammation, this is worth paying attention to.

But What About Washing Up Liquid?

Back to our farmhouse sink if you’re washing up by hand like we are, you might think you’ve avoided the issue. But some dishwashing soaps also contain similar ingredients such as synthetic fragrances, preservatives and foaming agents.

So yes, the same concerns can apply to washing up liquid, especially if you’re not rinsing dishes thoroughly. Many natural soaps still cut through grease but without the harsher chemicals. And yes, they’re a bit more expensive, but for anyone with gut issues, autoimmune conditions or allergies, it could be a smart upgrade.

My Simple Suggestions

• Rinse thoroughly, whether using a dishwasher or hand washing

• Choose gentler products look for unscented or plant based washing up liquids (Ecover, Bio D and even some own brand eco ranges are better choices)

• Stay curious gut health is a lifelong journey, and little daily choices really do add up

• Keep moving remember that our Pilates practice also supports digestion through mindful breathing and movement

In the end, it’s not about fear it’s about awareness. When we know better, we can do better. And as Pilates teachers, we’re already halfway there with our attention to detail and care for the body.

Happy Self Care Saturday