In the many apartments and houses I have lived in, one thing I have always struggled to get right is hand-washing dishes. My soap-to-water ratio is always off, and growing up, my mother would make me redo the dishwashing because it never turned out right. The dish soap I've been using as a full-grown adult may be to blame. Still, I'd like to think I've improved over time — especially as my love for cleaning supplies has grown.
I typically choose my dish soap based on what's on sale at my deli across the street or what smells the best, because I am a firm believer that scent is everything when it comes to cleaning supplies. I am a sucker for lavender or laundry scents. In recent years, I have noticed so many dish soap innovations, from sprayable foam to solid dish soap (yes, I have tried it!).
For the past few weeks, I've put a lineup of dish soaps to the test to find out which formula deserves a spot by your kitchen sink. I spoke with cleaning experts about the best way to approach using dish soaps and what to look for in their formulas. Then, I spent weeks washing dirty dishes with eight popular dish soap brands for the ultimate cleaning test. Read on to see which dish soap has gained my cleaning loyalty.
What to look for in dish soaps, according to experts
As someone who chooses dish soaps based on scent and price, I knew I needed to speak with some cleaning experts to learn about the quality and effectiveness of dish soaps. I spoke with Katie Sullivan from the Cleaning Institute of America and Kellsie Zapata from Zapata's Cleaning Service about myths and ingredients to be aware of.
A common idea we all have when washing dishes is that more suds or bubbles means that the dish is getting cleaner and cleaner. Sullivan weighs in on that idea and says, "Suds can be a helpful signal that detergent is still present in your wash water, but more suds don’t automatically mean better cleaning. For best results, use clean, hot water and follow the label directions for how much detergent to add." Sullivan also says that if your dish feels slimy or slippery, you should probably use less soap.
In terms of ingredients in dish soaps, Sullivan says the major key ingredient to look for is cleaning agents or surfactants, "which help lift and remove soils — especially grease." Zapata says when it comes to avoiding ingredients, she stays away from "overly thickened formulas that leave residue and products that rely heavily on dyes or fillers instead of cleaning performance."
Another common idea about dishwashing is that we should pre-soak dishes. Sullivan says, "Dishes with greasy soils or stubborn baked-on or burned-on foods may need to be soaked first." You should soak these dishes for about 15 minutes in warm water with soap. Zapata adds that when you soak a dish, you'll end up doing less scrubbing later.
Best overall dish soap
Food removal/grease: 5/5 | Suds longevity: 4.5/5 | Rinsing: 4.5/5 | Overall average score: 4.6/5
I always see this dish soap at my deli and popular grocery stores, but I have never tried it. I like that the bottle was big and the price was very approachable for my budget. The packaging said 'ultra strength,' so I was interested to see how it played out against some of my most stained dishes.
I loved that the soap was green because it made it easy to tell where it was still on my dishes after rinsing, unlike some clear dish soaps, where you can't tell. The scent of the soap was clean and not overpowering.
I used this for about a week in my apartment on a bunch of pots and pans, as well as utensils like spatulas that were crusty or stained in grease. (For food removal and grease, I used it on a pan crusted with eggs, a plate covered in red vodka sauce/oil and a bowl with dried yogurt on it.) What impressed me most about this soap was how little effort I had to put into using the sponge while cleaning it. It cuts through food and grease with ease and makes you do a lot less scrubbing or pushing food around. Each dish took about 11-15 scrubs to clean the entire mess and under 30 seconds to fully clean.
It suds up nicely and creates a thick foam that is less bubbly and more of a layer of foam from the soap and water. It was easy to rinse off and did not stick to the plate after the stains were gone. I only had to rinse each dish once or twice, and all the soap was gone. I found I was spending a lot less time rinsing dishes with this soap because the suds clung to food and not the plate.
Other dish soaps to try, tested by the author
Best for tough stains:
Food removal/grease: 4.5/5 | Suds longevity: 4/5 | Rinsing: 4/5 | Overall average score: 4.1/5
I have used Dawn spray power wash and was impressed with how foamy the soap was. This classic version of Dawn says it "saves you 50% of scrubbing time." I was eager to put this to the test on my caked-in stains. One night I made fish and the skin crusted to a pan. It was really helpful at lifting that stain after soaking it for 15 minutes. It also worked quickly on tougher dishes like my egg pan and tomato sauce, taking just under 35 seconds of scrubbing.
In terms of suds, it got very sudsy fast and made some pretty big bubbles that spread out all over the dishes it was on. Because there were so many bubbles, it was hard to see where I was scrubbing, so I had to rinse to make sure I got all the stains.
I didn't mind this, but when it came time to rinse the dishes, it took a decent amount of time for all the bubbles to go away and for the soap to come off. Overall, I think it is great for any really tough dishes you need to wash or soak.
Best for big dishes:
Food removal/grease: 4/5 | Suds longevity: 4/5 | Rinsing: 4/5 | Overall average score: 4/5
I was probably most excited to use this spray dish soap because I love a good spray since it's easier on my hands. The scent was strong for this soap, but it smelled like a luxe candle. This spray stood out because it dispensed in seven different directions — like the points of a clock — plus a direct stream in the center. While that sounds impressive, I found it a bit frustrating at first since the spray radius was very wide, roughly the size of a large dinner plate. When washing smaller items, you’ll want to hold the bottle close to the dish to avoid soaking your counters and cabinets (a mistake I made during my first few sprays).
In terms of fighting food stains, it sprayed out as a foam but was not thick at all and stuck to the food on the dishes. It was very easy to scrub away with not a ton of pressure on the sponge. Once I added water to the dish, it foamed up and made it very hard to see what I was washing. All three of the dishes took between 7 and 40 seconds. It took about three rinses to get all the suds off. When I did that, I found I had missed some spots because I could not see what I was doing.
I think this is a great product for when you are cleaning big dishes like pots, pans and platters.
Best scent:
Food removal/grease: 3/5 | Suds longevity: 4/5 | Rinsing: 4/5 | Overall average score: 3.6/5
I already use a lot of Mrs. Meyer’s products at home and have tried their dish soap previously. The price feels a bit high for the size, but the fresh scent doesn’t smell harsh or chemical, and I appreciated how soft my hands felt after using it.
This soap performed well at removing surface stains on pans and plates, but the deeper stains that clung to the dishes took a lot longer with this formula (the pan took over a minute to fully clean). It created some small suds that I liked because I could see what areas of my dishes needed more attention. It was easy to rinse off and did not stick on the plates after one rinse.
Best for bulk buys:
Food removal/grease: 4/5 | Suds longevity: 3/5 | Rinsing: 4/5 | Overall average score: 3.6/5
While I live in a small apartment, if I had a house, I would definitely be buying my cleaning supplies in bulk. I love how this pack comes with six bottles of dish soap for just $21. This soap smells really nice when opening the bottle, but the scent definitely doesn't linger after you finish washing up.
The stain-fighting power of this dish soap was pretty good on the red sauce stain — it was able to lift and remove the stains in just a couple of seconds. The dish soap itself was not as strong on the crusted eggs because it required more scrubbing power, but it took around 30 seconds to clean the dish completely.
While this dish soap didn’t produce much foam, it didn’t stop it from cleaning effectively. The bubbles rinsed away quickly, though I noticed a slight sticky residue left behind on the plate. I recommend rinsing a couple of extra times to prevent any dried-on product buildup.
Best for longevity:
Food removal/grease: 4/5 | Suds longevity: 4.5/5 | Rinsing: 3.5/5 | Overall average score: 4/5
The first thing I noticed about this soap was its thick consistency — closer to a gel texture rather than a liquid one. So, it was hard to squirt out the soap onto my dishes, but once it was dispensed, it worked well after spreading it around each dish with my hands or the sponge.
The scent wasn’t as strong at all and I couldn’t really smell it after using it. It worked great on stains like red sauce and eggs because the soap was thicker, allowing it to get under the stains easily and fully clean each dish in around 30 seconds. Once water was added to the dish, a significant amount of foam accumulated. It was easy to wash off and because it was a gel-like liquid, it did not cling to the dishes after rinsing.
Best for multiple uses:
Food removal/grease: 3.5/5 | Suds longevity: 4/5 | Rinsing: 4/5 | Overall average score: 3.8/5
I was surprised to learn that this dish soap can be used all over the house, from floors to laundry. I had high expectations for it and was not disappointed with its ease in removing some stains. It had a little trouble with some of the thicker and denser stains, like eggs (took over 30 seconds to wash), but thinner stains like yogurt, oil and red sauce were easy to break down in under 30 seconds.
It had a decent amount of suds on it when combined with water and it took about two rinses to clean the pan. I would've liked this more if it had a scent; however, it's a great formula to keep around the house in case you run out of literally anything cleaning-wise.
Best for suds:
Food removal/grease: 3.5/5 | Suds longevity: 4/5 | Rinsing: 3.5/5 | Overall average score: 3.75/5
When I first started using this dish liquid, I wished the bottle were clear so I could easily see how much was left. After pouring it onto my dishes, I noticed it didn’t produce many suds at first, which made me a bit skeptical. But once I started scrubbing, plenty of bubbles appeared and stains quickly lifted. I could actually see the suds working, as they changed color to match the mess (red for red sauce, yellow for eggs).
The suds took a couple of rinses to wash away fully and each dish was clean in under 40 seconds. I really liked this cleaner for oil-based grime. I used it on a lot of pans after cooking in the oven or on the stove, and I thought it did a great job of pulling out the oil.
How we tested dish soaps
Over the course of three weeks, I switched out each of the eight dish soaps in my kitchen and made a big effort to hand-wash all of my dishes. When deciding to test these dish soaps, we discussed common tough stains to get out of dishes, and the idea of eggs on a pan, greasy/saucy red spaghetti sauce, and dried yogurt would be good residues to try with these soaps. In addition to the designated tests, I also used each of these soaps on all of my other dishes with varying stains.
Food removal/grease: For each dish, I made sure to use the same amount of dish soap (around two squirts of the soap formula on the dish and/or a coated sponge). I then set a timer on my phone for 30 seconds to see if the soap would be able to clean all of the grease and food in that time. Anything over, I made sure to make note of it. I also made sure to use the same pressure and cleaning motions when using each soap/sponge on the different messes like eggs, red sauce and yogurt. To set the stains, I used a hair dryer to help them crust and fully harden.
Suds longevity: To test how long the suds lasted, I wet a sponge with the soap and squeezed it to see how much foam it created. I then washed my dishes, paying attention to how many bubbles formed and how many remained after each rinse.
Rinsing: I would rinse each dish in lukewarm water from my sink, then examine it to see if there was any food debris or soap left on it. I would then rinse it again to verify how long it took for the dish to be completely soap and suds-free. Once done, I would inspect the dish with my hands to see if there was any leftover soap on the dish.
Frequently asked questions
Sullivan shares, "Suds can be a helpful signal that detergent is still present in your wash water, but more suds doesn’t automatically mean better cleaning."
Sullivan says, "As a general starting point, about 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap per sinkful of wash water is often sufficient; if you apply soap directly to a sponge or dish cloth, start with a small amount and add more as needed"
If you have skin sensitivities, experts suggest using formulas which are fragrance-free and/or dye-free options.
"Hot water is generally recommended for hand dish-washing because it helps loosen and remove greasy soils (reducing the scrubbing needed)," says Sullivan.
Sullivan says that cleaning agents are the most important. She also lays out other common ingredients' purposes below:
- Cleaning agents/surfactants lift dirt and soil and produce good grease-cutting capability.
- Stability and dispensing aids keep the product consistent under varying storage conditions.
- Mildness additives may include moisturizing agents, certain oils and emollients, certain protein compounds, or other neutralizing or beneficial ingredients.
- Fragrance is added to produce a pleasant or distinctive scent.
- Preservatives help prevent any microbiological growth in the product.
- Colorants are added to lend individuality and an appealing appearance to the product.
- Enzymes (in some formulas) can help break down certain tough food soils and stains.
- Encapsulates deliver stability for special materials/ additives (e.g., moisturizer or fragrance).
Why trust Shop TODAY
Annie Shigo is an editorial assistant for Shop TODAY. She joined the team in 2023 and has covered everything from fashion trends to cleaning product staples. She has tested several other types of cleaning-related products for Shop TODAY’s Ranked series, including steam mops, toilet bowl cleaners and more.
Meet the experts
At Shop TODAY, our reporters interview a range of qualified sources and experts to capture a wide scope of perspectives on dish soaps. We also ensure that all expert guidance and recommendations are provided independently and without any undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Katie Sullivan is the director of issue communications at the American Cleaning Institute. She helps answer questions about cleaning practices and informs the public of the best ways to utilize cleaning products.
- Kellsie Zapata is the owner of Zapata's Cleaning Service. The company provides professional cleaning services around the East Coast.
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