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Humans have been washing dishes for centuries. Are innovations in dish soap making the job any easier?
Published Apr. 1, 2014. Appears in Cook's Country TV Season 8: Break Out the Bourbon
Top Pick
Winner
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, Lavender
This “97% naturally-derived” dish soap cut through caked-on grime quickly and effortlessly. It cleaned burnt-on chicken teriyaki more than two times faster than other soaps that we tested, and testers loved its “clean,” “herbal” lavender scent.
This “97% naturally-derived” dish soap cut through caked-on grime quickly and effortlessly. It cleaned burnt-on chicken teriyaki more than two times faster than other soaps that we tested, and testers loved its “clean,” “herbal” lavender scent.
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What You Need to Know
As much as we love our dishwashers, when washing delicate china, wood cutting boards, sharp knives, and pots and pans, we still rely on soap and sponge. The last time we tested dish soaps, in 2007, we liked Method Go Naked Ultra Concentrated Dish Detergent best. But it was recently discontinued, so we are revisiting the subject.
We were surprised to find a host of new soaps designed for people who scrub dishes under a running tap rather than fill the sink with soapy water—the more traditional method. So we decided to include three such products: two with pumps that foam straight from the bottle, and one with a special motion-sensor system for germ-free dispensing. We also found an unusual dishwasher detergent/dish soap hybrid. Four of the seven products also make some claim to being environmentally friendly, so we pitted them against the benchmark for traditional liquid soaps—the national best seller Dawn Ultra.
In the kitchen, we gleefully made a mess, burning skillets with measured portions of hard-to-clean foods like béchamel sauce and chicken teriyaki. Controlling for the amount of soap, water temperature, and type of sponge, we washed the pans using both the fill-sink method and the rinse method, counting the strokes needed to get each pan clean. Our best soaps required fewer than 70 strokes, while others needed anywhere from 85 to 100. One soap consistently required more than 100 strokes and even then left a film of oil. What accounted for these differences?
Oil and water repel each other, so soap makes washing dishes easier because it contains surfactants, tadpole-shaped chemicals with water-loving heads and oil-loving tails that encourage water and fat to mix. Surfactants can be made from plants (for all-natural cleaners) or petroleum, but according to Brian Grady, director of the Institute of Applied Surfactant Research at the University of Oklahoma, the origin of surfactants doesn’t determine the effectiveness of the soap. “There’s no inherent advantage of one over the other,” he said. “It comes down to the individual formula and overall quantity of surfactants.”
We turned to a simple science project to measure the power of each product. Surfactants make water “wetter” by lowering its surface tension, allowing tightly packed water molecules to spread out and make room for dirt and grease. We mixed a measured solution of soap and water in plastic cups and suspended a strip of paper bag so that it was just touching the surface. A solution with strong surfactants (and therefore lower surface tension) will allow the water to climb the strip of paper; the higher it travels the stronger the surfactants.
After an hour, the two top-performing soaps climbed an average of more than 40 millimeters, while plain water traveled only 10 millimeters. Our poorest-performing soap (the same product that left dishes filmy with oil) climbed just 11 millimeters. Despite the manufacturer’s claims, it didn’t work in the dishwasher either. We used the data from this test to calculate the strength of surfactants of each soap.
Scent also mattered to our testers, although we gave it less weight in our rankings than washing ability. We asked each soapmaker for its most popular fragrance and had 21 test kitchen staffers sniff each product mixed with water. Testers preferred lightly scented soaps.
All but one of our soaps performed reasonably well, though we’re not sold on foams, even for tap runners. Our recommended soaps worked no matter how we washed with them. In fact, all the products that we tested performed best when we used the fill-sink approach. Why? Since surfactants are dispersed throughout the water, the surfactants are cleaning your dishes even when you’re not scrubbing.
In the end, one soap whipped both innovative products and a traditional favorite, no matter our washing technique, and we liked its smell, too. From now on, we’ll use our winner when we have a sinkful of dirty dishes.
Everything We Tested
Good 3 Stars out of 3.
Fair 2 Stars out of 3.
Poor 1 Star out of 3.
Highly Recommended
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Winner
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, Lavender
This “97% naturally-derived” dish soap cut through caked-on grime quickly and effortlessly. It cleaned burnt-on chicken teriyaki more than two times faster than other soaps that we tested, and testers loved its “clean,” “herbal” lavender scent.
Model Number:
Strength: 4.1 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.99 for 16 oz ($0.25 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
This “97% naturally-derived” dish soap cut through caked-on grime quickly and effortlessly. It cleaned burnt-on chicken teriyaki more than two times faster than other soaps that we tested, and testers loved its “clean,” “herbal” lavender scent.
Model Number:
Strength: 4.1 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.99 for 16 oz ($0.25 per oz)
Recommended
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Lysol No-Touch Kitchen System, Shimmering Berry
While a few testers found this self-dispensing soap’s “strong” berry scent “yummy,” most likened it to something along the lines of “bad Jolly Ranchers.” But its cleaning prowess was undeniable. The motion sensor base unit works cleanly and quickly and is particularly useful for those who prefer to wash dishes under running water. Even if its dispenser is expensive and a tad silly, there’s no denying that this soap really works.
Model Number:
Strength: 4.6 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $10.39 for starter pack, including dispenser, batteries, and 8.5 oz of soap (starter pack: $1.22 per oz; soap refill: $0.47 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
While a few testers found this self-dispensing soap’s “strong” berry scent “yummy,” most likened it to something along the lines of “bad Jolly Ranchers.” But its cleaning prowess was undeniable. The motion sensor base unit works cleanly and quickly and is particularly useful for those who prefer to wash dishes under running water. Even if its dispenser is expensive and a tad silly, there’s no denying that this soap really works.
Model Number:
Strength: 4.6 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $10.39 for starter pack, including dispenser, batteries, and 8.5 oz of soap (starter pack: $1.22 per oz; soap refill: $0.47 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Dawn Platinum Erasing Dish Foam, Fresh Rapids
A concentrated dish liquid that foams straight out of the pump, this soap scrubbed away burnt-on béchamel effortlessly, requiring an average of 71 strokes to clean. Testers compared its “pleasant,” “mild” scent to “freshly cleaned laundry” and preferred it to the stronger but similar fragrance of Dawn Ultra.
Model Number:
Strength: 2.8 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.27 for 10.1 oz ($0.32 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
A concentrated dish liquid that foams straight out of the pump, this soap scrubbed away burnt-on béchamel effortlessly, requiring an average of 71 strokes to clean. Testers compared its “pleasant,” “mild” scent to “freshly cleaned laundry” and preferred it to the stronger but similar fragrance of Dawn Ultra.
Model Number:
Strength: 2.8 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.27 for 10.1 oz ($0.32 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Dawn Ultra, Original Scent
The nation’s top-selling dish soap product, this traditional liquid soap worked reliably through all our tests, requiring an average of 80 strokes to clean dishes and performing particularly well when we soaked dirty dishes in a sinkful of its soapy water.
Model Number:
Strength: 3.6 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $2.97 for 24 oz ($0.12 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
The nation’s top-selling dish soap product, this traditional liquid soap worked reliably through all our tests, requiring an average of 80 strokes to clean dishes and performing particularly well when we soaked dirty dishes in a sinkful of its soapy water.
Model Number:
Strength: 3.6 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $2.97 for 24 oz ($0.12 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid, Free & Clear
This environmentally friendly dish soap did a commendable job on all our dirty dishes, and since it's free from colors or scents, it's a great option for those with allergies. However, some testers who expect a "soapy" smell from their dish soap were perplexed by its lack of scent. “I wouldn’t exactly object to using this stuff on my dishes,” said one, “but I might not be convinced that they’re actually clean.”
Model Number:
Strength: 3 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.69 for 25 oz ($0.15 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
This environmentally friendly dish soap did a commendable job on all our dirty dishes, and since it's free from colors or scents, it's a great option for those with allergies. However, some testers who expect a "soapy" smell from their dish soap were perplexed by its lack of scent. “I wouldn’t exactly object to using this stuff on my dishes,” said one, “but I might not be convinced that they’re actually clean.”
Model Number:
Strength: 3 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $3.69 for 25 oz ($0.15 per oz)
Recommended with reservations
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Method Power Foam Dish Soap, French Lavender
Testers were split on this innovative dish soap, designed for spraying directly onto dirty dishes. It washed well but needed double the soap to get the job done, and while some appreciated the spray function, others found it clunky and awkward to use.
Model Number:
Strength: 3.2 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $4 for 16 oz ($0.25 per oz)
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Testers were split on this innovative dish soap, designed for spraying directly onto dirty dishes. It washed well but needed double the soap to get the job done, and while some appreciated the spray function, others found it clunky and awkward to use.
Model Number:
Strength: 3.2 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: $4 for 16 oz ($0.25 per oz)
Not Recommended
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
Earth Friendly Products DuoDish, Organic Lavender
We had high hopes for this all-natural soap meant for use in the dishwasher and the sink, but the product proved adept at neither. During our scrubbing tests, this detergent failed to dissolve in water, leaving stringy blobs of soap in the drain. In the dishwasher, it was no match for caked-on cheese and egg.
Model Number:
Strength: 1.1 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: DISCONTINUED
- Scent
- Cleaning Performance
- Strength of Surfactants
We had high hopes for this all-natural soap meant for use in the dishwasher and the sink, but the product proved adept at neither. During our scrubbing tests, this detergent failed to dissolve in water, leaving stringy blobs of soap in the drain. In the dishwasher, it was no match for caked-on cheese and egg.
Model Number:
Strength: 1.1 times more effective thanwater
Price at Time of Testing: DISCONTINUED
*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.
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