These Are The Best And Worst Dish Soaps To Have In Your Kitchen, Ranked — Do You Agree?

kelseymedina | November 10, 2024 8:00 am

The last thing anyone wants to do is worry about dirty dishes, especially after making a cheesy or greasy meal.

That's where dish soap comes in. To help you make the right decision regarding the suitable dish soaps to clean those stubborn stains, we've compiled a handy list of some of the best and worst dish soaps available. Keep reading to find out more!

Palmolive Antibacterial

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Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The antibacterial version of Palmolive's classic soap formula kills 99.9% of bacteria.

The consistency of the soap itself is thick, and the ingredients, due to their bacteria-killing properties, are drying for sensitive skin.

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Dawn vs. Palmolive

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Dawn and Palmolive are two of the most recognizable soap brands.

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Dawn Platinum and Palmolive Ultra Strength both offer intense cleaning solutions to your toughest messes, so they rank as the top best dish soaps.

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J.R. Watkins Dish Soap

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J.R. Watkins has been relatively transparent with the ingredients for this dish soap. The soap's bottles are made from partially recycled used consumer products.

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That being said, the ingredients are pretty harsh and may cause contact dermatitis.

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Method Dish Soap

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Hand soap and dish soap by Method in design-friendly containers, and a spatula designed by Michael Graves.
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Method Dish Soap relies on a plant-based formula to finish the cleaning job while also coming in various pleasing scents.

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If you're worried about dry hands, Method also helps keep your skin moisturized and safe from uncomfortable dryness.

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Ajax Dish Liquid With Bleach Alternative

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Ajax dishwashing soap, made by Colgate-Palmolive Co., is dis
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Ajax Dish Liquid with Bleach Alternative comes in a refreshing grapefruit scent.

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The soap itself is not abrasive, but more must be used to eliminate tougher stains. The bottle design makes it easy to pour out too much soap, causing waste.

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Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray

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Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray may not necessarily be dish soap, but it does have formidable cleaning power when removing grease stains.

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Rather than lathering with water, the spray works by spritzing, waiting, and wiping. It's also great on clothing stains.

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Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap

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This soap is perhaps one of the most well-known despite the lack of marketing as dish soap.

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With a base consisting of pure oils, it lathers up nicely after diluting to the right dishwashing consistency.

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9 Elements Liquid Dish Soap

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Another vegan dish soap, 9 Elements Liquid Dish Soap, is powered by vinegar and comes in either eucalyptus or lemon scent.

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True to its name, the soap only uses nine ingredients and takes all the guesswork out of figuring out how much vinegar and water you're supposed to use when cleaning.

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Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner

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Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is biodegradable and eco-friendly, with a concentrated formula that can easily be adjusted by adding water.

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It may not be traditional dish soap, but it is safe to use on dishes, especially on tougher messes such as barbecue tools.

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Cleancult Liquid Dish Soap

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Cleancult Liquid Dish Soap is a sustainable cleaning soap that is cruelty-free, naturally derived, and comes in a paper-based milk carton.

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Ingredients include coconut, aloe vera, and glycerin, making it super hydrating for hands while cutting through grease.

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Joy Ultra Dish Soap

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For a soap with a gentle scent and non-drying ingredients, Joy Ultra Dish Soap gives the best result.

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It also gives an excellent lather to ensure your dishes are completely free of residual grease and grime.

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Babyganics Foaming Dish and Bottle Soap

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Babyganics Bottle Soap
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This dish soap is suitable for dishes and baby bottles because of its non-irritating and non-allergenic ingredients.

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After rinsing with this soap, there's no soap residue, and your skin is safe from harsher and drying ingredients.

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Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dish Soap

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Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Dish Soap has an incredible scent, sure to make your dishes smell lovely for a long time.

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Unfortunately, for those who are prone to contract dermatitis, some of the ingredients in this soap are likely to irritate you.

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ECOS Hypoallergenic Dish Soap

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ECOS Hypoallergenic Dish Soap is free of ingredients that can aggravate sensitive skin.

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Thanks to these gentle ingredients, you don't even need to use gloves when washing the dishes anymore.

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Ivory Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid

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Ivory's Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid is generally given good reviews due to its gentle ingredients.

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Without compromising cleanliness, it also gives a good bang for your buck, the cap allowing you to pour out just how much you need.

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Love Home & Planet Dish Liquid

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Love Home & Planet Dish Liquid is gentle for the hands, but this gentle formula is far too mild to cut down on grease.

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Despite this, it mainly has plant-sourced ingredients, so in this aspect, it lives up to its name.

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Seventh Generation Dish Liquid

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This liquid dish soap contains ingredients that are preservatives known to cause reactions.

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Despite this, it is still powerful enough to remove tough stains.

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Gain Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Soap

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The famous Gain laundry detergent scent is now available in dish soap, sure to make your dishes smell as heavenly as your clothes.

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Aside from the scent, just a little of the soap gets the job done, so you don't have to worry about wasting any!