Best Dish Soap Reviews 2020

We all need dish soaps for keeping our dishes clean and smelling nice while not endangering our health. We have searched, found, and reviewed the top 5 brands of dishwashing soaps to help you pick your ideal dish soap with ease. Though we have only featured one dish soap from each brand, these brands have many others that you can check out.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Scent

Size

Ingredients

Pack Size

Extras

Our Top Choice

Ajax Dishwashing Liquid

Ajax is a leading manufacturer of extremely efficient dishwashing liquids.

This dishwashing liquid is very affordable and leaves your dishes with a pleasant lemon scent.

Some reports of people who don't like the smell.

Pleasant scent

90 oz.

Water/Lauramidopropylamine oxide

Available in 2 sizes.

Super degreaser

Best Value

Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid

For more than 25 years, Seventh Generation has been creating cleaning solutions that are effective and beneficial to the environment as a whole.

This dish soap is almost 100% natural, has a nice scent, and is also very affordable.

There have been reports of this product drying out hands very quickly.

Unscented

25 oz.

Water/Sodium lauryl sulfate

Available in 3 pack sizes

Hypoallergenic

Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Soap

Palmolive produces cleaning agents and solutions that work for every and any situation.

This dish soap is very effective and washes through any type of dirt and bacteria. It also has a pleasant smell.

More expensive than standard dish soaps because of antibacterial properties.

Orange Scented

90 Oz.

Water/Sodium lauryl sulfate

Available in 2 pack sizes

Antibacterial

Dawn Ultra Dish Soap

Dawn has been manufacturing and distributing highly-efficient cleaning solutions for many years.

It cleans any type of dirt very easily and is also quite affordable. This product does not contain hand-drying chemicals.

Only "negatives" we came across were matters of personal preference.

Original Scent

56 oz.

Biodegradable surfactants

Available in 5 pack sizes

3X more grease-cleaning power

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day is a top seller of cleaning solutions. Its products are made with the finest materials.

This soap has a nice smell and it can clean the dirtiest of plates in a short time. It does not contain harsh chemicals.

Some users don't like smell.

Lavender

16 oz.

Water/Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

3 Pack

Biodegradable

(Updated June 20, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

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Watch Our Dish Soap Review

How Do I Choose the Best Dish Soap?

Dish soap is a detergent for dishwashing. Normally, it’s a highly-foaming mix of surfactants which doesn’t irritate the skin and is used basically for washing (by hand, or in the sink or bowl), cutlery, glasses, and cooking utensils dinnerware. This includes both those ones we use every day and the ones we use only on special occasions like Thanksgiving. Children also enjoy making bubbles from dish soaps, and we also use them sometimes for washing clothes and cleaning birds affected by oil.

It’s important to note that while dish soaps can be used for handwashing dishes, they are not ideal for use in dishwashers. For washing your plates or kitchen utensils in the dishwasher, dishwasher detergents are ideal. The reason is simple: dish soaps produce a lot of suds while dishwasher detergents don’t. Even a small amount of regular dish soap can produce a substantial quantity of suds which, when washing by hand, is great since you can keep an eye on just how much the suds are filling your sink. This is, however, not good when washing in an enclosed space like a dishwasher as the large quantity of suds easily spill over out of your dishwasher and onto the kitchen floor; this can be extremely dangerous. Some people have died from stepping on slippery kitchen floors and landing on their heads.

In this review, our focus is on dish soaps which should be used for washing dishes by hand. We will discuss the various factors that make for great dish soaps. This includes things like dish soaps made strictly from natural ingredients, the type of fragrance that is ideal for a dish soap, etc. You don’t want your plate to smell of dish soap days after washing, or to have the smell of the dish soap mingling with the food you want to eat.

So, we invite you to join us in this journey to discover the best dish washing soap for you.

Price

All dish soaps are generally affordable, and so pricing may not appear to be a big deal when deciding which dish soap to buy. Yet, you want to make sure you’re getting real value for every dollar you spend. In spite of the fact that they are generally very affordable, there are also some very cheap dish soaps that don’t offer real value for money, so we didn’t bother with those in this review.

The price of dish soaps generally ranges from $3.00 to $20.00, and the greatest determinant of dish soap prices is the quantity and whether it’s made of natural or artificial ingredients. Those made of natural, eco-friendly, and easily bio-degradable ingredients are generally more expensive than those made of synthetic ingredients.

So, you need to pay attention to the ingredients on the pack or bottle of your potential dish soap, to ensure you’re deciding on a dish soap that’s organically certified. This keeps you healthier in the long run, as you will soon see.

Features

The features of a soap determine its quality, so you should always know the features that you need to look out for before purchasing a dish soap. You generally want a dish soap that will not be used up quickly, produces a sufficient quantity of suds, etc. Here is a somewhat more detailed listing of the features to look out for in any dish soap.

Size
Sud production
The fragrance
Durability of bottle used to package it
Price
Type of nozzle
Ingredients

Construction and Design

Dish soaps are generally meant to lather easily, and this is measured by the amount of suds the soap can produce for a given quantity of soap used. Since you will be washing with your hands, a good quantity of suds makes your dishwashing easier. Remember, you don’t need too many suds when washing with a dishwasher.

More so, you need dish soaps that will not be used up quickly. One way for your dish soap to disappear quickly is if it doesn’t produce sufficient suds so that you have to pour a lot of it each time. No matter the size of the dish soap bottle, in this case, it will finish quickly. For a dish soap bottle that is sizeable, once the dish soap produces sufficient suds per quantity of soap applied, then you have made a great buy.

The bottle housing the soap, beyond the size, has to be durable. You don’t want your soap container to fall apart, thereby spilling your soap, before you’ve used even half of the soap.

The organic nature of the soap is an essential point to note. Soaps made of plant-based ingredients are preferable to those made from petroleum-based ingredients. While we all love good fragrances, you’ll want to steer clear of products with very strong fragrances that hardly go away even with repeated rinsing. Also, using soaps with a lot of artificial ingredients could lead to allergic reactions. Remember, your skin is a semi-permeable membrane and repeated exposure to some of these chemicals could lead to serious health challenges in the future.

Performance and Ease of Use

We’ve already talked about the ability of dish soap to produce suds being one thing to really look out for. Also, the dish soap you go for should not be difficult to rinse away; repeat rinsing would be a waste of water. The best dish soaps remove grease and dried-up foods with little or no effort from the user, and this is a feature of all the dish soaps we have reviewed.

The dish bottle, apart from being durable, must have the type of nozzle that makes pouring out the soap easy. Also, you don’t want a nozzle that releases its content as you turn it. An ideal bottle nozzle should only let out soap when the bottle is pressed and once pressed, should release the soap.

What is the Best Dish Soap?

There are a few factors that have to be considered before choosing a dish soap. These factors can make choosing a dish soap a tough task, which is why in this review, we have listed the salient features of each product. Since you have read our buying guide, this will help you to effortlessly identify the dish soap that’s best for you. So, let’s head straight to the reviews…

Our Top Choice

The Ajax Dishwashing liquid is a super degreaser and is value-sized (90-ounce), which helps to save cost. You get delight in the fresh lemon aroma of this liquid while simultaneously getting your dishes clean. If you want a dishwashing liquid with an orange scent, we recommend the Ajax Triple Action Dish Liquid. This dish soap fights odors on dishes.

Ajax Super Degreaser Lemon Dishwashing Liquid– Available in 2 Sizes

Ajax Dish Soap 49110– 90 Ounce

Features

For many years, Ajax has been leading in the manufacturing and distributing of highly-efficient dishwashing soaps. Its products are very affordable and also quite effective. If you’re looking for a top-quality soap, Ajax is the right place to look.

The Ajax Dishwashing Liquid (Selling for $14.48-Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is an efficient dishwashing liquid, a super degreaser, and is value-sized (90-ounce), which helps to save cost. The fresh lemon aroma of this liquid is a great delight while it gets your dishes clean simultaneously.

Here are some other dish soaps by Ajax:

Ajax Advanced Citrus Blast Dishwashing Liquid- It has a citrus scent and it is 102 fluid ounces
Ajax Bleach Alternative Grapefruit Dish Liquid- It is 52 fluid ounces and is very affordable
Ajax Bleach Alternative Dish Liquid Citrus Berry Splash- It is 90 fluid ounces and is very affordable
Ajax Triple Action Orange Dish and hand soap- It is 90 fluid ounce and can be used for both hands and dishes

Ajax has many other dish soaps that you may want to check out if the featured one isn’t the one for you.

Best Value

The Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid is a highly-efficient soap that is environmentally-friendly. It has a great scent and is made to combat any type of germ. If you want an effective soap that has a fresh ginger and citrus smell, you should check out the Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid, Fresh Citrus & Ginger Scent.

Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid with Plant-Based Ingredients– Available in 6 Scents & 3 Sizes

Seventh Generation Dish Soap SG-016C– Free & Clear- 25 Ounce (Pack of 6)

Features

Seventh Generation believes in making a difference, and for more than twenty-five years it has been creating plant-based cleaning solutions that are environmentally-friendly. Its products are healthy solutions for the community as a whole and no animal is harmed during the making of its products. It’s always looking for ways to reduce harsh environmental impact and to increase efficiency. Seventh Generation, as its name implies, plans to improve the way of doing business seven generations to come and more.

The Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid (Selling for $17.82- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is a natural dish soap that is plant-based. It saves you a lot of time as it easily combats grease. It has no added dyes or synthetic fragrances. It’s strong enough to clean all types of silver ware, pots, and pans and is gentle enough to clean baby feeding equipment. This dish soap is also available in six different scents and three different sizes! So, go ahead and pick the best one for you.

Here are some other dish soaps by Seventh Generation:

Seventh Generation Natural Dishwashing Liquid Cleaner- It is 48 fluid ounces and is affordable
Seventh Generation Dish Liquid, Lemongrass and Clementine- It is chlorine-bleach free and the gel is septic safe
Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid, Lavender andLime- It has a nice smell and is tough on grease
Seventh Generation Auto Dish Gel- It is 42 fluid ounces

Not the one for you? Seventh Generation has many other dish soaps you can check out.

The Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Soap is a dish soap that effectively cleans, and removes all traces of bacteria. It does this in just 30 seconds. It’s also phosphate-free. If you want a soap that is ultra-original and comes in a twin pack, you should check out the Palmolive Ultra Original Dish Liquid which is “tough on grease but soft on hands”.

Palmolive Ultra Concentrated &Ultra Antibacterial Dish Liquid – Available in 2 Sizes

Palmolive Dish Soap 49119– 90 Ounce

Features

Palmolive is a leading manufacturer of innovative cleaning products for the world. Its products are made to be highly effective, and it comes up with new ideas and new ways to make cleaning an easier process. If you want the best cleaning solutions, this is one brand you cannot afford to ignore.

The Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Soap (Selling for $19.99- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is an effective dish liquid that is made with a concentrated formula. This soap kills 99.9% of all the bacteria and germs, washes through even very tough grease, and kills all types of bacteria in a mere 30 seconds. It is phosphate-free, and comes in 90 fluid ounces so it can be used over a long period of time.

Here are some other dish soaps by Palmolive:

Palmolive Ultra-Pure and Clear Dish Liquid- It is effective and is twenty-five ounces
Palmolive Original Liquid Dish Detergent- It is 90 fluid ounces and very affordable
Palmolive Ultra Anti-bacterial Orange Dish Liquid- It is 25 fluid ounces and comes in a pack of three
Palmolive Ultra Soft Touch with Aloe Dish Liquid- It is made with a touch of aloe and is especially designed for dry skin

Feel free to check out other Palmolive dish soaps if you don’t like the one we featured.

The Dawn Dish Soap is a number one best seller with its natural scent. It has three times more grease-removing power than other soaps, so you can clean more dishes with less soap. If you want an antibacterial soap with an orange scent, we recommend Antibacterial Soap with Orange Scent. It has 2 times more grease-cleaning power per drop.

Dawn Original Scent Ultra Dishwashing Liquid– Available in 5 Sizes

Dawn Dish Soap Ultra Dishwashing - 56 Ounce, 2 Count

Features

Dawn is known around the world for its quality cleaning solutions. It stands very confident of its products, and its ever-growing positive reviews back it up. Dawn’s products are made to be highly-efficient and effective. Its products are designed to fit each customer’s particular cleaning needs.

The Dawn Dish Soap (Selling for $13.00- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is a very efficient soap that has three times more power to remove grease than conventional soaps. You can get through a lot of dishes with very little soap and this helps you save a lot of money. It doesn’t have any artificial scents, but it does have an original scent.

Here are some other dish soaps by Dawn:

Dawn Hand Renewal Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap with Pomegranate Splash- It is 28 fluid ounces and affordable
Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Soap, Antibacterial Apple Blossom- It has a nice scent and can also be used as a hand soap
Dawn Dish Soap, Ultra Platinum Dish Foam- It has a fresh rapids smell, and one pump is able to clean a sink full of dishes

Still undecided? Dawn has many other dish soaps that you could check out as well.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap is a thick and rich soap and it contains soap bark extract attained from plants, one of the best degreasers you can get from nature. It is also biodegradable. If you want a dish soap refill bottle for your lavender dish soap, you should see the Meyers Lavender Liquid Hand Soap Refill. It is manufactured with 40% less plastic than traditional plastic refill containers.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day 16 fl Oz. 3-PackLavender Dish Soap

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap Lavender - 3-Pack

Features

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day started when Mrs. Thelma and her daughter went to a store one day and saw that all the cleaning soaps and solutions had harsh, bad-smelling chemicals. She then decided to change this and to begin making cleaning soaps that not only smell nice, but also do the job effectively. Its products are made with essential oils from flowers and other plants that smell nice. There are no harsh materials used in its making, which is why its customer satisfaction is quite high.

The Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Dish Soap (Selling for $14.22- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is an efficient soap that can be used to wash both dishes and hands. It contains soap bark extract attained from plants, which is one of the best degreasers you can get from nature. It is biodegradable, easy to wash with, and rinses clean.

Here are some other dish soaps by Mrs. Meyers Clean Day:

Mrs. Meyers Liquid Dish soap, Rosemary- It has a nice scent and is 16 fluid ounces
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, Honeysuckle- It is 16 fluid ounces and has a nice smell
Mrs. Meyers Liquid Dish Soap, Bluebell- It is 16 fluid ounces and is very affordable

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day has many other dish soaps you may want to consider if this doesn’t meet your requirements.

Get the Best Dish Soap of 2020!

After taking the time to go through our detailed reviews, we’re sure that you have found the best dish soap for yourself. So go ahead and place that order!

Our Top Choice

Ajax Dishwashing Liquid

Best Value

Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid

Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Soap

Dawn Ultra Dish Soap

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap