It’s a kitchen staple we all rely on—dish soap. The best ones don’t just cut through grease; they can tackle all kinds of messes around your home!
Consumer Reports reveals how the soapy superhero is the secret weapon hiding in plain sight.
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Dishwashing liquid is a cleaning workhorse that doesn’t just tackle dirty dishes. For example, if you get hair dye on your skin, you can use a dime-sized amount of baking soda and dish soap to clean it off.
If you need to clean your makeup brush, use dish soap and add one part olive oil.
It even works wonders to reduce condensation on windows, stop squeaky doors, and clear out a clogged drain.
It can also kill those pesky bugs on your plants. A few teaspoons of dish soap with water in a spray bottle works as a gentle and effective insecticide!
With so many brands and formulations, which ones work best on their main job—your dishes?
Consumer Reports looked at some of the most popular. The editor’s choice was Dawn Ultra dishwashing liquid. Its rich suds have kept it ahead of the rest for years.
Gain Ultra Clean dish soap was the most cost-effective budget buy.
If you’re looking to cut back on plastic, Nellie’s dish butter is a good option.
While dish soap is great for hand-washing dishes, it should not be used in your dishwasher!
Also, some TikTok videos suggest using dish soap to brighten your laundry and remove oil stains, but Consumer Reports says this can end up causing problems for your machines.
Using dish soap in a washing machine or dishwasher might seem harmless, but it creates way too many suds, which can cause leaks, poor cleaning performance, or even damage to the machine over time.
Dish soap is not designed to be used on fabrics like laundry detergent. A few drops as a spot remover is OK; just be sure not to use too much, as it can be hard to rinse out.
Even though it’s formulated to be gentle on your hands, experts say dish soap can strip away the skin’s natural oils. And the same goes for your hair, so it’s best to leave it in an upper wall cabinet away from small children and not in the shower.