The 7 Dish Soap Brands You Should Not Avoid

Few things are as consistent as washing the dishes. Even in a world where most modern homes are now equipped with efficient and effective machines that wash dishes automatically, those devices have not completely eliminated the need for hand-washing dishes. A study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that out of 80 million homes outfitted with a dishwasher, almost 20% were not used in 2015. For a variety of reasons, many of us still often find ourselves reaching for the dish soap to manually wash the dishes.

If you’re going to hand-wash the dishes, your best bet is to choose a high-quality dish soap to help avoid the need for unnecessary elbow grease. If you stroll the dish soap aisle at your local grocery store, you’ll find the shelves filled with different brands. We found seven dish soap brands that are worthy of a place at your kitchen sink. (But if clean carpets rather than clean dishes is your highest priority at the moment, here’s a look at eight vacuum cleaner brands that you should definitely consider.)

Which Dish Soap Is Best?

24/7 Wall St. consulted six different product review websites as well as customer reviews on retail sites. We weighted reviews equally and tabulated the results using an aggregate scoring system. Seven brands landed at the top of our score sheet. The brands are ranked from seventh to first place. We only reviewed traditional dish soap. Many of these brands also offer other dish-cleaning products, such as sprays. While those were not included in our survey, it is reasonable to assume the effectiveness of those products would be comparable to these brands’ conventional dish soaps.

Please note that the prices listed reflect the brand’s baseline dish soap. Most brands offer multiple variations of sizes, scents, and formulations of their dish soaps. The prices listed were accurate at the time of publication and may vary by store or location.

Why This Matters

24/7 wants to help you better understand your money, and how to spend it wisely. We’re covering the 7 dish soap brands you should not avoid to help you understand if your dish soap is working as hard as your dollar, or if another option is a better bang for your buck. In an age where inflation is impacting consumer spending, the products you are investing in need to be worth every penny.

Scroll below to see the 7 dish soap brands you should not avoid:

7. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day

• Holding Company: SC Johnson
• Price to plan for: $4.99
• Volume: 16 fl oz

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Review

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day dish soap is made with essential oils and plant-derived ingredients. All products from this brand are biodegradable, cruelty-free as well as Leaping Bunny certified.

This eco-friendly dish soap makes quick work of grease and grime. In addition, it boasts unique scents including Dandelion, Tomato Vine, Fresh Cut Grass, Mint, Daisy, Iowa Pine, Lilac, Honeysuckle, Lavender, Snowdrop, Peppermint, Rain Water, and many others.

6. Ajax

• Holding Company: Colgate-Palmolive
• Price to plan for: $2.74
• Volume: 28 fl oz

Ajax Review

Ajax is a tried and true, budget-friendly dish soap. One loyal customer noted, “As a brand I’ve used for more than fifty years, Ajax holds its own in a world of modernized detergents and cleaning products.”

Ajax Ultra dish soap is available in five varieties: Super Degreaser Lemon, Bleach Alternative Grapefruit, Vinegar + Lime, Citrus Scent + Salt, and Triple Action Orange.

5. Great Value

• Holding Company: Walmart, Inc.
• Price to plan for: $2.46
• Volume: 28 fl oz

Great Value Review

Walmart’s Great Value dish soap is an unexpected crowd pleaser. Generic store brands often have a reputation for being substandard, especially compared to major brands. However, Great Value Ultra Dish Liquid currently has 4.6 out of 5 stars in over 2,700 customer reviews.

Customers concur with this report of Great Value dish soap’s effectiveness. One said, “ It works great in not only cleaning our dishes but on everything else in our home from cleaning bathrooms to floors to mirrors and windows and so much more!”

4. Gain

• Holding Company: Procter & Gamble
• Price to plan for: $3.44
• Volume: 38 fl oz

Gain Review

Gain may have rose to popularity through its’ laundry products, but its dish soap is not to be missed! Not only is it highly effective at cleaning dishes, it contains the fresh scent that has come to be associated with Gain’s laundry products.

One customer said, “Gain is the only kind of dishwashing liquid I use. I love how it gets my dishes clean and [has] a beautiful smell to go along with it.”

Along with the Original Scent, Gain dish soap is also available in Honey Berry Hula.

3. Palmolive

• Holding Company: Colgate-Palmolive
• Price to plan for: $2.85
• Volume: 20 fl oz

Palmolive Review

In 1898 Palmolive introduced its bar soap which quickly became the best-selling soap in the world. Today, the Palmolive name remains one of the most steady and dependable brands found in millions of American kitchens.

Palmolive touts several varieties of dish soap with different scents, including Ultra Strength, Oxy Power Degreaser, Antibacterial, Pure + Clean, and Experientials.

2. Seventh Generation

• Holding Company: Unilever
• Price to plan for: $3.53
• Volume: 19 fl oz

Seventh Generation Review

Seventh Generation’s name comes from its promise to consider its impact on the next seven generations. Although Seventh Generation is gentle on the environment, it’s tough on dirty dishes. It makes quick work of grease with minimal effort. And, as one reviewer noted, it won’t leave a sponge smelling “mildewy” over time, unlike some other dish soaps.

Seventh Generation touts a Free & Clear dish soap that’s made with no added fragrances. The brand also offers several naturally-scented varieties including Clementine Zest & Lemongrass, Lavender Flower & Mint, Fresh Lime & Ginger, and Yuzu Basil Scent with Phytogaia.

1. Dawn

• Holding Company: Procter & Gamble
• Expected Price: $2.94
• Volume: 18 fl oz

Dawn Review

Dawn is the go-to product for cleaning aquatic birds and animals after catastrophic oil spills. So, it’s no surprise that it’s the best-selling dish soap in the U.S.

One reviewer who rated Dawn as the top dish soap said, “The dish soap works by breaking down the bonds that hold grease together, allowing you to easily remove it from your pots, pans, and dishes.”

Another reviewer, who also placed Dawn in the top spot, said, “Dawn produces lots of long-lasting suds and holds grease in suspension so it doesn’t redeposit back onto dishes. It’s great for soaking and softening burned-on messes, and it takes only a little squirt to clean a big pile of dirty dishes. And it makes a handy grease stain remover for clothing, too.”

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