12 best washing up liquids for cleaning dishes quickly

Score: 89/100

Our winning washing up liquid may seem pricey, but it’s concentrated, so a little really does go a long way. It’s also hypoallergenic, making it a safe choice for eczema sufferers, and it left our hands feeling soft after a dip in the sink. Everybody loved the subtle grapefruit scent too, which made for a calming cleaning experience.

It tackled fat and lifted dried food effectively. It did leave a bit of soapy residue on our cutlery and glasses, but that was nothing a quick rinse couldn’t sort. Dosage recommendations for varying water hardness would have been appreciated, but we welcome Bower’s eco-friendly ethos – refill pouches and glass or plastic pump dispensers are sold separately to minimise plastic waste.

Score: 87/100

When it came to scent, eco-thinking and cleaning power, this fun buy ticked all our boxes. Outside of its colourful, modern branding, this washing up liquid left our plates, glasses and mugs shiny and streak-free, while still being “very gentle” on our panellists’ hands.

It’s also our star pick for handling serious grease, effectively removing it with – excuse the pun – minimal hassle. It didn’t perform as well on dried cereal and egg yolk residue, but this didn’t put our panel off, with several testers praising its expert cleaning power.

We’re also pleased to report that Miniml offers free-delivery refills. You can opt for an attractive reusable glass bottle, which comes complete with a handy dispenser, or if you’ve already got a stylish bottle you’re attached to, you can invest in the 5L or 500ml refill bottles. Be warned, though, our panel found the latter a touch tricky to dispense.

Score: 87/100

This hypoallergenic formula is designed to blitz burnt-on stains while protecting even the most sensitive skin. It wasn’t very “sudsy”, which affected its fat removal performance, and we had to give it some welly when scrubbing off dried food. Still, it left a four-place setting streak-free, which impressed us.

The chunky bottle can be tricky to grip and pour from, but we like that it’s made solely from recycled material. It proved easy to open and has a zingy grapefruit scent, although this didn’t linger for long. Refills are available, but only in big bottles, so you’ll need some spare cupboard space.

Score: 86/100

If you’re looking to bring a touch of la dolce vita to your daily clean-up, this top performer from Marks & Spencer is a great place to start. Our panel were utterly charmed by the fragrance, with many commenting on the “the lovely scent” from the lemon and ginger botanical essential oils.

The chic, minimalist packaging also proved to be a hit, although the eco-conscious should note that it isn’t made from recycled materials. A small drop produced “a good amount of suds” though, and it cut through grease with ease, blitzing seven dirty plates before requiring a top-up.

Some of our testers were less impressed with its ability to tackle hardened coffee and tea stains, and removing dried food from cutlery proved to be a bit of a workout. But for those who want a luxurious scent at supermarket prices, it can’t be beaten.

Score: 83/100

Among the cheapest washing up liquids on our list (alongside Asda below), this is a steal for its quality, but bear in mind that its consistency is slightly runny, meaning you’ll probably get through it faster.

It surpassed our expectations when it came to removing fat from oven dishes and it quickly lifted dried-on stains from crockery, without the need to scrub. We had to top up our sponge after washing only a handful of greasy plates, but it left our glassware shining and we liked its energising lemon scent.

Score: 82/100

This wallet-friendly option claims to “cut through grease instantly”, and it did. It banished fat efficiently – one squirt was enough to clean a sink full of dirty dishes – and only minimal scrubbing was required when cleaning dried food from crockery.

We welcomed the dosage recommendation, albeit vague, but the solution didn’t disperse well in water and the plentiful bubbles clogged up our sink slightly. It left streaks on our cutlery but our glasses looked restaurant-worthy after drying. Just be wary if you have sensitive skin, as it left our hands feeling quite dry.

Score: 81/100

If you’re already devoted to Smol’s laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets, then you can add another product to your subscription: its washing up liquid. Each delivery contains a pack of four bottles, and you choose how regularly you receive it. The order also comes with a free returns label so you can send your bottles back to be refilled.

As for its cleaning prowess, testers found it cleaned glassware, plates and cutlery well but it struggled with more soiled or greasy dishes. The suds tended to dissipate quickly, too. The fruit scent was a hit though and it’s a good option if you typically do quick, light washes.

Score: 81/100

We found this washing up liquid from Ecover a breeze to dispense but it disappointed slightly in the suds stakes, producing only lacklustre foam. This caused us to use more product, which is worth noting given it's already expensive price tag.

Despite this, it cleaned grease well, and dried rapidly to leave a gleaming finish. The bottle’s ergonomic design made it comfortable to hold and we love that there are refills available. Those with sensitive skin will be reassured to know that it felt gentle on our hands and didn’t aggravate eczema.

Score: 80/100

This washing up liquid boasts an unusual yet pleasant fragrance leaving our hands smelling lovely. Its bottle was easy to dispense from and its colourful packaging will lend your kitchen style points.

It had no trouble cleaning dried-on food from our crockery, but it struggled with fat removal because of its unstable suds, which disappeared when we were only a few dishes in. We had to top it up regularly, making it one of our priciest options.

Score: 80/100

If you’re in the market for a washing up liquid you can display with pride, this sleek and stylish option should be at the top of your list. Our panel had endless praise for the packaging, describing it as “elegant”, “fancy” and “modern”, with one tester adding that it “looks amazing near my sink!”.

Most of our panel were also fans of the “unusual but refreshing scent”, which includes notes of eucalyptus and thyme. Sensitive skin? Our panel found this to be nice and soft on their hands too.

While this product impressed on aesthetics and scent, we found it struggled with dried-on food residue on dishes. For the price, we’d also like to see more suds.

Score: 79/100

This washing up liquid can also be used for cleaning hard waterproof surfaces, making it a versatile under-the-sink addition. It’s wheat-free, should there be any allergies in the household, and safe to use around furry friends. It put up a decent fight against fatty residue and lifted dried-on leftovers from our plates. It produced a lot of bubbles, especially when we agitated the water, but they weren’t very stable, meaning we had to top up our sponge to get all our crockery clean.

We liked that it was fragrance-free but thought the packaging looked cheap and found the push-up lid fiddly to reopen when our hands were soapy.

Score: 74/100

Dream of sparkling glasses with that freshly steamed restaurant look? Well, this Delphis washing up liquid had our panel singing its smear-free praises. One tester even described the streak-free formula as a “game-changer”, adding, “I would buy this just for cleaning glasses!”.

Unfortunately, it struggled to remove food pieces from cutlery and plates. It was able to cut through grease when used neat, but this meant a lot of top-ups, which is less than ideal for one of our pricier picks.

For the sake of sparkling glasses, we’re willing to forgive its lack of tough stain-blitzing powers though, and we liked the subtle citrus scent. It’s also made in the UK and the reusable bottle would make a classy addition to any kitchen.