Our expert testers rated 31 dishwashing liquids to find out which ones give the best clean, and which will make washing the dishes even more of a slog
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get good results – one home-brand detergent took out equal second place, beating products that cost up to six times as much
One of the most expensive products we tested was also one of the worst
We’re all trying to trim our grocery bills, but buying cleaning products like dishwashing liquid is one of the least fun ways to spend your money.
To save you time at the sink and leave more money in your pockets, our expert testers slogged through piles of dirty dishes to find the best performing dishwashing detergents, and tell you which ones to leave off your shopping list.
“We tested more than 30 popular dishwashing liquids using plates that are covered with different foods, including bolognaise sauce and egg yolk,” explains CHOICE household expert Chris Barnes.
“We soak them in each detergent, scrub them a set number of times and then look at how clean the plates are.
“We also look at how well they wash compared to plain water.”
A good detergent makes doing the dishes child’s play.
Clean winners: The best dishwashing liquids in our test
The results were crystal clear: Morning Fresh wiped the floor with its competitors, with two products from the brand taking out first and equal-second spots.
Morning Fresh’s Ultimate Pro Brilliance Original Ultra Concentrate topped the table with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 90%, and its Antibac Active Lemon Ultra Concentrate came in equal-second place, scoring 85%.
Best bubbles: This Morning Fresh detergent topped our tests.
Palmolive was also a strong contender, snagging four out of the seven top spots.
If you want the best bubbles, you might need to pay extra for them: the two Morning Fresh liquids cost $6 for a 350mL bottle. (That’s $1.71 per 100mL.)
Palmolive Ultra Gentle Care Mild Fragrance, in equal-second place, is a fair bit cheaper, priced at $1 per 100mL.
But if you want bubbles on a budget, there are two high-scoring options that are wallet-friendly.
Aldi’s Tandil Ultra Quick Dry Raspberry And Apple liquid will set you back just 40 cents per 100mL – less than a quarter of the price of the Morning Fresh – and Palmolive Lemon Lime with Citrus Extracts Regular is 46 cents per 100mL.
“If you shop smart, you can find an affordable dishwashing liquid that’ll give you good value for money and good performance – a win for your dishes and your pocket,” says Chris.
Here are the top-scoring dishwashing liquids from our tests. They’re all recommended by CHOICE experts.
Top performers from our test
Morning Fresh Ultimate Pro Brilliance Original Ultra Concentrate Dishwashing Liquid: CHOICE Expert Rating: 90%; $1.71 per 100mL
Aldi Tandil Ultra Quick Dry Raspberry And Apple: 85%; $0.40 per 100mL
Morning Fresh Antibac Active Lemon Ultra Concentrate Dishwashing Liquid: 85%; $1.71 per 100mL
Palmolive Ultra Gentle Care Mild Fragrance Dishwashing Liquid: 85%; $1.00 per 100mL
Palmolive Lemon Lime with Citrus Extracts Regular Dishwashing Liquid: 80%; $0.46 per 100mL
Palmolive Ultra Strength Original Dishwashing Liquid: 80%; $1.00 per 100mL
While some Aldi products impressed our experts, it’s worth noting that some of the supermarket’s dishwashing liquids didn’t fare so well in our lab tests, sitting towards the bottom of the heap.
It was the same story for other well-known brands, with products towards both the top and bottom of the leaderboard.
If you shop smart, you can find an affordable dishwashing liquid that’ll give you good value for money and good performance – a win for your dishes and your pocket
Chris Barnes, CHOICE household expert
It goes to show that buying based on brand alone won’t guarantee good performance.
And with so many products from the same brand having similar names, you need to be paying attention when you pick up a bottle from the supermarket shelf.
This Aldi liquid was one of the best in our tests – but other Aldi products were some of the lowest scorers.
“Our tests uncovered some wild variation, so never assume that if one product cleans well, similar ones from the same brand will deliver the same results,” warns Chris.
“It’s worth keeping in mind when you’re shopping – otherwise you could grab an inferior product accidentally.
“Likewise, don’t assume an expensive product will outperform a cheap one – our tests found price is no measure of performance.”
The same goes for expecting that the washing up liquid you’ve always used will keep giving you good results.
“The reason we test every year is because manufacturers often change the formula to improve performance or reduce costs, so check back with us each year to see which products are the best,” says Chris.
Ultra flops: The expensive detergents that are a waste of your money
If you’re looking for a fresh new way to tip your money down the sink, look no further than Saba Organic Dishwashing Liquid and Fairy Platinum Plus Lemon Dishwashing Liquid.
Saba Organic Dishwashing Liquid is expensive but disappointing for the price.
The Saba product didn’t perform too badly, receiving a CHOICE Expert Rating of 75%. But it costs a huge $2.40 per 100mL – that’s six times as much as Aldi’s top scorer!
And with a score of 65%, Fairy Platinum Plus Lemon Dishwashing Liquid was less effective than plain water, but costs $1.62 per 100mL.
These detergents will likely leave you with sore arms from all the extra scrubbing needed to get your dishes clean, and a hole in your pocket from the steep prices.
Worse than water: this Ecostore dishwashing liquid was the lowest scoring product in our tests.
We pitted 31 dishwashing liquids against good old-fashioned water to see which ones delivered the ultimate clean.
While some delivered sparkling results, some are so bad that you might as well not even bother using them.
Plain water received a CHOICE Expert Rating of 65%, but our experts found that seven dishwashing liquids actually leave the washing up less clean than not using anything at all.
That brings a whole new meaning to the term “elbow grease”!
The most washed-up dishwashing liquid was Ecostore’s Lemon Dish Liquid, which received a CHOICE Expert Rating of 55% – a full 10 percentage points lower than plain water.
To spare you the frustration of buying a dishwashing liquid that’ll make washing up harder than it needs to be, here are the detergents that you should avoid.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid.
Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.
Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
For more than 60 years, we've been making a difference for Australian consumers. In that time, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family. And our recent sunscreens test showed just how important it is to keep business claims in check.
So you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
