Best and Worst Dishwashing Liquids Revealed: The Brands That Shine – and Those to Avoid

If you’ve ever stood in the supermarket aisle wondering whether it’s worth paying more for dishwashing liquid, new research suggests the answer might surprise you.

According to consumer advocacy group CHOICE, some of the most expensive products on the shelf are not only poor value – they can actually perform worse than plain water.

In its latest testing, CHOICE experts put 31 popular dishwashing liquids through their paces, using plates coated with tough food residues like bolognese sauce and egg yolk. Each product was assessed on how well it cleaned compared to water alone.

The top performers

Leading the pack was Morning Fresh, with its Ultimate Pro Brilliance Original Ultra Concentrate scoring an impressive 90 per cent. Another Morning Fresh product also ranked highly, sharing second place with a score of 85 per cent.

But you don’t have to spend big to get sparkling results.

Aldi’s Tandil Ultra Quick Dry Raspberry and Apple liquid also scored 85 per cent – yet costs just a fraction of the price of premium brands. Several Palmolive products also featured strongly among the top performers.

The key takeaway? Price doesn’t equal performance.

The products to avoid

At the other end of the scale, some well-known brands delivered disappointing results.

In fact, CHOICE found that seven dishwashing liquids performed worse than plain water, which itself scored 65 per cent in testing.

The lowest-rated product was Ecostore Lemon Dish Liquid, scoring just 55 per cent – meaning it actually made cleaning harder rather than easier.

Other underperformers included several supermarket and budget-brand options, highlighting how inconsistent results can be – even within the same brand.

What shoppers should know

CHOICE experts say consumers should avoid relying on brand loyalty alone, as performance can vary widely between similar-looking products.

Formulas also change over time, meaning a product that worked well in the past may not deliver the same results today.

For shoppers looking to save money without sacrificing performance, the advice is simple: check independent testing and don’t assume a higher price guarantees a better clean.

In today’s cost-conscious climate, that could mean cleaner dishes – and more money left in your pocket.

Read the full report from CHOICE by clicking HERE