Consumer Reports' 6 favorite dish soaps in 2026

Shoppers are paying closer attention to the ingredients in their dish soap. Fragrance chemicals, allergens, and antibacterial additives can carry health trade-offs that most labels leave unclear. Nearly every formula cleans about equally well, so the real differences between brands lie in suds longevity, rinsing speed, and skin comfort.

Consumer Reports evaluated 12 popular dish soaps on those measures to identify the six worth keeping by the sink.

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Starting at $2.97, this liquid costs just 19 cents per ounce. Suds in a warm-water basin stayed thick even after eight soiled dishes, according to Consumer Reports. CR's tester noted the sponge rinse time was 2 minutes, 12 seconds on average, the longest of any formula tested, a sign of lather that persists through large loads.

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This basil-scented formula costs $4.99, or 33 cents per ounce. Consumer Reports found that the rinse time nearly matched Dawn's, and the lather was similarly rich after eight dishes. CR's tester called the herbal basil scent a favorite, describing it as light and unlike anything else in the lineup.

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A 32.5-ounce bottle costs $4.19, or 12 cents per ounce. Suds levels held steady through a full eight-dish wash in Consumer Reports testing. CR's tester did flag a drawback: Palmolive was the only soap in the evaluation that left hands feeling dry.

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Gain costs just 9 cents per ounce, starting at $3.94 for the bottle. Consumer Reports placed it in a three-way tie for second overall, alongside Mrs. Meyer's and Palmolive. CR's tester cautioned that the scent is notably strong, which could overwhelm anyone sensitive to fragrance.

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Sold exclusively as a 50-ounce bottle, this soap costs $6.25, or 12 cents per ounce. Suds held up through a full eight-dish wash in Consumer Reports testing. CR's tester found the heavy, handleless container the hardest to pour, and the SkinSafe score of 73 percent for allergen safety was the lowest among the top six.

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Nellie's is a solid dish bar, not a liquid, priced from $14.19 per bar. In Consumer Reports testing, the sponge rinse time was just 31 seconds, well below any liquid formula. CR's tester found that eight dishes came clean on a single lathering, with no second pass over the bar needed. Suds even appeared in a warm-water bucket after a sponge dip, a result the competing bar could not match.