Comparison: Best Soap For Dishwasher (Updated | Oct 22nd)
Choosing the best soap for your dishwasher can enhance cleaning performance, protect appliances, and ensure dishes come out spot-free. With a variety of options—powders, tablets, pods, and liquids—factors like water hardness, detergent compatibility, and environmental impact play key roles in decision-making. This comparison highlights top-performing formulas, balancing effectiveness, convenience, and sustainability to help you select a product that meets your household’s needs without compromising on quality or value. Whether prioritizing grease-cutting power or eco-friendly ingredients, the right dishwasher soap makes cleaning efficient and hassle-free.
Editor’s Choice
Best for a specific purpose
-
Best for eco-friendly pick:
Cascade Free & Clear Dishwasher Detergent Liquid Gel -
Best for best overall:
Cascade Platinum Plus Dishwasher Pods -
Best for dawn powered:
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Pods – Fresh Scent ActionPacs -
Best for best value:
Cascade Complete Gel All-in-1 Dishwasher Detergent – Citrus breeze – 75 oz Packaging May Vary -
Best for water saving:
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Pods -
Best for biobased gel:
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Gel Lemon Scent 2 pack for sparkling dishes dishwasher soap 70 oz -
Best for budget pick:
Finish Gel Liquid Dishwasher Detergent -
Best for powerful cleaning:
Finish – All in 1 – Dishwasher Detergent – Powerball – Dishwashing Tablets – Dish Tabs – Fresh Scent -
Best for hard water fix:
Lemi Shine Natural Dish Detergent Booster – Hard Water Stain Remover – Multi-Use Citric Acid Cleaner – 24 oz (2 Pack) -
Best for eco-friendly bulk:
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Gel Liquid Soap Lemon Scent Dish Detergent 42 oz
Product Comparison: Best Soap For Dishwasher
Eco-friendly pick
Cascade Free & Clear Dishwasher Detergent Liquid Gel, Dish Detergent, Dishwasher Soap, Lemon, 75oz
Cascade
- Formulated with biobased* and other thoughtfully selected ingredients. *45% biobased ingredients
- More tough food-cleaning ingredients (vs. Cascade Original Gel)
- No Chlorine Bleach. No Phosphates. No Heavy Perfumes.
- Powers Away 24 Hr. Stuck on Food
- Use with Cascade Power Dry Rinse Aid and Cascade Dishwasher Cleaner for our best clean
- Running the dishwasher daily saves water* Save up to 20 gallons of water per dishwasher load when you skip the pre-wash *ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers use 4 gallons per cycle. Running the tap for 11 minutes handwashing uses up to 24 gallons of water.
- #1 Recommended Brand in North America* *More dishwasher brands in North America recommend Cascade based on co-marketing agreements vs. other automatic dishwasher detergent brands
Best overall
Cascade Platinum Plus Dishwasher Pods, Dishwasher Detergent, Dish Detergent Soap, Mountain, 47 Count
Cascade
- Our best dishwasher detergent for up to 100% Food Residue Removal
- Only Cascade Platinum Plus contains 2X* the Dawn grease fighting power and 2X* the scrubbing power to power through dried on food *Cleaning ingredients vs Cascade Complete ActionPacs
- Removes visible and invisible residues for virtually spotfree and shiny dishes
- 40% larger liquid top for even more* cleaning power that still fits in your dishwasher detergent dispenser *vs Cascade Platinum ActionPacs
- Running the dishwasher daily saves water* Save up to 20 gallons of water per dishwasher load *ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers use 4 gallons per cycle. Running the tap for 11 minutes handwashing uses up to 24 gallons of water.
- #1 Recommended Brand in North America* *More dishwasher brands in North America recommend Cascade based on co-marketing agreements vs. other automatic dishwasher detergent brands
- Formulated to help prevent hard water spots and filming to keep your machine looking fresh and clean
- Convenient, premeasured ActionPac. Phosphate free. Safe for plumbing, safe for machines.
Dawn powered
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Pods – Fresh Scent ActionPacs, Dishwasher Detergent, Dishwasher Soap, Detergent Pods, 78 Count
Cascade
- 1. GREASE FIGHTING POWER: Cascade dishwasher pods dissolve fast to release the grease fighting power of Dawn
- 2. SPOTFREE CLEAN DISHES: Get virtually spotfree sparkling clean dishes from even the toughest messes with these dishwasher detergent pods, a must-have among your cleaning supplies
- 3. WATER SAVING: Running the dishwasher daily saves water*. *ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers use less than 4 gallons per cycle. Running the tap for 11 minutes while handwashing uses up to 24 gallons of water
- 4. 1 RECOMMENDED BRAND: More dishwasher brands in North America recommend Cascade based on co-marketing agreements vs. other automatic dishwasher detergent brands
- 5. CONVENIENT AND RESPONSIBLE: Convenient, premeasured ActionPac with no finicky plastic wrapping. Phosphate free, making it a responsible choice among household essentials and cleaning products
Best value
Cascade Complete Gel All-in-1 Dishwasher Detergent – Citrus breeze – 75 oz Packaging May Vary
Cascade
- No pre-wash needed, powers away stuck-on food
- Gel formulated with the grease-fighting power of Dawn
- Pure Rinse Formula rinses cleanly away
- Citrus Breeze Scent
- Also available in Powder and ActionPacs
Water saving
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Pods, Dishwasher Detergent, Lemon Scent ActionPacs, Cleaning Supplies, 78 Count
Cascade
- 1. WATER SAVING: Running the dishwasher daily saves water*. *ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers use less than 4 gallons per cycle. Running the tap for 11 minutes while handwashing uses up to 24 gallons of water. A key addition to your household essentials and cleaning supplies
- 2. NO PRE-WASH NEEDED: Running the dishwasher daily with Cascade saves water. Save up to 20 gallons of water per dishwasher load when you skip the pre-wash
- 3. OPTIMAL RESULTS: For best results, use with Cascade Rinse Aid and Dishwasher Cleaner. Enhance your kitchen cleaner arsenal with this powerful dishwasher detergent
- 4. CONVENIENT AND EASY TO USE: No premeasuring needed. Cascade ActionPacs are convenient and easy to use, with no finicky wrapping. Phosphate free
Biobased gel
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Gel Lemon Scent 2 pack for sparkling dishes dishwasher soap 70 oz
Seventh Generation
- Advanced dishwasher gel cuts through grease leaving dishes streak-free and sparkling clean
- Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Liquid Gel has a safe* and effective formula made with plant-based ingredients
- Our dishwasher soap gel is free of synthetic fragrances, dye, chlorine or phosphate
- This dishwasher detergent gel is a USDA Certified Biobased Product 65%
- Lemon scent in our dishwasher liquid gel is derived from 100% essential oils and botanical extract
Budget pick
Finish Gel Liquid Dishwasher Detergent, Advanced Deep Cleaning Power Dish Soap, Fights Tough Stains, Dishwasher Soap, Septic Safe & Plastic-Free Dish Detergent, Orange Scent, 75oz
Finish
- Deep cleaning power
- Orange scent
- Easy-to-pour gel with refreshing lemon & orange scents
- For shinier & drier dishes vs detergent alone, add Finish Jet-Dry Rinse Aid
Powerful cleaning
Finish – All in 1 – Dishwasher Detergent – Powerball – Dishwashing Tablets – Dish Tabs – Fresh Scent, 94 Count (Pack of 1) – Packaging May Vary
Finish
- Help soften the toughest food residues like baked-on lasagna and dried-on oatmeal for easy removal
- Powerful cleaners remove even the toughest stains. No need to pre-soak or pre-rinse with Powerball cuts through grease & scrubs away burnt & dried-on food
- Each individually wrapped Finish Powerball tab provides a premeasured dose of detergent, eliminating guesswork and dissolves completely
- Rinse agent action helps rinse away residues, eliminating spots and film for a sparkling shine
- Finish is the worldwide leader in dishwashing and is the recommended brand worldwide by more dishwashing brands than any other brand
Hard water fix
Lemi Shine Natural Dish Detergent Booster – Hard Water Stain Remover – Multi-Use Citric Acid Cleaner – 24 oz (2 Pack)
Lemi Shine
- 100% GUARANTEED HARD WATER CLEANER: Our powerful booster solution is here to save your favorite glassware, coffee maker, and dishes; Add to your dishwasher and watch those hard water spots, film, and other mineral deposits disappear
- SUPERCHARGED WITH CITRIC ACID: This booster harnesses the natural power of citric acid to get rid of all the stains and spots on your dishes; Pair with dishwasher detergent and dishwasher pods for the perfect dish regimen clean
- POWERFUL FORMULAS, SAFER PRODUCTS: This plant-based detergent booster is EPA Safer Choice Certified; Completely free of dyes, phosphates, and bleach, making it a safe option among your household essentials
- UNSTOPPABLE DISHWASHER DUO: Pair it with Lemi Shine Dish Detergent Pods to give dishes a deep clean and wipe away even the hardest stains and stuck-on food
- LEMI SHINE CLEANING PRODUCTS: Eco-friendly, plant-based, biodegradable, and safe for your family; From Garbage Disposal Cleaner to Coffee Maker Cleaner, we've got your home cleaning supplies covered
Eco-friendly bulk
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Gel Liquid Soap Lemon Scent Dish Detergent 42 oz, Pack of 6
Seventh Generation
- Seventh Generation Lemon Dishwasher Detergent Gel advanced cleaning technology cuts through grease leaving dishes streak-free and sparkling clean
- A dishwasher detergent with a safe and effective formula made with plant-based ingredients
- This Dishwasher gel is free of synthetic fragrances, chlorine, phosphate, and dyes
- USDA Certified 65 percent Bio-based natural dishwasher detergent liquid soap
- The lemon scent of this dish detergent is derived from 100 percent essential oils and botanical extract
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Buying Guide
FAQs
Which detergent is best for sensitive skin?
Cascade Free & Clear Dishwasher Detergent Liquid Gel is hypoallergenic and free from dyes.
Which product is most effective against tough grease?
Cascade Platinum Plus Dishwasher Pods are designed for powerful grease-fighting action.
Are there eco-friendly options available?
Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Gel is plant-based and biodegradable.
Which option is best for hard water stains?
Lemi Shine Natural Dish Detergent Booster is formulated to remove hard water stains.
What is the most convenient form to use?
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Pods (Fresh Scent ActionPacs) are pre-measured pods for easy use.
Which product offers a citrus-scented option?
Cascade Complete Gel All-in-1 Dishwasher Detergent (Citrus Breeze) provides a citrus fragrance.
Are there tablet-based detergent options?
Finish – All in 1 – Dishwasher Detergent Powerball tablets are pre-compressed for convenience.
