Dish Detergents

To wash your dishes by hand, start by scraping off food and grime and emptying them into a trash can. Fill your sink with hot water and use dish detergent or a liquid dish soap like Dawn Platinum. Scrub your dishes under the water using a sponge or scrubber, then rinse them with clean water to remove soap suds and leftover residue. Once you're done washing dishes, allow your cups, plates, and silverware to air dry before putting them away. If you're washing dishes in the dishwasher, you should also remove any food before loading the appliance. Use dishwasher detergent like Finish Quantum tablets or Total Home Automatic Dish Detergent Packs to get everything clean. Turn on your dishwasher and let it run, then remove and put away your dishes when everything is dry.

Dish soap or dishwashing liquid usually comes in a bottle and is formulated for cleaning your dishes by hand. These products contain ingredients that help to remove food and gunk while getting your dishes clean and sanitized. Dish soap should never be used in the dishwasher, since it produces too many suds that could cause the appliance to malfunction. Instead, look for a dishwashing detergent product made especially for use with this type of appliance. Dish detergent contains different ingredients that help to remove food and the stubborn buildup that accumulates on your dishes. When washing dishes by hand, choose products like Palmolive Dish Soap or Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Soap.

Dishwashing detergent is a type of soap or cleanser made especially for use in dishwashers. When the dishwasher is in use, the detergent helps to loosen grease, oil, and other residue so that it can be washed away. Without detergent, you simply can't get your dishes clean. It's important to note that liquid dish soap used for washing dishes in the sink is not compatible with dishwashers. You should only ever load your dishwasher with detergent.

With a pH level of around 7, dishwashing liquids and dishwasher detergent pods are indeed alkaline. While they're not strong enough to hurt your skin, they're perfect for removing any food debris, oils or microorganisms that might be left behind. These alkaline properties are included in dish detergents to help ensure a thorough clean and to discourage soap scum from forming.  

The best dishwasher detergents often contain amylase and protease enzymes. Much like enzymes that help break down food in your body, these hard-working enzymes digest proteins and starches to help get your dishes as clean as possible. By attacking stains and hard-to-wash food spots, the amylase and protease found in dish liquids can make washing dishes easier by breaking down long protein chains into smaller chains that are more readily scrubbed away.  

Most liquid dish soaps and dishwasher detergents contain a nonionic surfactant that makes them safe for most sorts of cleaning. Aside from helping to make sure your dish detergent bubbles properly, they work without leaving soap scum behind. These nonreactive molecules help leave your dishes feeling squeaky clean without the worry that you're using something harmful. The surfactants in dish detergents are completely safe and can make the dishwashing job much easier.  

Because dish detergents have an alkalinity pH level of 7, they're considered acidic. Citric acid is commonly used to help break down hard water and food stains, but it's not strong enough to cause harm to your skin. The acidic qualities of liquid dish detergents and dish detergent pods are designed to help your dishes come out sparkling without leaving behind soap scum or residual oils.