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06 Jul 2023

The best washing-up liquids that cost less than £1

These supermarket own brands will boss it in the basin and cost significantly less than big-name rivals

Alec EvansResearcher & writer

Choose one of the Great Value washing-up liquids revealed in our latest tests and you'll breeze through dirty dishes while saving money, too.

Whether you've used five roasting tins for a show-stopping recipe or dirtied every bowl in the house, our Best Buy washing-up liquids will make light work of any challenge.

But if you’re looking for a bargain, Which? Great Value detergents do the job almost as well. Our tests revealed two Great Value washing-up liquids, both of which cost less than £1.

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Great Value washing-up liquids

We've tested 12 popular washing-up liquids from big brands and major supermarkets – two supermarket own-labels triumphed as Great Value options.

Great Value recommendations are awarded to products that are a low price but still clean well enough to impress.

Costing as little as 13p per 100ml, while still achieving scores over 65%, our Great Value washing-up liquids come in at around a quarter of the price of the Best Buy.

Detergents that perform well will also tackle more plates per wash, meaning you’ll need to buy a new bottle less often – saving you even more money.

Our top-scoring Great Value detergent performed nearly as well as our top-performing Best Buy at a water temperature of 30°C, cleaning only 13% fewer plates.

To find out which washing-up liquids we recommended as Best Buys, Great Value and Don't Buys, read our washing-up liquid reviews, or skip straight to the best and worst washing-up liquids page.

What about eco washing-up liquids?

If you're looking to make a more eco-friendly choice, our tests reveal that price does matter when it comes to cleaning prowess.

While you might not expect plant-based washing-up liquids to power through as many dirty dishes as those containing Petrochemical or synthetic-based cleaning agents, some do stand up to their non-eco compatriots.

We tested a number of washing-up liquids that claim to be environmentally friendly, including Ecover and Bio-D, as well as Morrisons’ own-brand eco label.

In our tests, the best performing eco washing-up liquid cleaned 65% more plates than the worst eco brand, and 60% more than a supermarket own label that made no environmental claims.

However, only one got full marks for its sustainability score. To find out which eco-friendly detergent cleaned the best, and which topped the sustainability charts, read our washing-up liquids reviews.

Interested in green cleaning brands? We dug into the sustainability details of brands including Ecover, Smol, Method and Bio-D.