The absolute best dish soap for cutting through grease is Dawn Platinum. Its concentrated, surfactant-heavy formula binds to oils and fats like a magnet, requiring much less scrubbing than standard soaps.
Dawn Platinum Dish Soap
Dawn's reputation for being tough on grease is well-earned — it's been famously used to help clean up wildlife after oil spills.
Yes, Dawn is an excellent and highly effective degreaser. Thanks to its concentrated formulation of surfactants, it breaks the molecular bonds of fats and oils so they easily lift off surfaces and rinse away.
Dish soap is designed to cut through grease and grime on dishes, cookware, and utensils. Its formulation includes surfactants and degreasers that help to remove food residues effectively. Hand soap, on the other hand, is formulated for gentle skin cleansing.
Dawn’s secret to cutting grease lies in its unique blend of heavy-duty synthetic surfactants (compounds like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate). These molecules have one end that bonds to water and another that bonds to oil.
If you're cooking and have a grease spill, you can clean it up immediately before it becomes a problem later. One easy way is to sprinkle flour over the spill. Let the flour sit for a few minutes to absorb the grease and then you can easily wipe it up.
Palmolive Ultra removes up to 2.5X the grease vs. Dawn* leaving your dishes sparkling clean.
That's because dish soaps are uniquely formulated to break up grease and stuck-on food particles with foamy suds—something you don't want to happen in your washing machine.
A small amount of Dawn dish soap—which effectively breaks down hydrocarbons—can be used with a soft brush to scrub away soot and debris.
Dish soap has the ability to lubricate and break down the bonds of fats and grease. When poured into the toilet, dish soap helps lubricate the waste causing the clog, while also breaking down its structure, allowing it to easily flow down the drain.
Surfaces to avoid with Dawn® Powerwash: Marble countertops, sink basins, and backsplashes. Wood, including unsealed, varnished, stained, or painted wood surfaces & furniture.
For light everyday grease, Dawn Power Wash is perfect. It relies on strong surfactants plus a mild alkaline boost. Then you have something stronger like Krud Kutter. This is a versatile household degreaser that works on a huge range of grease.
Best Homemade Degreaser
Use a mixture of hot water, a squirt of dish detergent, a small pour of white vinegar, and a teaspoon of baking soda. Double up on the ingredients you add to your water for really tough grease.
Yes, Dawn is a powerful degreaser. Its highly concentrated surfactant formula is designed to break down and lift oily, greasy build-up.
To make the solution is simple and easy on the wallet! Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned. I have found the best results is when I use it to clean chrome shower and sink fixtures.
When it comes to tackling grease especially, many effective degreasers also have strong artificial fragrances. Not so with most dish soaps, which tend to be more mild in scent, while still packing a degreasing punch. Dish soap is safe to use on many surfaces: granite, marble, sealed wood, ceramic, and more.
Whether Dawn or Palmolive is "better" depends on your cleaning priorities. Dawn is the undisputed champion of grease-cutting power and versatile stain removal. Palmolive is gentler on the hands, generally more budget-friendly, and doesn't leave a lingering scent on sponges.
Dawn achieves its heavy-duty grease-fighting power through a blend of specialized surfactants, not a single harsh chemical. The primary degreasing and cleaning agents in its formula are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and C10−16cap C sub 10 minus 16 end-sub𝑪𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟔 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide.
To a firefighter, 5-5-5 (most traditionally known as 5-5-5-5, or "striking the four fives") is a solemn, time-honored bell signal used to honor a firefighter who has died in the line of duty.
When it comes to cutting through tough grease and oily residues, Dawn Platinum and Dawn Ultra are widely considered the gold standard. Their concentrated, surfactant-heavy formulas attach to grease like a magnet, requiring significantly less scrubbing and hot water than competing brands.
People put a bar of soap under their sheets primarily as a folk remedy to relieve nighttime leg cramps and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Many people swear by this trick, but how is it supposed to work?
Taken out were the original animal fats/tallow & lye in the formula and were replaced with vegan and natural ingredients without any harsh chemicals. The soaps go through a cold process that keeps the natural oils intact before they're cut and sent to you.
The best dish soap is Palmolive Ultra Strength Liquid Dish Soap. It cut through grease and made scrubbing dishes quick and easy. We also liked Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, which comes in a variety of scents.
Vinegar + water spray
Vinegar cuts through grease naturally due to its acetic acid content. When mixed with warm water, it dissolves oil and leaves surfaces streak-free.
New Dawn Platinum is stronger on tough grease (vs. previous formula) to melt away stubborn messes with ease. Dawn Platinum removes 99% of Grease and Food Residue with less scrubbing than before. That's because Dawn Platinum attracts grease like a magnet to give you a squeaky clean feel that you can see and feel.