RUB-A-DUB-DUB, save cash as you scrub.
Doing the dishes has never been more expensive – with M&S cafes even ditching cups and saucers in favour od mugs in a bid to save on cleaning costs.
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An alternative at home is swapping pricey washing-up liquid, such as UK bestseller Fairy Liquid, for a cheaper version.
Laura Stott put on her rubber gloves to see which supermarket alternatives scrubbed up best against the favourite.
FAIRY ORIGINAL LEMON 433ml, £1.25, Waitrose: 3/5
ALWAYS a reliable performer, this suds up well in the sink, dissolves grease and gets food-crusted plates and pans clean with minimum effort.
Famously kind on hands, but on downside, the bubbles dissolved fast and my glassware didn’t sparkle once rinsed off.
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TESCO LEMON 450ml, 44p: 5/5
THE cheapest in the test, it also had the nicest smell.
Its fresh and zingy lemony whiff was not too overpowering but made the whole kitchen, and all the washing up, smell delightful.
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Cleaning wise, it did the job and then some.
It got rid of food residue and grease with no issues and cleaned a tough pan easily.
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SAINSBURY’S LEMON 450ml, 55p: 2/5
IT had a very strong and slightly peculiar smell, more chemical than citrus.
And it was not spectacular at cleaning either.
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The liquid was thin and runny, which meant I had to use a lot to generate enough bubbles.
And the ones I did get were more of a mild froth that didn’t last long.
ASDA ZESTY LEMON 500ml, 49p: 3/5
LUSH washer-upper that costs just under 50p a bottle, making it a real sink-side bargain.
Super bubbly, you don’t need much to get a frothy foam and decent results, which means your bottle will go the distance.
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Especially good on sauce-covered pans, leaving them gleaming.
M&S CITRUS 625ml, 90p: 2/5
NOT the cheapest, but you do get a whopping-sized bottle, and it’s still cheaper than the Fairy Liquid.
The bottle’s design and lid are user friendly, even with wet, slippery hands.
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But I found the smell slightly odd and abrasive and the wash power was weak, too.
You need a lot of this liquid to get enough grease-cutting power.
CO-OP LEMON 500ml, £1.10: 2/5
SECOND only in price to Fairy Liquid, so I was expecting some muscle – and it didn’t disappoint on the froth front.
It had a nice lemon fragrance, wasn’t abrasive on my skin and did a good job dissolving residue.
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But no matter how well I rinsed, everything seemed to be left slightly sticky with greasy residue.
LIDL W5 LEMON 500ml, 49p
FOR a low-priced supermarket I was surprised this was one of the highest priced, so was expecting exceptional results.
But while it performed fine at the sink, I wanted more cleaning power for the cost.
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Nothing to moan about but not spectacular. All a bit average – and left my hands rather dry, too.
ALDI MAGNUM LEMON 500ml, 49p: 3/5
A FRESH fragrance that reminded me more of suncream – but it cleaned my dirty dishes just fine.
It’s very thick and I felt l I had to squirt lots into my bowl to get enough bubbles.
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Some crusted pans still needed a couple of soaks but everything looked good after its final rinse.
