2016 Dishwashing Liquids

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Find great dishwashing liquids using Canstar Blue’s Customer Satisfaction Ratings to compare leading brands.

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Morning Fresh cleans up in dishwashing satisfaction

Deciding whose turn it is to do the dishes has likely been the cause of argument in many households. As much as we’d like to continue to put it off, sooner or later, the dishes need to be done. Sure, you can consider purchasing a dishwasher, but Canstar Blue research has found that one-third of New Zealanders (33%) believe they do a better job at cleaning dishes than a dishwasher. In addition, almost one in five respondents (19%) said they own a dishwasher, but still prefer to wash up by hand.

Adults who wash their dishes by hand spend an average of 18 minutes a day doing so. That works out to be over two hours per week, or nearly 110 hours a year! Okay, those numbers are admittedly a little depressing, but an effective dishwashing liquid can certainly make the chore much less painful. The problem is in knowing which dishwashing liquids you can count on for the best helping hand.

Take a trip to your local supermarket’s cleaning isle and you’ll see many brands to choose from – too many to reasonably try them all. So to help you pick from the range of bright colours and flowery scents, Canstar Blue surveyed more than 2,000 consumers across New Zealand, canvassing their opinions of the dishwashing liquid brand they recently purchased across key criteria, including: effectiveness, value for money, ease of use and overall satisfaction.

The results of our research showed a number of strong performing brands, but only Morning Fresh achieved 5 stars for the all-important criteria of overall satisfaction, making it Canstar Blue’s 2016 award winner for Most Satisfied Customers – Dishwashing Liquids.

Morning Fresh produces dish cleaning products for dishwashers as well as hand cleaning. It produces both regular and antibacterial dishwashing liquids which are available in a number of citrus and flower scents.

What to look for from dishwashing liquid

Dishwashing liquids can vary considerably, and there are many reasons why someone might favour a particular brand. Our research revealed that nearly one in three Kiwis (32%) care if their dishwashing liquid is eco-friendly. Meanwhile, 22% said they choose their dishwashing liquid based on its smell.

But once we’ve purchased a dishwashing liquid, what about it keeps customers coming back? From our compared criteria, Canstar Blue found the greatest drivers of satisfaction to be:

• Effectiveness 45%
• Value for money 22%
• Ease of use 16%
• Scent 9%
• Environmental friendliness 8%

What is in dishwashing liquids?

Dishwashing liquid is necessary to properly hand wash dishes. Not only that, but our research shows 22% of Kiwis have found a plethora of other uses for dishwashing liquid, such as cleaning the bathroom, blowing bubbles, and even making water slides slippery. But what exactly is this wondrous liquid made of? Keep in mind that different products vary in their ingredients, but to give you a brief idea, the basic components of dishwashing liquid (excluding water) include:
Surfactants
A surfactant is a generic term given to the type of chemical responsible for foaming and removing grease and grime. There are usually several surfactants in dishwashing liquid selected for their low skin irritation properties.
Thickeners
Dishwashing liquid is manually thickened using a number of salts, alcohols and sulphates. These chemicals also help to ensure consistency and gel clarity.
Additives
Dishwashing liquids are made as attractive as possible by adding fragrances and dyes to make them look and smell great. Depending on the type of dishwashing liquid there are a number of other ingredients that may be included, such as preservatives, antibacterial acids or fruit and oil extracts.

Like with any product you buy, it’s a good idea to check the label before purchasing, just in case the ingredients include anything that doesn’t sit too well with you.

The next time you take a walk through your supermarket, we hope you’ll be better informed about your dishwashing options. Remember how much time you spend cleaning your dishes by hand? A product that helps you save a few minutes each day is surely worth a try.