Whatever is on sale! The dishwasher does most of the work, and I can't say I've ever noticed an appreciable difference in the detergent I have use for the (rare) hand-washing task. I try to always rinse out my pots and pans while they're still hot so everything comes off easily; and if I need to soak something I usually throw some Simple Green in there and that works great. If something gets REALLY stuck (like burnt-on, or it somehow sat and got crusty) I will toss in a fresh dryer sheet and let it soak with that overnight - usually can just wipe it out the next morning.

I use Palmolive. I love the lavender scent. Do have a small bottle of Dawn. I use straight hot water and wear rubber gloves. My dishwasher died.

Blue Dawn, always and as far back as I remember.

I always have used Ivory too. Last year I took a small bottle of blue dawn on vacation with us. I can't stand the smell of it. Did use it that week of vacation but never again. I'll stick with Ivory thank you.

Dawn here - but you have to make sure that you buy Ultra Dawn and not Dawn Simply - or something like that. It is not concentrated like the Ultra Dawn - thinner and you have to use more.

I use Palmolive years ago and my hands broke our in a red rash and swelled up so bad I had to go to the emergency room to get my rings off. I have used Dawn for years now. Love the blue.

Blue Dawn Ultra, diluted in half with water. One squirt is enough to fill my sink with soapy water and wash a day's worth of dishes. I use a bit to scrub stains on clothes with an old toothbrush, and add a spoonful to a spray bottle full of water to kill off aphids in the garden. I also like that it is mild enough to use on the cat or dog on the rare occasions that they need a flea bath.

I use Green Works Free & Clear. I've been happy to finally find a dish washing liquid soap that doesn't reek of strong perfume. It doesn't make my hands itch either. :thumbup:

My house has no room for an auto dishwasher machine, so all my dishes and the like are done by hand.
Sharon in Texas

I use blue Dawn, nothing else. I don't like certain smells and I am irritated by lots of perfumes. I recently had the orange Dawn (they were out of the blue) and I didn't like the smell. It does such a great job. Dawn is also great for getting stains out of your laundry. Nothing gets out a grease or tomato sauce stains like it. It is also a great flea soap to use on your pets.

Well... I guess that answers that. I'm going to pick up some blue Dawn and give it a whirl.

Thanks everybody!

Hard limestone water here; I use Ivory liquid.

I used Dawn for years, but now I use Meyer's Clean Day. Works great on grease, and comes in nice scents. Cook's Country rated it higher than Dawn so I tried it. It also leaves my dishcloth smelling fresher.

Do you mean Mrs Meyer's? I use the laundry detergent and love it. It's free from a lot of chemicals.

Blue or green Dawn. Tried other brands, but Dawn cuts the grease Waaay better. Buy it in the big jug at Sam's and it lasts about 6-8 months (family of 5) and I hand wash quite a bit.

Green Dawn for me.
sandy

I use Ajax, the yellow bottle, but I also keep Dawn Blue in the house for the real tough jobs.

I use blue Dawn. I have a hint/tip. I had an experience when we were ready to sit down for a holiday dinner and someone spilled a glass of milk. It was at a crack where the leaves were and so milk got underneath the pads and the table had to be taken apart and dry towels put underneath. Ever since then I put a heavy weight clear plastic cover under the table pads. The advantage is that after everyone leaves, I take a toothbrush and Dawn to the spots. Then I throw it into the washing machine with lots of cold water (not high efficiency) and let it soak overnight. ALL the spots come out - and without bleach. I love Dawn.

Glad to hear someone else found Dawn to be hard on hands. I had to avoid it and I knew a woman who even brought her own detergent when she washed dishes at church because Dawn was hard on her hands too. They've improved it because it's alright on my hands now and I use it all the time. Other brands might be cheaper, but I find then it takes more product to make suds.

Blue Dawn here too~

Question to all of those who use Blue Dawn, what does it smell like?

I can see I need to check out Blue Dawn at the grocery store. We use whatever dish detergent my husband decides smells good. Since he does most of the dish washing, I tolerate him standing in the store opening and sniffing his way through detergents. For a long time we used the Dawn that Costco carries but he's now on to new scents. Love all the ideas for using detergent as stain remover. When I want to do heavy cleaning (like walls), I mix dish detergent with bleach in a bucket of hot water and it works beautifully.

I've always used hot water and household ammonia in a bucket for wall washing and scrubbing. Eats dirt and stains off paint wonderfully.

Blue Dawn is the only dish detergent I use.

I leave that to my DH. He has become the househusband since he retired.

I have been using the blue Dawn forever. Nothing else can compare.

I have used Dawn ever since I saw the commercial showing ducks, etc., being bathed in it to get rid of oil from the oil spills. When dawn ultra with hand renewal by Olay came out, I started using that because my hands will develop cracks in the skin simply because I wash my hands a lot, so the Dawn with Olay is easier on them when washing dishes. I love the way Dawn has always cuts the grease so easily.

Palmolive for years. the Dawn smelled weird and dried my hands. We always hand wash our dishes for 10 people often 3 meals at home daily.

I used to use Palmolive, but tried Dawn and stuck with it. I dilute some in a spray bottle and clean my counters and table, stove with it....or anything other surface that needs a cleaning. I put a tiny bit in a bucket for washing floors. I use it to remove stains from clothing, etc...

I've tried some of the different scents and really like the Dawn Platinum for dishes.

I just avoid any of the anti-bacterial ones. Those (in any brand) just promote anti-biotic resistance, so I avoid anti-bacterial anything in products.

I have never liked the way Dawn smells, but I do use it mixed with vinegar for bathroom cleaning.
For hand washing dishes, I use Ajax Lemon. Works good, smells clean. Not expensive.

I don't like the concentrated liquid. I use the same amount of that as the non concentrated in one squirt so I feel it's wasted. I rarely use the dishwashing liquid for dishes. I'm not wasting my time washing dishes as long as I have a dishwasher and I don't pre wash.

I like Ajax lemon and some of the Palmolive scents. Yes they cost less, a bit watery, but I only use a couple drops to wash up sharp knives and counter tops. I keep blue dawn for tough jobs and household chores, really don't care for the fragrance.

ditto on that

A friend turned me on to blue dawn for removing grease spatters in clothing, said her husband did the laundry and he swears by it. I have it in a pointy tip bottle from a perm and give each squirt a quick swipe with an old toothbrush. I seldom see a bottle of dawn listed as blue, but often see the ones that say platinum. The color I see is blue. I even water it down and put in a pump bottle for hand washing in bath and kitchen. I think all of the liquid soaps are drying to hands. I do miss the clean smell of good old Ivory Soap.

usually whatever is on sale, but I have learned it's not worth it to get really cheap brands. So whatever major brand name is on sale. I am usually doing just one person/one meal worth of dishes at a time, so I don't care if the suds last or not.

I haven't see Octagon in years, that was the best of the cheapo brands.

On a side note, I have resisted buying scouring powder - I have used Ajax and Comet and I know one of them has a smell that I really can't stand, but I can't remember which it is!! So I have been making do with Brillo pads, green scrubbies, and baking soda.

For the holidays I order different/seasonal new grocery items from a german online grocery shop that delivers to other EU countries, so my dishwashing liquid newly arrived today Fit Naturals almond flower and pomegranate smells real nice. Previous holiday season I had the same brand different scent last year. My regular is Fairy. I handwash dishes. I always use handcream after dishwashing.
Dishwashing liquid in german spulmittel www.allyouneedfresh.de if you want to see groceries there.

I am odd woman out. I use whatever is on sale. When I was growing up Mum bought Sunlight. The last two bottles I bought were store brand. It works, the dishes are clean and I am happy to pay 1/3 as much as full price 'brand' names.

I use whatever brand of dishwasher pucks are on sale when I need to buy more. I am pretty brand agnostic.

I use blue dawn!

I have both in the house.

Blue Dawn also

Blue dawn...just a drop or two will do the job on a grimy pot/pan...so lasts longer than the watered down brands-dishes go into dishwasher. I have also used blue dawn on cat hairball stain on bed quilt..gone in an instant!