Dishwashing liquid

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Dishwashing liquid (or washing-up liquid in British English), or dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent assisting in dishwashing. Dishwashing detergents for dishwashers come in various forms like cartridges, gels, liquids, pacs, powder, and tablets.^[1] It is usually a highly-foamy mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation that consumers primarily use for washing glasses, plates, cutleries, and cooking utensils. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid also has various informal applications, like creating bubbles, clothes washing, and cleaning birds from oil spills.

Dishwashing liquid has existed for a long time with different compositions and using conditions.^[2][3][4] Currently, dishwashing liquid functions best with hot water. However, there are some special dishwashing liquids designed to work well with cold water or seawater.