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Best dishwasher tablets 2026: tried and tested by Which? experts
In this article
- The best dishwasher tablets
- The dishwasher tablets and sheets we tested
- Don’t Buy dishwasher tablets and sheets
- How we test dishwasher tablets
- Should you clean your dishes with a dishwasher sheet?
- Dishwasher tablet mistakes to avoid
- Can you just throw a dishwasher tablet in the dishwasher?
- How eco-friendly are your dishwasher tablets?
We've tested big-brand dishwasher tablets including Ecover, Fairy and Finish, plus supermarket own brands from the likes of Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose, to find the best tablets for your dishwasher.
Only dishwasher tablets that do a brilliant job of cleaning cutlery, crockery and cookware get our Best Buy recommendation.
We check how well the tablets remove a variety of dried-on food and drink stains, how shiny dishes are after repeated washes and whether glasses become cloudy. We also look for any water marks left after washing, and we assess each tablet for sustainability.
This year, we've also tested dishwasher sheets from Dip, Mother's Earth and Ocean Saver to see how they compare with conventional dishwasher tablets.
How our tests find you the best
We've tested 15 dishwasher detergents
We’ve tested 12 tablets and three sheets, pitting each against the toughest stains, including grease, tea, spaghetti, egg yolk and dried-on milk.
Preventing cloudiness
Cloudy glasses can look dirty. We'll tell you if the tablet you regularly use risks permanently turning your wine glasses streaky or marked.
Keeping dishes shiny
We check whether plates and cutlery become dull or discoloured after washing. Tablets should keep crockery looking shiny and new.
We also test...
how well each product prevents water marks and what chemicals it contains. If it negatively affects the environment, we'll let you know.
The best dishwasher tablets
The biggest brands and the 15 most popular dishwasher tablets and sheets are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view our results.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.
| Dishwasher tablets | Price | Score | Overall cleaning | Preventing cloudiness in glasses | Preventing water marks | Sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableGet Digital access £8.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? | 83% | |||||
| 82% | ||||||
| 67% | ||||||
| 63% | ||||||
| 63% | ||||||
| 61% | ||||||
| 58% | n/a | |||||
| 57% | n/a | |||||
| 57% | n/a | |||||
| 55% | ||||||
| 55% | ||||||
| 39% | n/a | |||||
| 38% | n/a | |||||
| 37% | ||||||
| 26% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableGet Digital access £8.99 per month, cancel at any time.
Already a member?
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Date tested: April 2026. Page last checked: April 2026. Overall cleaning: How well it removes tea, milk, egg yolk, grease and spaghetti starch. Preventing cloudiness in glasses: How well it prevents glasses from becoming cloudy after 30 washes. Preventing water marks: How well it prevents water marks, streaks and droplets from appearing after five washes. Sustainability: Based on the chemical composition of the products; n/a means the manufacturer did not share information with us about the chemical composition of its detergent, which prevents us from assessing it fully.
The dishwasher tablets and sheets we tested
The dishwasher tablets and sheets we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best tablets and sheets from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.
Aldi Magnum Premium All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Available from Aldi (£3.99) (Available only in-store)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 37 washes
Cost per wash 11p
Asda Ultimate All in One Citrus Dishwasher Tablets
Available from Asda (£4.84)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 12p
Dip Eco Fresh Lemon Dishwasher Sheets
Available from Dip (£23.75)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 60 washes
Cost per wash 40p
Ecover All In One Power Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 24 washes
Cost per wash 35p
Fairy Platinum Plus 30 Minute Miracle Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 45 washes
Cost per wash 33p
Fairy Platinum Plus All In 1 Anti-Dull Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 42 washes
Cost per wash 29p
Fairy Platinum All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 51
Cost per wash 24p
Finish Powerball Ultimate All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 55
Cost per wash 24p
Doing the dishes by hand? Discover the best washing-up liquids according to our rigorous tests
Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 48 washes
Cost per wash 23p
Lidl W5 All In One Fresh Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Available from Lidl (£3.99) (Available only in-store)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 10p
Lucent Globe Ultra Concentrated Fresh Lemon Dishwashing Detergent Sheets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 80 washes
Cost per wash 25p
Mother's Earth Fresh Lemon Dishwasher Sheets
Available from Mother's Earth (£20)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 60
Cost per wash 33p
Ocean Saver Pearl 5in1 Power Dishwasher Tablets
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 50
Cost per wash 26p
Sainsbury's Ultimate All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Available from Sainsbury's (£6.35)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 50 washes
Cost per wash 13p
Tesco Ultra Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
Available from Tesco (£5.10)
Most recently tested April 2026
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 13p
Don’t Buy dishwasher tablets and sheets
Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy.
Don't Buy dishwasher tablets and sheets either struggle with several areas of cleaning or are truly shocking at one or two. They give below-par cleaning results and make our test dishes, cutlery and pans lose their colour and go dull.
Sign up to Which? to unlock the results and find out whether any of the dishwasher tablets tested this year are Don't Buys, plus which tablets are worthy of our Best Buy recommendation.
How we test dishwasher tablets
We put dishwasher tablets through rigorous tests that reflect the tough demands required of them in your kitchen. Brands regularly reformulate their products, so we test them annually.
How well does it remove different food and drink stains?
In our dishwasher tablet tests, we use a range of foods and drinks to represent the toughest types of residue you'd expect to wash off in the dishwasher. These include tea, starch (spaghetti), egg yolk, dried-on milk and tough grease.
In our lab, we use cups, glasses, plates and baking sheets covered in carefully measured amounts of these substances. After washing them at 45°C, we measure how much residue remains.
Will it stop my glasses going cloudy?
We check glasses after five washes and then again after 30 washes to see whether residue, streaks or cloudy or coloured film starts to build up on them over time.
How well does it prevent water marks?
Our experts check whether water marks appear on crockery after multiple washes. This indicates how effective the rinse-aid element of the all-in-one dishwasher tablets is and whether it enables dishes to dry without leaving visible outlines of water spots.
Will it keep my dishes and cutlery shiny?
We inspect plates to see if they have been dulled through washing – we call this loss of brilliance. Dishes that were once bright and glossy start to appear duller and less shiny.
We regularly revisit the dishwasher tablets on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing, and when we find them, we do.
How sustainable are the dishwasher tablets and sheets we test?
We contact the manufacturer of each dishwasher tablet and sheet to find out about the product's chemical composition. If products contain substances that have long-term adverse effects in the environment, are known to be toxic to aquatic life, or use non-biodegradable substances, they will receive a low sustainability score. If manufacturers don't share this information with us, they won't receive a star rating for sustainability.
We assess the packaging, including recyclability, how well filled the bottles and packs are and whether refills are available. We also check the labels for all the required safety and environmental information.
We regularly revisit the dishwasher tablets and sheets on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing, and when we find them, we do so.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Should you clean your dishes with a dishwasher sheet?
Dishwasher tablets aren't the only option available. You'll also find dishwasher sheets that can be used in a dishwasher and also when washing dishes by hand as an alternative to washing-up liquid.
We've tested dishwasher sheets from Dip, Lucent Globe and Mother's Earth in our most recent round of testing. We tested them alongside 12 dishwasher tablets to see how they compare.
Dishwasher sheets are designed to be used in the same way as dishwasher tablets. Manufacturers advise users to tear the sheets in half, fold them and then pop them in the dishwasher.
Each of the dishwasher sheet brands we tested this year promotes an environmentally friendly message about its products. So, as well as testing them for how well they wash dishes, we also contacted each manufacturer to find out more about the chemical composition of their sheets.
Making the switch to sheets isn't cheap – prices are similar to Fairy and Finish tablets. Lucent Globe Ultra Concentrated Dishwashing Detergent Sheets Fresh Lemon (£20 for 80 sheets) work out at 25p a wash, Mother's Earth Dishwasher Sheets Fresh Lemon (£20 for 60 sheets) are 33p a wash and Dip Eco Dishwasher Sheets Fresh Lemon (£23.75p for 60 sheets) are 40p a wash.
Log in to find out how these three dishwasher sheets fared in our tests and how they compared with more traditional dishwasher tablets.
Get ready for wash day with the best washing powder and laundry detergents from our tests
Dishwasher tablet mistakes to avoid
- You might need to add dishwasher salt to a load even if you use an all-in-one dishwasher tablet, but this will depend on how hard the water is in your area.
- If you use your dishwasher on a low-temperature cycle, check the packaging of tablets before you buy – some are only designed to be used at 50ºC to 60ºC or above.
- To prevent spots appearing on your glassware or a soapy film on your plates, run your dishwasher's hot water cycle once a month.
For more tips to help you get the most out of your dishwasher tablets, read our expert guide on how to load your dishwasher.
Can you just throw a dishwasher tablet in the dishwasher?
Although popping the tablet somewhere at the bottom of the dishwasher should be adequate to get your plates and cutlery clean, it's worth taking the extra time to put it in the dedicated dispenser. That way, you can be sure that the dishwasher disperses the ingredients at the optimal time during the cleaning program.
Just be sure that there's nothing blocking the dispenser. If there is, you'll likely find that the cleaning cycle doesn't complete properly and your dishwasher tablet won't dissolve.
How eco-friendly are your dishwasher tablets?
There are two main elements to think about when considering the impact your dishwasher tablets will have on the environment: packaging and ingredients.
Ideally, your dishwasher tablets should come in refillable or recyclable packaging, with the recycling symbol clearly displayed and information on how and where to recycle it (at home or a supermarket). The worst example we tested displayed no recycling information at all, and its dishwasher tablets were individually encased in non-recyclable wrappers that needed to be removed before use.
Some dishwasher tablets are biodegradable, while others contain ingredients that are classed as PBT – persistent (resist environmental degrading), bioaccumulative (build up and become more concentrated as they go higher up the food chain) or toxic. You have to be careful here, as we've seen brands that advertise their tablets as being environmentally friendly when they actually contain ingredients that have poor biodegradability, adverse long-term effects on aquatic organisms and are toxic to the environment.
5 surprising uses for dishwasher tablets
We tried out a number of so-called dishwasher tablet 'hacks' to see which ones worked well and which ones didn't:
- Cleaning a burnt saucepan Using a dishwasher tablet to remove burnt-on food from pans really works. Simply fill your saucepan with water, pop a dishwasher tablet in, set it to medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This will loosen the remnants, making them easy to wipe off. Just make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for your saucepan before you do this, though, especially if it's non-stick and you don't want to damage the coating.
- Cleaning an oven Our tests had mixed results here. The tablets were most effective at cleaning the racks, rather than the oven doors or walls. The best way to do this is to leave the racks to soak in a tub of hot water with a tablet for a few hours – but make sure to cushion them with towels or a mat to avoid scratching your bathtub.
- Cleaning clothes We're not suggesting chucking a dishwasher tablet in your washing machine if you've run out of laundry detergent, but they are useful for tackling stubborn stains. Leave your soiled clothing in hot water with a tablet overnight before putting it through the wash, and it should come out spotless. Make sure you do this only with white clothing, though, or you could bleach colours out.
- Cleaning walls: From food splashes to crayon marks, your walls can get dirty in many ways. Could a dishwasher tablet be the answer for removing unsightly marks? Cleaning crayon marks from a wall using warm water with a dissolved tablet did work, but we think using washing-up liquid is a better option.
- Cleaning fridges and garden furniture Similarly to cleaning walls, a dissolved dishwasher tablet will also suffice for cleaning the inside of your fridge and garden furniture. Again, however, we found it easier, cheaper and quicker to use washing-up liquid.