Why the pH Level of Dish Soap Matters

The pH level of dish soap is usually between 9 and 10 depending on the brand.

But what does that mean?

Should you wear rubber gloves when doing the dishes?

Can you use dish soap as a hand soap?

Is it okay to use dish soap to clean kitchen surfaces?

We looked into these and other questions, all of which are related to the pH of dish soap.

Let's get started!

Why does the pH level of dish soap matter?

When you buy dish soap, there are two things you don’t want.

It should neither be too acidic, nor too alkaline.

Source: Flickr

Here’s the deal:

A pH (hydrogen potency) of 7 is considered to be neutral.

Pure water has a pH of 7.

Anything below 7 is acidic.

And anything above 7 is alkaline.

What is the pH of dish soap?

The pH of dish soap needs to be above 7.

Why?

Because you need a slightly alkaline solution to be able to cut through the leftover food and grease on your dishes.

The closer your dish soap’s pH gets to 7, the less effective it is at cleaning your dishes.

This is why the pH of dish soap should be between 9 and 10.

A pH of this level gets dishes sparkling clean, while still being mild enough to use on your hands.

This leads us to the next question:

Can you wash your hands with dish soap?

It depends.

Healthy skin has a pH range between 5.4 and 5.9.

This is the range that provides the friendliest environment for the good bacteria on your skin that protect you from getting sick.

And also, for healthy natural oils that your body produces to remain on your skin to protect it

If the pH of dish soap is too high (over 10), it will dehydrate or even irritate your skin (learn how to get soft hands despite doing the dishes).

Such a soap would also kill the good bacteria on your skin, and strip away your skin’s protective oils.

As a result, your immune system will be weakened.

This is why you shouldn’t use soap with a pH above 10.

If the pH of dish soap is at around 9, and if you have normal skin, you won’t run into any issues, pH-wise, using your dish soap as a hand soap.

Does the pH of dish soap cause skin irritation?

With that being said, a high pH value of dish soap is not the only aspect of dish soap that could irritate or dry out your hands.

The vast majority of dish soaps contain surfactants like SLS (sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate).

Chemical surfactants strip the healthy natural oils from your hands, which dries them out.

Besides SLS, there are lots of other harsh chemicals commonly found in conventional dish soap that can dry out or irritate your skin:

- Benzisothiazolinone

- Dipropylene glycol

- Fragrance

- Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone

- Polysorbate-20

Sound like stuff you wanna keep away from?

Smart choice.

That’s why we recommend you try Yaya Maria's, a dish soap with truly natural ingredients.

Instead of using chemical surfactants, its grease-fighting power comes from an old-fashioned blend of saponified natural oils.

The resulting soap is gentle on hands, leaving them soft and smooth.

When it comes to using dish soap on your hands, the ingredient list is just as important as the product’s pH level in determining whether it is safe to use on your hands.

Get more information here.

But your hands aren’t the only thing you can use natural dish soap on.

Can you clean surfaces with dish soap?

You betcha.

Here are the details:

Dish soaps have a pH above 7, meaning they are alkaline.

Alkaline solutions are great for removing fats, grease, oils, proteins, and microorganisms.

In other words: they are great for removing food residue.

And that’s exactly what you want from your dish soap.

At the same time, unlike other household cleaners like bleach, the pH of dish soap will not burn your skin, nor will it damage most kinds of surfaces in your home.

That makes natural dish soap a great choice for cleaning most regular surfaces in your home, such as non-stone countertops, most floors, and upholstered furniture.

Have you seen the most natural dish soap there is?

Perfect pH.

No harsh chemicals ever.

Best choice for your skin.

Check it out right now.

(When you make a purchase from links in this post we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)