Anti-bacterial washing-up liquids not much better than ordinary cleaners, find watchdog

Some ‘anti-bacterial’ washing-up liquids are not much better at killing bugs than cheaper, ‘ordinary’ versions of the same brands or than soap and water, consumer experts claim.

Researchers from Which? tested a range of washingup liquids on four types of bacteria grown on sponges under laboratory conditions.

Which? said: ‘You don’t have to pay out for antibacterial liquids to protect you from bugs.

'Fairy Liquid’s anti-bacterial product was only marginally better at killing bacteria.’

The researchers also found that some antibacterial washing-up liquids do not leave dishes as clean as cheaper non-bacterial alternatives.

For instance, a 59p bottle from budget supermarket Lidl was more effective than a 95p anti-bacterial one from Sainsbury’s, they discovered.

While the much more expensive £1.49 eco-friendly version from Lakeland was worse than several own brand and other cheaper versions said the tests by the watchdog.

Anti-bacterial brands have grown in popularity because of worries over potentially fatal bugs like E coli and MRSA on kitchen worksurfaces, dishclothes and spongers.

Some research has questioned whether these products are as effective as they claim while other studies suggest they may be better in the long run in preventing bacterial growth.

Which? added: ‘Fairy’s antibacterial product was only marginally better at killing bacteria.

‘But keeping surfaces clean - perhaps with a bleach spray - and washing hands thoroughly with soap and hot water is as good advice as any to help you avoid nasty bugs.’

It then tested all the brands, whether antibacterial or not, on how good they were at cleaning dishes.

Fairy’s Original, costing 90p was top with a score of 89 per cent while its antibacterial version - £1.38 for a smaller bottle - was eighth out of 18 brands with a score of just 71 per cent.

The worst of the lot was Asda Eco-Friendly with just 30 per cent.