Kitchen cleaning products are often grouped together, yet they rely on very different cleaning principles. Traditional soap, modern detergents and mineral cleaning agents each work in distinct ways, and understanding those differences helps explain why different formats exist for washing dishes and cookware.
Marseille soap has historically been one of the most widely used household soaps in France. Made by slowly saponifying vegetable oils in large cauldrons, it produces a simple and effective cleaning soap capable of dissolving oils and lifting grease so that it can be rinsed away with water.
Modern washing-up liquids and dishwasher tablets use a different approach. Instead of soap, they are generally based on synthetic detergents designed to break down grease and food residues quickly while producing a stable foam.
Dishwasher powders often combine mineral cleaning agents such as sodium percarbonate and soda crystals, which release oxygen during washing and help break down food residues inside the dishwasher.
Each system reflects a different stage in the evolution of household cleaning.
Marseille Soap for Washing Dishes
Before the widespread use of detergents, solid soap was commonly used for washing dishes throughout European kitchens. A sponge or brush would be rubbed directly onto a bar of soap to create a lather capable of dissolving cooking oils and lifting food residues.
Soap works particularly well against grease because it binds to oils while also mixing with water. This allows fats to be broken down and rinsed away from plates, cookware and kitchen utensils.
Solid dishwashing soaps and Marseille-based washing-up liquids continue this tradition today, offering a simple and reliable cleaning method that relies on vegetable oil soap rather than synthetic detergents.
Modern Washing-Up Liquids
Most modern washing-up liquids rely primarily on detergent surfactants rather than soap. These surfactants are designed to reduce surface tension and break apart grease quickly while maintaining a stable foam.
The format is convenient and familiar, and detergent formulations can be adjusted to work well in different water conditions. For this reason washing-up liquids remain one of the most widely used kitchen cleaning products.
Some savonneries now produce washing-up liquids based on Marseille soap, combining the convenience of the liquid format with the cleaning properties of traditional vegetable oil soap and crucially for us, free from extensive lists of lab made ingredients.
Dishwasher Tablets and Powders
Dishwashers operate under very different conditions from hand washing. High water temperatures and long washing cycles allow other cleaning agents to be used.
Dishwasher tablets and powders often contain mineral salts and oxygen-releasing compounds such as sodium percarbonate. These ingredients help break down food residues and stains during the wash cycle while supporting the cleaning of glassware and utensils.
Powders allow the amount of cleaning product to be adjusted depending on the load and water hardness, while tablets offer a fixed and convenient dose.
Different Cleaning Systems
Soap-based cleaners, detergent-based liquids and mineral dishwasher formulations all work effectively, but they rely on different chemical principles.
Traditional soap dissolves grease by binding oils to water.
Detergents break apart grease using synthetic surfactants.
Mineral dishwasher cleaners release oxygen and alkaline salts to break down residues during machine washing.
Understanding these differences helps explain why kitchens today may use several cleaning formats depending on the task.
Traditional Soap in the Modern Kitchen
Despite the development of modern detergents, Marseille soap continues to be used widely in French households for washing dishes, laundry and household cleaning.
Its simplicity, durability and versatility have allowed it to remain relevant even as cleaning products have evolved.
For many households it represents not a nostalgic product, but a practical and well-understood cleaning tool that has served kitchens for generations.