Do You Really Need to Soak Dishes? Here’s What the Experts Say

Unless you have a dishwasher, handwashing dishes is a daily chore, and it’s no surprise that there are countless tips claiming to make it faster. In many kitchens, one question sparks an ongoing debate: Is soaking dishes before washing a lazy delay tactic, or a time-saving tip? For the no-soak crowd, the idea of soaking might conjure images of greasy, lukewarm water overflowing from pots left sitting overnight. But for dedicated soakers, skipping that step means wasting precious time and energy scrubbing at stuck-on residue.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we test a wide range of cleaning products, including dish soaps and sponges, and we know the best ways to use them. Here, our cleaning experts weigh in on whether soaking dishes is worth it.

Can soaking dishes actually save time?

While some believe that soaking dishes is just a way to put off the chore, soaking can actually save time and effort. This is especially true when dealing with baked-on or dried-on food. Allowing water to soften tough residues before washing minimizes the need for aggressive scrubbing and helps preserve your dishes, cookware, scrubbers, and dish brushes.

But in the Cleaning Lab, we answer countless questions from readers and staff, and the debate isn’t as black-and-white as “always soak” versus “never soak.” The real disagreement is usually about how long dishes are left to soak. A brief, intentional soak can be helpful, but letting dishes marinate for more than an hour is rarely beneficial and may slow the process.

When to soak dishes and for how long

Knowing when to soak and for how long can help you streamline cleanup. Here is what we recommend based on our experience.

• Skip soaking altogether for lightly soiled glasses, plates, and flatware. A good dish soap will cut through grease and other food residues quickly when applied with warm water.
• Given time to sit, soft foods like sauces or egg yolks dry out and become harder to remove. While it’s fastest to wash them immediately, a brief 5–10-minute soak is all that is needed to soften them.
• For baked-on starches like pasta or oatmeal, we recommend soaking for 10–20 minutes. Cookware must be allowed to cool to safe temperatures before washing, but an unwelcome side effect is that these foods tend to dry out and harden as a result. These residues benefit from extra time in warm water to loosen.
• Don’t soak overnight. While warm water and dish soap can help soften stubborn food particles, soaking dishes for more than an hour usually doesn’t improve results. By this time, the water has cooled, and odors may begin to form.

While we advise against pre-rinsing dishes when loading your dishwasher, handwashing is a different story. In some cases, rinsing dishes and washing them while the residue is still fresh is the fastest option.

Other ways to make handwashing easier

• Use an effective dish soap. A high-quality dish soap formulated to cut grease and break down food quickly can reduce the need for soaking altogether.
• Choose the right scrubber for the job. Not all messes require the same level of abrasiveness. While non-stick cookware and delicate dishes require softer scrub pads, stubborn messes on durable cookware can be removed more quickly with a heavy-duty option.
• Keep a dish scraper on hand. A simple dish scraper goes a long way in removing tough residues. They are particularly useful on flat surfaces such as plates or sheet pans, where loose food can be pushed away quickly.