Liquid hand soap is an essential household item that keeps you and your family safe and healthy. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, you can kill germs and bacteria that make their way to your hands and spread illness-causing viruses. Washing your hands with liquid hand soap after sneezing, coughing, washing dishes, using the restroom, or cleaning, is one of the best defenses against germs that you don’t want to end up in your body.
We reviewed dozens of liquid hand soaps to determine which ones were some of the best options for targeting those germs and keeping your hands soft and smooth. Some of the features we considered were volume compared to the price, moisturizing capabilities, and germ-fighting properties and ingredients.
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap stood out to us as the clear winner. Not only is it tough on fighting germs on your hands, but its formula is also free of parabens and contains natural oils that are gentle on your hands for everyday use.
In This Article
The 5 Top-Rated Liquid Hand Soaps
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Liquid Hand Soap Overall | Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap | 4.5 |
| Best Moisturizing Liquid Hand Soap | Jergens Moisturizing Hand Wash | 4.5 |
| Best Budget Liquid Hand Soap | Solimo Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap Refill | 4.3 |
| Best Essential Oil Liquid Hand Soap | Sapadilla Grapefruit + Bergamot Liquid Hand Soap | 4.5 |
| Best Liquid Hand Soap for Sensitive Skin | Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser | 4.4 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Best Liquid Hand Soap Overall: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap
Our top pick comes from Mrs. Meyer’s, a leader in the cleaning world. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap comes in several scents that are natural smelling and refreshing. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap includes plant-based ingredients and essential oils that are gentler on your skin than harmful chemicals many other hand soaps contain.
Mrs. Meyer’s products also have a focus on sustainability, and this hand soap is no exception. The packaging is recyclable and biodegradable, making them perfect for eco-conscious customers who want to feel good about the products they have in the home.
This particular scent is bright and citrusy for an overall energizing vibe. Many customers who use this and other Mrs. Meyer’s hand soaps say that this one is by far their favorite. Other favorite features are its cruelty-free creation process, moisturizing ingredients, and paraben-free formula.
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap Key Features:
- Contains aloe vera for moisture
- Cruelty-free formula
- Invigorating scent
- No artificial colors
- Fragrance from essential oils
Best Moisturizing Liquid Hand Soap: Jergens Moisturizing Hand Wash
As one of the most recognizable names in skincare, Jergens unsurprisingly delivers incredibly hydrating hand soap with its Jergens Moisturizing Hand Wash. This hand soap is rich and creamy, almost like a lotion, to keep your hands soft while you clean them. The soap forms a deep lather as it targets germs and penetrates the skin to keep it smooth and soothe it from cracks and dryness.
The cherry almond scent is one you won’t smell in other hand soaps, too. If you’re a person who likes to try new smells, then you’ll love the light and relaxing fragrance this soap delivers. Fortunately, it’s not overpowering, so you’ll just notice an inviting, lingering scent.
Some customers admit that even though this hand soap is more expensive than others they’ve bought, they love its effectiveness and moisturizing capabilities so much that it’s worth the cost to them. If moisturization is something you can’t do without when it comes to hand soap, you probably won’t mind spending a little more to get it.
Jergens Moisturizing Hand Wash Key Features:
- Non-clumping pump
- Fresh and light scent
- Creamy texture similar to lotion
- Gentle cleansing
- All-day hydration
Best Budget Liquid Hand Soap: Solimo Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap Refill
Buying individual liquid hand soap containers can get expensive, especially for larger families that go through those containers quickly. A more affordable option is buying the Solimo Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap Refill, which has 56 ounces of soap made by Amazon’s popular budget brand, Solimo. That’s enough to fill 7 or 8 standard hand soap bottles that you’d normally purchase. When it comes to hand soap, you don’t want to run out, so it also helps you keep track of what you have left.
This hand soap has been tested by dermatologists before making its way to your home. You’ll get a nice, soapy lather that gently pulls away dirt, grime, and bacteria from your skin without harming it in the process. Solimo hand soaps come paraben and triclosan-free.
Best of all, it’ll work in most automatic or pump hand soap dispensers, so you can save money no matter what kind of soap dispenser you choose to use. That means that you won’t have to worry about clogs or messes that sometimes occur when using certain soaps.
Solimo Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap Refill Key Features:
- No sticky residue
- Light scent
- Light moisturization
- Antibacterial
- Hydrating and gentle on hands
Best Essential Oil Liquid Hand Soap: Sapadilla Grapefruit + Bergamot Liquid Hand Soap
For those who prefer natural smells, like those of essential oils, the Sapadilla Grapefruit + Bergamot Liquid Hand Soap is a great option. This hand soap is made with grapefruit and bergamot essential oils, so you won’t have to deal with any chemically-produced fragrances that bother skin. The essential oils used in this soap are 100% pure, non-synthetic oils, meaning that they’re the quality you expect in a product with essential oils.
Another benefit of this soap is its size. At 12 fluid ounces, it’s larger than most other individual liquid hand soap containers on the market, yet it’s still offered at an affordable price. The container is still a convenient enough size that it’ll sit on your countertop without taking up too much room.
Like other Sapadilla hand soaps, this Grapefruit + Bergamot variety is part of a lineup of other household cleaning agents, like dish soap, laundry detergent, and all-purpose cleaner. If you find that you really love its scent, you won’t have trouble replicating it throughout your home.
Sapadilla Grapefruit + Bergamot Liquid Hand Soap Key Features:
- Cruelty-free
- Biodegradable
- Energizing citrus scent
- Excellent lather
- Moisturizing
Best Liquid Hand Soap for Sensitive Skin: Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser
When your hands can’t tolerate several handwashes with a soap that uses chemical fragrances and dyes, try one that’s made for sensitivities. The Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser may do the trick because it’s free of both artificial colors and smells plus parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde, a preservative that can irritate sensitive skin. This formula is about as pure as you can find for a hand soap, utilizing primary ingredients like purified water and glycerin to lock in moisture.
Dermatologists have checked over this formula to ensure its safety on skin. In addition to using it to clean your hands, you can also use it as a cleansing body or face wash if those areas are prone to reactions from chemical-based cleansers. You’ll find that this soap has a lighter lather than others, but that’s a good thing when you need a gentle cleanse.
Some customers who have bought and use this liquid hand soap agree that it works great on eczema-prone skin, proving that it’s one that even the most sensitive skin can benefit from.
Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser Key Features:
- No scents or dyes
- Leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated
- Doubles as a body wash
- Safe for almost any skin type
- Made with purified water
Liquid hand soap is a necessity for your bathroom and kitchen to keep your hands free of harmful bacteria and your home as germ-free as possible. Looking for other cleaning and household essentials to keep in stock? Check out some of our other guides for the best toilet paper, best disinfectants, and the best steam mops.
