Fairy Ultra Plus: The Surprisingly Powerful Dish Soap Everyone in Europe Swears By
05.01.2026 - 19:35:19
You know that moment when you look at the sink and quietly consider just moving out instead of doing the dishes? The stack of oily pans, the plates with baked-on cheese, the glasses with that weird cloudy film no detergent ever seems to fix. You scrub, you soak, you add more product, and still the grease clings on like it pays rent.
Most dish soaps promise a lot, but in real life you end up using half a bottle to get through one heavy cook session. Your hands get dry, the sponge dies early, and you start quietly resenting every home-cooked meal.
Thats the everyday pain Fairy Ultra Plus sets out to kill.
Fairy Ultra Plus (often simply called Fairy in Europe, similar to Dawn in the US) is an ultra-concentrated hand dishwashing liquid built around one idea: you should need a few drops, not a handful, to cut through the worst grease on your dishes.
Why Fairy Ultra Plus feels different from your usual dish soap
Fairy Ultra Plus is positioned as the brands grease-fighting flagship in many European markets. According to Procter & Gamble (the company behind Fairy, ISIN: US7427181091), the formula is designed to deliver long-lasting suds and high grease-cutting power so you can wash more dishes per drop than with cheaper, more diluted detergents.
In plain English: users consistently report that a tiny amount goes a long way. In independent reviews and on forums and Reddit threads discussing Fairy vs. other brands, the same themes keep coming up:
- People use less product per sink than with many supermarket brands.
- Burnt-on and oily residues on pans come off with less scrubbing.
- Suds stay active and foamy for longer instead of dying after one greasy pan.
While exact concentration ratios arent publicly detailed, Fairy markets Ultra Plus as a highly concentrated liquid with strong surfactant power specifically tuned for hand dishwashing. The brand also offers multiple fragrances and pack sizes, but the key promise stays the same: maximum cleaning per drop.
Why this specific model?
In a world where almost every grocery store shelf is crowded with "extra", "ultra", and "power" dish soaps, why would you bother hunting down Fairy Ultra Plus in particular?
From user feedback and product documentation, a few things stand out:
- Exceptional grease cutting: Real-world users frequently compare Fairy Ultra Plus to other European staples and generic brands and call out how quickly it breaks down thick grease on frying pans, baking trays, and oily plastic containers.
- Highly concentrated formula: This is not a big, watery bottle you squeeze half of into the sink. Its a dense formula designed so that a small squeezed line on a sponge can tackle a full sink of dishes when used properly.
- Long-lasting foam: The foam staying power isnt just aesthetic; its functional. When the suds stay alive through multiple greasy items, you dont have to keep re-dosing the sponge.
- Trusted brand backing: Fairy is part of Procter & Gambles global cleaning portfolio (alongside brands like Dawn in the US). This means significant R&D behind the surfactant chemistry, safety testing, and skin compatibility claims.
- Multiple scents and formats: While the core cleaning performance remains the focus, Fairy Ultra Plus is available in different fragrances (depending on market) and bottle sizes, so you can pick what fits your kitchen and nose best.
In practical terms, this means everyday life benefits youll actually notice: fewer refills, shorter scrubbing sessions, and that oddly satisfying feeling when a disgustingly greasy pan rinses clean in seconds.
At a Glance: The Facts
| Feature | User Benefit |
|---|---|
| Ultra-concentrated liquid formula | Use fewer drops per wash, making the bottle last longer and reducing overall cost per sink of dishes. |
| High grease-cutting surfactants | Quickly lifts stubborn grease and baked-on residues, so you spend less time and effort scrubbing pans and trays. |
| Long-lasting foam and suds | Maintains cleaning power across multiple dishes in one go, limiting the need to constantly reapply product to your sponge. |
| Designed for hand dishwashing | Formulated specifically for manual use with water and sponges, offering strong cleaning while remaining suitable for everyday skin contact when used as directed. |
| Multiple fragrance options (market dependent) | Lets you pick a scent you actually enjoy having on your hands and around your sink, rather than a harsh chemical smell. |
| Backed by Procter & Gamble R&D | Benefit from large-scale research into cleaning efficiency and safety standards from a global manufacturer. |
| Compact, easy-to-handle bottle | Simple, controlled dispensing so you dont accidentally waste product with each squeeze. |
What users are saying
Look at Reddit threads and European home forums where Fairy Ultra Plus comes up, and you see a clear pattern:
- Strong praise for cleaning power: Users often call it one of the most effective dish liquids theyve used, especially against heavy cooking oil and burnt residues.
- Notably more economical: People mention that even though Fairy isnt always the rock-bottom cheapest option on the shelf, it lasts longer than budget brands because of its concentration.
- Pleasant to use: Many appreciate the fragrances and the satisfying feeling of seeing greasy dishes rinse clean quickly.
But user reviews arent blindly positive. Some common criticisms include:
- Price vs. generics: In some markets, Fairy Ultra Plus is more expensive than store brands. If your only metric is the sticker price, you might find it costlythough many reviewers say the cost per wash evens out.
- Skin sensitivity for some users: As with most strong detergents, a minority of users with very sensitive skin or existing dermatitis report needing gloves or an additional hand cream, especially with frequent dishwashing sessions.
- Fragrances are subjective: Some users love the scents, others find certain varieties too strong. Fortunately, there are multiple fragrance options, so you can try another if one isnt to your taste.
Overall sentiment is decidedly positive: Fairy Ultra Plus sits in that sweet spot of premium performance without feeling like a luxury splurge. Its a workhorse, not a showpiece.
Alternatives vs. Fairy Ultra Plus
The hand dishwashing market is crowded, and your options will depend heavily on your region. Heres how Fairy Ultra Plus typically stacks up against common alternatives:
- Versus budget supermarket brands: Store-brand dish soaps usually win on upfront price but often lose on concentration and performance. You may need far more product per wash, and they can struggle with heavy grease. Over time, Fairy Ultra Plus can be more cost-effective if you cook a lot and do frequent large loads.
- Versus other mid-range brands: Competing mid-priced liquids may match Fairy on basic everyday dish loads, but user conversations often highlight Fairys edge on very greasy or baked-on messes, especially from roasting, stir-frying, and baking.
- Versus eco-labeled formulas: Environmentally focused brands can be gentler in terms of ingredients or packaging, but they sometimes compromise on pure grease-fighting strength. If your top priority is maximum eco-cred, you may lean that way; if your top priority is raw cleaning power per drop, Fairy Ultra Plus tends to come out ahead.
- Versus US-focused brands (like Dawn): In some discussions, Fairy is compared to Dawn, another P&G powerhouse. Many users who have tried both in different regions describe them as being in the same league of high-performance grease fighters, tuned to different markets and branding lines.
Bottom line: If you wash dishes multiple times a day, cook with a lot of oil, or regularly deal with stubborn pan residues, Fairy Ultra Plus often delivers more real-world impact than cheaper or milder competitors.
Final Verdict
Dish soap is the definition of an unsexy product. Its not something you show off on Instagram. It doesnt arrive in a premium box with tissue paper. But it touches your life every single day and if you cook at home, often multiple times a day.
Thats why a product like Fairy Ultra Plus can quietly make a bigger difference than you expect. Instead of wrestling with greasy pans, re-soaping the sponge after every second plate, and wondering why you go through bottles so fast, you get:
- Dishes that come clean faster
- Less product used per wash
- A sink routine that feels more efficient and less annoying
No detergent is magic, and Fairy Ultra Plus wont fix the emotional trauma of that baking dish you abandoned in the oven for two days. But as a daily driver, its one of the most capable and reliable hand dishwashing liquids currently on the European market.
If youre tired of weak suds, endless scrubbing, and bottles that vanish too quickly, Fairy Ultra Plus is absolutely worth trying. It wont just clean your plates; it might just clean up your entire relationship with doing the dishes.
