The best sugar soaps, compared.
Top pick: Sugar Soap 3 × 500 ml concentrate Best value: Bartoline traditional sugar soap 500 g – The top pick is also the lowest shelf price, so the best value sits on the next own listing, the Bartoline powder at about £0.85 per mixed litre. Updated October 2026.
You are about to paint, and the wall still carries kitchen grease, grime or a nicotine film. Sugar soap is the alkaline wash used on paintwork and hard surfaces before the next coat. It is not a bar of toilet soap, and it does not contain sugar. The powder only looks like sugar, which is where the name comes from. Kitchens and smoker-stained rooms need that wash more than a lightly dusty bedroom. What changes the buy is the format, the dilution on that pack, a rinse and a dry, and a brand field that matches the title. A trigger spray suits doors and spot marks. The [sugar soap buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/sugar-soap/sub/sugar-soap-buying-guide) sets out format, pack size and that brand-field check. People buy it to lift grease, grime and nicotine film so the next coat has a clean surface. Dulux tells you to wash with sugar soap and rinse before painting.
You are about to paint, and the wall still carries kitchen grease, grime or a nicotine film. Sugar soap is the alkaline wash used on paintwork and hard surfaces before the next coat.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you washing?
Three 500 ml flasks are listed at £5.62 with a 4.7 from 578 ratings, and reviewers mixed a little for kitchen grease, skirtings and wallpaper paste. The title uses the word Bartoline, but the brand field is Sugar Soap and the manufacturer is SEVENMEET, so this is not a Bartoline factory line. The listing prints no mix ratio and does not tell you to rinse. The weight is 100 g and the dimensions are 10 × 5 × 3 cm, which cannot be three 500 ml flasks. One bulk order arrived with a leaking flask and a short count, 13 flasks instead of 15. A reviewer said it irritated their hands, and another found that stripped wallpaper paste was spread around and needed several applications. The scent field says Citrus, while one reviewer reported no fragrance, and one person used it on their fingers, which is not a listed use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you have checked the live page and you are buying a triple concentrate, not a Bartoline bottle.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the manufacturer field to match the title, or a printed mix and a rinse step.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this Bartoline?
The title uses the word Bartoline. The brand field is Sugar Soap and the manufacturer is SEVENMEET. That is not a Bartoline manufacturer line.
Does it have a scent?
The scent field says Citrus. One reviewer said there was no fragrance.
Is it safe for wood?
Reviewers used it on skirtings and woodwork. The listing does not say it is safe for wood. One reviewer said it irritated their hands.
This ready-to-use Bartoline spray is two 500 ml bottles at £5.36, and the bullets say spray on, wipe and rinse, working from the bottom up. Model 104662148 is made by Tetrosyl LTD, and the parent rating is 4.6 from 2,089, the same count and the same review texts as the four-bottle listing. Reviewers cleared tape, pen marks and kitchen grease on high-gloss cupboards, and they liked not having to measure. One reviewer said the ready-made mix is too weak for many jobs and told buyers to get the concentrate, and a larger grease splash still needed a scrub. Nicotine is not named, someone who wanted limescale was not impressed, and another mentioned fumes and eye protection. An attribute line still says Concentrated, which contradicts the title. At about £5.36 per litre of liquid you put on the wall, you are paying for convenience, and that figure is label arithmetic, not a test of how far one bottle goes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Doors, skirtings and spot marks when you will not mix a bucket.
Less suitable: A whole greasy kitchen or a smoker room, and anyone adding the 2,089 reviews again on the four-bottle pack.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it remove grease?
The bullets say it removes dirt, grease and grime. Reviewers report kitchen grease and marks on walls. One reviewer bought it for limescale and was not impressed.
Is it safe on tiles?
The bullets say it is suitable for walls, tiles, glass and other common surfaces. They also say to rinse with clean water.
Does it leave a scent?
The scent field is Unscented. One reviewer reported no odour. Another said to wear eye protection and watch the fumes.
This is the same Bartoline spray, model 104662148, sold as four 500 ml bottles at £10.72 on 15 October 2026. The bullets still say spray, wipe and rinse from the bottom up, and the 4.6 from 2,089 is the parent count already attached to the two-bottle listing. You pay about twice the £5.36 two-pack for twice the bottles of the same ready-to-use liquid, so the formula is not stronger. The centimetre dimensions match the two-bottle page, and the 2.24 kg weight is double 1.12 kg while the bottle count goes from two to four, so the size lines do not describe a carton of four. The shared reviews praise marks and kitchen grease, and they also call the mix too weak, quite runny, and a poor match for limescale. Nicotine is not named, and an attribute line still says Concentrated. Buy four bottles only if you already want this spray and you will use the volume.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have already decided on this spray and you want four bottles in one order.
Less suitable: A stronger mix, a nicotine wash, or a lower price per bottle than the pack of two.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the pack of two?
Same model 104662148, same bullets, and the same 4.6 from 2,089 parent reviews. This listing is four 500 ml sprays at £10.72. The pack of two is £5.36.
Does it need diluting?
No. The bullets say spray on, wipe and rinse. An attribute line still says Concentrated.
Is it safe for tiles?
The bullets name tiles, walls and glass, and they say to rinse. Nicotine is not named on this spray.
Across 2,520 amazon.co.uk ratings at 4.5, reviewers mix this 500 ml Bartoline concentrate for wallpaper adhesive, kitchen grease and nicotine film before a new coat. On 15 October 2026 the shelf price was £4.34, and the manufacturer field is Tetrosyl Express Limited, which matches a Bartoline line. The bullets say dilute, scrub, rinse and let the surface dry, and they name painted walls, tiles, vinyl floors, baths and basins. They do not print a mix ratio, and one reviewer said the bottle has no markings, so the strength is a guess. If you use the paint-prep figure of about 125 ml in 4.5 litres, the label arithmetic is about £0.24 per mixed litre, which is not a coverage test and is not printed on this listing. A reviewer called it a little abrasive, and another said to keep it out of your eyes. The scent field reads Flask, which does not tell you what the liquid smells like.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A room or a flat you will wash in a bucket before painting, once you take the ratio from the Bartoline liquid guidance rather than from these bullets.
Less suitable: A single door where you do not want to mix 4.5 litres, and anyone who needs the ratio printed on the bottle.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need diluting?
The bullets say dilute, apply, scrub, rinse and allow the surface to dry. This listing does not print a mix ratio, and one reviewer said the bottle has no markings.
Can it remove grease?
The title and the first bullet name dirt, grease, grime and nicotine stains. Reviewers also used it on kitchen tiles and wallpaper adhesive.
Is it safe for painted surfaces?
The bullets name painted walls, tiles, vinyl floors, baths and basins. One reviewer called it a little abrasive, and another said keep it out of your eyes.
Mangers powder, model MSS10P, was £8.98 on 15 October 2026, with a 4.5 from 335 ratings, and UK reviewers used it on cupboard grease, stair marks and walls before decorating. The title says 10L mix, the bullets print no ratio, the weight fields say 450 g, and other lines say 10 grams and 10 litres. Catalogue fields for skin and food contradict the title and the reviews, so they are not a use. One reviewer washed smoker-stained walls and said the smell went, which is a single report, and nicotine is not named on the listing. Another found the cardboard crushed and open at both ends, and reviewers advised gloves after a horrid feeling or irritation on the hands. Country of origin is given as the United Kingdom. Without a printed ratio you cannot compare its strength with the Bartoline 500 g in 10 litres.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know Mangers powder and you will take the mix from the box in your hand, not from the attribute table.
Less suitable: A first buy, because the listing does not tell you how to dilute it.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need to be diluted?
The title says 10L mix. The bullets do not print a ratio. Weight fields say 450 g, while other attribute lines say 10 grams and 10 litres.
Is it a body soap?
The title is sugar soap powder, and the reviews describe walls, kitchens and pre-paint cleaning. Fields for body, hands and food contradict that. They are not a use.
Can it remove grease?
Reviewers report grease on cupboards, tiles and walls. The listing does not print a method or a mix ratio.
ZYBUX is two 500 ml concentrates at £9.95, rated 4.5 from 320, and the first bullet says each bottle can be diluted with 4.5 litres of water. That uses the whole bottle in one bucket, which is not the Bartoline figure of about 125 ml in 4.5 litres. Reviewers mixed it for walls, wall tiles, greasy woodwork and exterior window seals, and one parcel included gloves and scouring pads. The bullets do not say to rinse and do not name nicotine, while the surface attribute says Stone and the bullets talk about paintwork. One reviewer said it was not as strong as described, and two short reviews said it failed without naming a surface. A sentence in one review about black mould is not a claim on the listing. The listed weight is 1.15 kg and the country of origin is China.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the ratio on the Amazon bullet and you will use a full bottle in 4.5 litres.
Less suitable: Anyone copying that 500 ml figure onto a Bartoline flask, or buying it to remove mould.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need to be diluted?
Yes. The first bullet says each 500 ml bottle can be diluted with 4.5 litres of water. It does not print a weaker household mix.
Can it remove mould?
The bullets do not say it removes mould. One reviewer said it removed black mould. That is a review sentence, not a listing claim.
Is it safe for tiles?
A reviewer cleaned wall tiles. The bullets name paintwork and household walls. The surface attribute says Stone.
This Bartoline powder is the listing that prints both mixes: 500 g in 10 litres of warm water for paint preparation, and 250 g in 10 litres for general cleaning, then a rinse and a dry. On 15 October 2026 it was £8.54, at 4.4 from 253 ratings, with 33 UK review texts in the source file. Reviewers used one box for more than one bucket on a house, and for kitchen doors and woodwork, and one kitchen review mentioned low odour. Label arithmetic at the paint-prep mix is about £0.85 per mixed litre, which is dearer than the £4.34 concentrate and much cheaper per litre than the spray. The title says 500 g, while the item weight and the manufacturer contact line say 450 g. The page also says the recommended use is Face and that the box contains liquid, both of which contradict a powder cleaner. One reviewer found the powder messier than a ready-made liquid, and three older reviews expected two boxes from a title this page no longer uses.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the ratio on the Amazon bullets and you are mixing a bucket for paint preparation.
Less suitable: A spot clean on a door, and anyone treating the Face attribute as a use.
Specifications
Common questions
How do you mix it?
For paint preparation the bullet says 500 g in 10 litres of warm water. For general cleaning it says 250 g in 10 litres. Rinse with fresh water and let the surface dry.
Can it be used on wooden floors?
The bullets name masonry, stone, concrete, flagstones and bathroom fittings. They do not name wooden floors.
Is the box 500 g or 450 g?
The title and the size line say 500 g. The item weight and the manufacturer contact line say 450 g.
Scores use the seven amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, checked on 15 October 2026. They are not a laboratory test and they do not rank the wider UK sugar-soap aisle. Wipes, 1 litre flasks and 1.5 kg tubs are sold by UK merchants and are not in this set.
Stars and review evidence
30%Thirty points for the amazon.co.uk star rating and how much separate review evidence sits behind it. The two spray listings share model 104662148 and one parent line of 4.6 from 2,089. That count is scored in full on the pack of two and reduced on the pack of four, because it is not a second group of buyers.
A listing you can follow
25%Twenty-five points for whether you can use the listing as it stands: a printed mix or a ready-to-use instruction, a rinse, named surfaces, nicotine if the pack claims it, and a brand field that matches the title.
Price for the pack
25%Twenty-five points for price against what that pack actually is. Shelf prices are the 15 October 2026 amazon.co.uk figures. Cost per mixed litre is label arithmetic from the ratio on that listing, or from the Bartoline guidance when the listing is silent. It is not a coverage test.
Review sentiment
20%Twenty points for review sentiment, with deductions for defects, skin and eye complaints, and catalogue lines that contradict the product.
Start with the job, not the star line. A room or a flat wants powder or concentrate in a bucket. Doors, skirtings and spot marks want a spray. Then read the dilution on that pack, because one brand's mix is not a recipe for the next bottle. Rinse and let the surface dry before you paint. A title that says Bartoline is not enough if the manufacturer field names someone else. Prices in this set, checked on amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026, run from about £4.34 to about £10.72.
Sugar soap is an alkaline cleaner for paintwork and other hard surfaces before you decorate. It is not a bar of toilet soap, and it does not contain sugar. The powder only looks like sugar, which is where the name comes from. People buy it to lift grease, grime and nicotine film so the next coat has a clean surface. Dulux tells you to wash with sugar soap and rinse before painting. A kitchen or a smoker-stained room needs that wash more than a lightly dusty bedroom.
Sugar soap is an alkaline surface cleaner. It does not contain sugar, and it is not a cosmetic. A catalogue line that says face, body or food contradicts a decorator powder. Bartoline powder is not for skin.
Bartoline says rinse and let the surface dry completely. Dulux says wash with sugar soap and rinse before painting. Paint over a damp or unrinsed wall often streaks or fails. Follow the pack you bought.
Bartoline powder, Bartoline liquid and ZYBUX do not share one mix. A title that says Bartoline is not enough when the manufacturer field says SEVENMEET. Copying a review that used the liquid on skin is not a listed use.
Powder or concentrate in a bucket suits a room or a flat. A trigger spray suits doors, skirtings and spot marks. Powder is economical per mixed litre and dusty to handle. Concentrate does the same job without grains. A ready-to-use spray needs no measuring and costs much more per litre of liquid on the wall. The dilution belongs to that pack. Bartoline powder prints 500 g in 10 litres of warm water for paint preparation and 250 g in 10 litres for general cleaning.
Bartoline says work from the bottom upwards, rinse, and let the surface dry completely. Dulux says wash with sugar soap and rinse before painting. ZYBUX and the three-flask listing do not print a rinse. The brand field has to match the title. The three-flask listing uses Bartoline in the title and names SEVENMEET as the manufacturer, which is not a Bartoline factory fill. Bartoline powder is not for skin. The powder sheet carries H315 and H319 and names sodium carbonate at 10–30%.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are washing one room or a flat before painting, and you want one flask rather than a trade tub. The Bartoline 500 ml concentrate is about £4.34, with 4.5 from 2,520 ratings. The bullets say rinse and dry. They do not print a mix ratio, so take the strength from the Bartoline liquid guidance, not from the bottle.
You are painting a kitchen or turning around a smoky room, and you want the paint-prep mix printed on the listing. Bartoline powder states 500 g in 10 litres of warm water for paint preparation, and 250 g in 10 litres for general cleaning, then a rinse. The title says 500 g and the weight line says 450 g.
You are cleaning doors, skirtings or spot marks and you will not mix a bucket. The Bartoline spray, pack of two, is ready to use at about £5.36. Reviewers liked not measuring, and one called the ready-made mix too weak for a greasy kitchen. Nicotine is not named on this spray.
The top pick is the Bartoline sugar soap concentrate, 500 ml, at about £4.34, with 4.5 from 2,520 ratings. It is the highest score in this set and the lowest shelf price. The listing prints no mix ratio. The top pick is also the lowest shelf price, so the best value sits on the next own listing, the Bartoline powder. The pack of four is the same spray as the pack of two, at about twice the price, and the 2,089 reviews are one parent count.
Bartoline traditional sugar soap 500 g
The top pick is also the lowest shelf price, so the best value sits on the next own listing, the Bartoline powder at about £0.85 per mixed litre.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Bartoline sheets, Dulux, HSE, NHS, The Paint Shed and Wikipedia. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk listings on 15 October 2026. Prices move.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores compare published listings and review texts. They are not a laboratory test.
