Fairy liquid + sugar - chemistry or physics?

[Rufus]

So we all know after an afternoon in the engine bay of something or other, mechanics gloves or not, the best way of getting rid of the grease etc from our hands is a couple of teaspoons of sugar and some fairy liquid. Now is this because there is some sort of reaction between the two which helps cleaning, or is it purely that the sugar gives the soap something to bite on?

I'm suspecting the latter but would be interested if anybody knows....