Nonpolar compounds, like oil and grease, cannot dissolve in

water. Polar compounds can dissolve in water.

The soap molecule has two different ends, one that is hydrophilic
(polar head) that binds with water and the other that is
hydrophobic (non-polar hydrocarbon tail) that binds with grease
and oil.
When greasy dirt or oil is mixed with soapy water, the soap
molecules arrange themselves into tiny clusters called micelles.
Soap is a natural surfactant. A surfactant is any substance that
tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is
dissolved.
surfactants lower the surface tension of water, they basically
make the water molecules more slippery, so they are less likely to
stick to themselves and more likely to interact with oil and grease.