If you’re familiar with any of the homemade cleaning and laundry solutions I’ve shared here on my site, you may have noticed many of them feature Dawn dish soap as an ingredient. Over the years, I’ve used it the classic blue Dawn dish soap to remove yellow sweat stains, make no-grate laundry detergent, and much more — it’s even in my trusty Ultimate Stain Remover Spray!
Related: This One Easy DIY Will Save You a Fortune on Cleaning Products
As a dish soap, Dawn is certainly great for washing dishes, from pots and pans to flatware and crystal, but it’s all the other things you can do with it that make it truly extraordinary! Without further ado, here’s my list of the “best of the best” uses for Dawn dishwashing liquid.
28 Amazing Uses for Dawn Dish Soap
1. Making Bubbles
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dish soap makes great homemade bubbles, including “giant bubbles!” To make a bubble solution, combine 1/2 cup of Ultra Dawn soap, 1/2 gallon of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of glycerin. (White Karo syrup works in place of glycerin, if you have that on hand!)
Stir gently, then skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam will break down the bubbles). Dip your bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!
2. Saving Wildlife
Ever wonder why Dawn soap is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
3. Removing Gunk From Hair
Kids get the darnedest things in their hair, like Vaseline, baby oil, gum, Silly Putty, etc. Dawn dish soap is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
Related: This DIY Dish Spray Makes After Dinner Cleanup so Easy
4. Removing Hair Product Buildup
Once a month use Dawn dish soap as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
5. Cleaning Windows
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn dish soap in 1 gallon of water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spray and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.
Related: 7 Things You Should Never Clean with Dish Soap
6. Deicing Sidewalks
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks!
7. Softening Cuticles for Manicures
Soak your fingers in a dish of Dawn dish soap. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere better.
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8. Cleaning Plastic Kiddie Pools
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn dish soap and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
9. Making Multi-Purpose Cleaners
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn soap in 8 ounces water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
- Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks
- Woodwork, like baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting (Make sure to dry as you go; wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
- Tubs and toilet seats
Related: Check Out My 21 Favorite Homemade Cleaners
10. Repelling Pests from Plants
This is a safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.
11. Relieving Poison Ivy
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn soap helps dry up the fluid AND keep it from spreading. This is especially effective for children who keep scratching the blisters open.
12. Erasing Driveway Stains
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, first sprinkle kitty litter on the spot to absorb excess oil. Then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dish soap and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.
13. Killing Fleas
Use Dawn dish soap to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dog shampoos.
14. Cleaning Pool Water
Squirt Dawn soap down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.
15. Preventing Foggy Lenses
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn soap on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
16. Removing Grease from Tools
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn soap before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. This also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.
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17. Pre-Treating Oily Laundry Stains
To remove oil-based laundry stains like lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dish soap directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
Related: How to Make My Ultimate Stain Remover Spray
18. Lubricating Moving Parts
Apply Dawn dish soap to sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried, and it’s non-toxic. It does a great job of cleaning the parts that it’s lubricating as well!
19. Making a Gel Ice Pack
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dish soap, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.
Read More: How to Make a Pliable Homemade Gel Ice Pack for Pennies
20. Washing Paint & Grease off Hands
Dawn soap combined with corn oil makes for the perfect grease or paint remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.
21. Keeping Aphids Away from Fruit Trees
Mix two tablespoons Dawn soap to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get the spray on both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!
22. Cleaning Your Tub & Shower
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with Dawn dish soap. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls, then allow it to sit for a while before rinsing it off. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
Related: 9 Surprising New Uses for One of the Best DIY Cleaners!
23. Repelling Ants
Spray countertops, cupboards, and any other areas where you’ve seen ants with a solution of Dawn soap and water. Wipe dry. The slight soapy residue that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn soap spray.
24. Stripping Cloth Diapers
Here is another laundry tip — add a drop or two of original Dawn dish soap to diapers in your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. (Be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll end up with a terribly sudsy mess on your hands.)
Dawn is excellent at cutting through grease, oily residues, and the link, making it ideal for stripping cloth diapers. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly until the water runs clear!
25. Unclogging Toilets
Clear out a clogged toilet by pouring a cup or so of Dawn dish soap into the toilet bowl, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Follow with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height, and your toilet should be clog-free!
Read More: These Are the Best Ways to Unclog a Toilet in an Emergency
26. Cleansing Oily Skin
Dawn dish soap makes a surprisingly great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.
27. Cleaning Grimy Shower Floors
Cover grimy footprints and other gunk on shower floors with Dawn soap; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
28. Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
Start by wiping the appliance with a damp cloth so you can see the direction of the fine lines or “grain” in the steel. Put a few drops of Dawn on a wet rag, then lather it up and wipe the surface in the same direction as the grain. Wipe again with a clean, damp cloth, then use a dry microfiber cloth to buff it to a shine. No more grease or fingerprints!
Bonus: Giving It as a Gift!
If you should ever need a host or hostess gift when visiting friends or family, print out this list and bundle it with a bottle of Dawn dish soap and a few microfiber cloths! I can’t think of a more practical gift than that!
What’s your favorite way to use Dawn dish soap?
Thank you for the comments.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just read that I could use Dawn to wash my dog and get rid of fleas. Then it said don’t use on pet’s. So what is it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve used Dawn on my 5lb dog for years now without any problems! And he’s flea free
I use it I have 4 small dogs and there fine I did it for 6 months I put in old shampoo bottle water,Dawn and vinegar the recipes in Pinterest some dogs maybe got to test it first for them but had I had no problems
I use baby shampoo for normal bathing, not for fleas.
I don’t really care what people post. I had a flea infestation and had used every high end product, frontline and the pill flea killer (that’s short acting, while the frontline kicks in) with NO LUCK. I ended up using Dawn, the pill and k-9 Advantix and did not have another problem, after battling the flea issues for 5 months.
I am an Humane agent and we use Dawn (Blue Original) on the animals we work with to remove fleas. The fleas just fall away and the animals have never shown a problem. I have used it full strenght on my own dogs and never had a problem…….or a flea. It also keeps the ticks repealed. I also put a drop or two in the washer when I was animals bedding. Bugs hate Dawn.
I have used it on my three dogs and to remove ticks and fleas from cats . It is wonderful . I put as much as I would if I were washing my hair . Worked great!
Dawn is used world wide and they donate money to animals in need . Yes you can use to wash and kill fleas. Make sure you rinse well
Be careful if your eyeglasses have expensive anti-glare/anti-scratch coating, such as Crizal. I used to wash my glasses all the time with the dishwater before I washed dishes, but my optometrist informed me that this will strip the coating. Also be careful when cleaning car windows with tinting. Only special window cleaner that’s marked “safe on tinted windows” is safe to use.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Myth: Scratching poison ivy blisters will spread the rash. Fact: The fluid in the blisters willl not spread the rash. Before blisters form, the rash can only be spread by unbound urushiol. Avoid scratching of blisters.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In addition to unclogging toilets, you can use it to unclog shower and sink drains clogged with hair or whatever else. I had a very slow draining shower and my mother-in-law suggested pouring a cup of dawn down the drain and letting it sit. It worked like a charm!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Make fruit fly traps using a couple of drops of Dawn in about a quarter cup of cider vinegar in small ramekins. The cider attracts them and the Dawn kills them. When the grandsons are visiting us in Maine during the summer, we change them every night and do a body count when they get up in the morning. Ghoulish but they think it’s a hoot.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My plumber suggested that I could drizzle some Dawn into the overflow pipe in the tank when the tank is filling to make the toilet flush better. He said that it would have to be done more than once, but when the toilet is flushing OK then stop.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Loved all these ideas. I’m totally going to use these tips in my home.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.NEVER put soap on icy stairs. NEVER. all you do is create a future hazard after the water goes away the soap residue remains and next storm you have a disaster and insurance nightmare waiting to happen.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.living in fla, there is a problem with hard water (stains) can i use dawn on my vehicle, your ad shows bathrooms to washing animals, would it be safe for me ? is there a witches brew you can tell me about ? thanx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Use a little white vinegar diluted in water (about 1/2 cup vinegar in 1 gallon of water), and wash the hard water areas with a rag soaked in the solution. :-) And yes – you can use Dawn, too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Personally the vinegar didn’t work for me as our hard water stains build up was just too much. What I did fine that works on ceramic tile was Bar Keepers Friend in the foam/spray bottle formula. I sprayed and then scrubbed with a brush and then wiped down with wet rag. A lot of work – but amazing results.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where does it say that they test on animals? It states it work great on animals. Ever see the commercials for dawn and oil spill animal clean up?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I need to clean my walls! I can’t handle harsh chemical smells so I love using Blue Dawn!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any suggestions on how to use Dawn for cleaning my walls?
NEVER pour hot water into the toilet!!! You can crack the porcelain.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was going to say the same thing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think there all great helpful tips. I will definitely try them Dawn is the best dish soap ever.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My poison ivy spreads from me scratching the blisters while I’m sleeping! I can also contract it from my husband’s clothing. It’s happened to me numerous times.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good read.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I remember using clothe diapers for my children way back and when your done with the diaper days they make great rags for cleaning. I have even bought a dozen news ones just for rags.So I truly understand using Dawn as a cleaner for the machine and diapers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Be careful with using any soap on eyeglasses, especially if you have the non-scratch film that costs super extra – soap will begin to take the film off the glasses leaving them looking even worse and it’s not fixable. I ruined a pair of glasses by washing them with soap.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Use use a small spray bottle with washing vinegar mixed with water for my eyewear.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve told numerous people about your armpit stain remover recipe! It works soo well! Can’t wait to try a few of the ones on this list I’ve never heard before like cleaning the shower floor! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Recently washed all my summer clothes to put away and taking them out of the dryer I found a tube of lipstick and it was all over everything. I sprayed it on all the clothes and rewashed with dawn platinum and it all came out!!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How in earth did you manage to clean it off your dryer drum Mary Lee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On #25 – Unclogging Toilets — My husbands family ran a plumbing shop for 50 years. They said “DO NOT pour hot water in a toilet.” The toilets are made of china and there is a good chance that it will crack when hot water is poured into them. It might depend on how hot the water is, but don’t take the chance.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree Neva. NEVER put hot water in a toilet unless you want an even bigger problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love HER stuff
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Did you know that Dawn will remove oil stains even after the clothes go through the dryer? Even on high heat! Just apply full strength to oil stain, rub in and rewash. Voila! Oil stain gone!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mine did spread from the blisters
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The oils were seeping from my leg on too my pants. Even after washing the pants, the oils were still there and the poison ivy returned to the same area One of the worse cases I have ever had.
If would have used the Dawn it would have gotten rid of the oils..
Chris is correct!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Three physicians I’ve seen, agree that it spreads from scratching the blisters. At least on me, it does!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I didn’t see any mention if it is good to clean mirrors. If so, what proportion of Dawn to water or vinegar?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just a few drops in a cup of vinegar will work wonders!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve used Dawn for 32 years for everything, not knowing if it was safe or not at the time. There is nothing that compares to its usefulness. Dawn, vinegar and baking soda are always in kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years from a to z with just these 3 products.
One more thing I discovered is that when I first got my dog, if he peed on the rug, I sprayed the area with Dawn, vinegar, and baking soda, he never went on the area again. Decided to lightly spray entire rug and eureka! He has gone to the door to let me know when he needs to go out since then. He’s eight years old now.
Dawn rocks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What is the ratio of ingredients?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One man I knew, used to coat his skin with Dawn, like using a lotion, before he would go outside and do yardwork. Having the Dawn on his skin acted as a barrier to the urushiol oil in poison ivy. He could then shower and wash it all off with no poison ivy, ever.
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