Dawn Dish Soap Hacks for Everyday Household Use

If you’re reading this, odds are you have Dawn dish soap in your house. The Proctor & Gamble product has been America’s bestselling dish soap since it was first introduced in 1973. However, like other household products, Dawn can do a lot more than just clean dishes. We’ve gathered together some genius Dawn dish soap hacks, and quite frankly, some of them are truly unbelievable. Dawn can be used on everything from countertops and tiles to plants and pets. In fact, you can even use it to wash your hair!

Be sure to SHARE these brilliant tips on social media, and let us know if there are any Dawn dish soap hacks that we missed.

DIY Bubbles

Believe it or not, one of the more interesting uses for Dawn will have your kids bubbling with delight. Namely, the liquid soap can be used to make homemade bubbles. Bubbles.org (yes, it exists) created this handy recipe- “Mix together 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn soap, 1/2 gallon of warm water, and 1 tablespoon glycerin, which should be available at any drug store. (White Karo syrup works in place of glycerin, if you have that on hand!) Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution, as too much foam will break down the bubbles. Dip your bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!”

Unclog Toilets

No, we’re not kidding. If your toilet is clogged, pour about 1/2 cup of Dawn in, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Then, flush it down with a bucket of hot water. Your pipes should be free and clear from then on.

Clean Greasy Hair

Using a dollop of Dawn dish soap once a month, the same amount and method you would use for normal shampoo, will remove excess oils and strip old hair products from your hair without doing any damage.

De-Ice Sidewalks

If you’re dealing with a frozen sidewalk in front of your home, mix a teaspoon of Dawn with 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and 1/2 gallon of hot water. Then, pour it over the icy path. Not only will it clear the walkway, but it won’t damage concrete or pavement the way salt will.

Keep Poison Ivy in Check

If you find yourself afflicted with poison ivy, take a shower using Dawn ASAP. The soap will dry out the blisters, helping with itching and, more importantly, not allowing oils from the blisters to spread the poison ivy to unaffected areas.

Manicure Prep

Soaking your fingernails in Dawn prior to a manicure will make your cuticles more malleable to work with, and will remove natural oils from your nails. This will allow polish to adhere better.

Tub and Tile Cleaner

If your tub/bathroom/shower needs a serious deep cleaning, microwave half a spray bottle’s worth of white vinegar. When it’s warm, fill the rest of the bottle with Dawn dish soap. After mixing well, spray the concoction over the grimy areas that you want clean. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and presto- Your tiles will be good as new.

Keep Houseplants Insect-Free

If you mist your houseplants with Dawn and water from a spray bottle, the mixture – which is perfectly safe for your plants – will keep aphids, mites, and other bugs away. However, plants aren’t the only thing that Dawn keeps insects away from, as evidenced by the next slide.

Keep Pets Insect-Free

That’s right, you can also use Dawn as shampoo for your pets. The soap kills fleas on contact, and is much cheaper than specially-made dog and cat shampoos.

De-Fog Glass

If you apply a dollop of Dawn (diluted with water) onto any glass surface – including eyeglasses, windows, or shower doors – it will prevent them from fogging up in the presence of steam or hot water.

De-Grease Tools

If you find yourself working on a car engine, or other greasy projects, be sure to bathe your tools in Dawn after you’re done. It will remove all of the oil, dirt, grime, and grease, and will keep the tools from developing rust.

DIY Ice Pack

Need an ice pack in a hurry? Fill a sandwich bag with Dawn and freeze it. The soap will stay cold longer, can be refrozen multiple times, and will actually shape itself around whatever area of the body you’re trying to cool down.

Paint Remover

When house painting goes awry, Dawn is your best bet to clean any paint splatters. It even works on hardwood floors.

Repel Ants

A thin coating of Dawn, mixed with water sprayed over your countertops, will keep ants away, and it’s completely safe for your family and pets. Beyond that, if you see a line of ants, you can spray them down with the same solution, which will take care of them just as well as other pest-control methods.

Save Wildlife After an Oil Spill

Thanks to its biodegradable nature and the fact that it will do no damage to animals’ skin, Dawn is the top choice of the International Bird Rescue Center when cleaning up birds and other wildlife in the aftermath of oil spills.

Pool Cleaner

If you squirt Dawn in the middle of your small pool, it will force all of the oils, lotions, and dirt floating in the water to the pool’s edges, making for an easy cleanup. As a bonus, your pool’s water will sparkle beautifully.

Non-Toxic Lubricant

Have a squeaky hinge? Dawn has you covered. Apply the soap to sliding glass doors, doorknobs, windows, and any other hinge you can think of to keep them moving loose and quietly. Plus, the Dawn will clean them at the same time.

Driveway/Garage Cleaner

Is your driveway or garage floor covered in unsightly gas and motor oil stains? You can easily clean them using a few household items, including Dawn. First, sprinkle kitty litter on the spot to absorb excess oil and grease. Next, soak a scrub broom in a solution of biodegradable Dawn and warm water. The stains from the pavement will be removed.

Pretreat Stained Clothes

Have an unsightly stain – like lipstick, grease, butter, cooking oil, or ink — on your favorite shirt? Pour some Dawn on a small brush, like a toothbrush, and use it to clean the stain. Once it’s faded, launder the shirt as normal. It should come out of the dryer good as new.

Clean Jewelry

The more you wear your favorite jewelry, the duller and grimier it becomes. To remedy this, soak said jewelry in a small bowl of club soda and a tablespoon of Dawn. Remove after a few hours and gently scrub with a toothbrush to restore your jewelry’s shine!

Keep Weeds Away

If weeds are putting a major damper on your garden, try this- Put a teaspoon of Dawn, a tablespoon of vinegar, and a tablespoon of salt into a spray bottle, then spray onto your garden weeds. The weeds should be gone within a few days, leaving your garden weed-free without the use of chemicals!

Clean Your Carpet

Just like with your clothes, Dawn can also aid in getting stains out of your carpet. Just combine two ounces of hydrogen peroxide with one ounce of Dawn in a spray bottle, stir it up, spray the solution onto the problem area of your carpet, and scrub away. Next, spray some water onto the area and scrub in order to get off any excess dish soap. Is there anything Dawn can’t do?

Find the Hole on Your Tire

If you find that your car or bike tire has a small puncture, finding the thing alone can be tricky. But instead of immediately heading to the auto or bike shop, you can find the hole yourself by mixing a few drops of dish soap with some water, and brushing the mixture along the tire. You should be able to easily find the hole where the mixture forms little bubbles. It’s easy, AND you’ll save quite a bit of money!

Freeze Dawn to Clean Dishes More Easily

Let’s face it, no one likes doing the dishes – especially when you don’t own a dishwasher. Here’s a dish-cleaning hack that you probably hadn’t thought of before- Freeze dish soap in an ice tray and then clean your dishes with said frozen cubes. No scrub brush needed!

Clean Your Grill

Cleaning your barbecue can be a major pain – especially if you like to grill often in the summertime. Make things a bit easier with a Dawn-based cleaning solution. Just combine half a cup of dish soap with one-and-a-half cups of baking soda and a quarter cup of vinegar. Next, mix it all together until it forms a paste, and pour it over the grates (you can use a paintbrush to make sure everything is covered). Leave for around eight hours, and then when you come back to scrub, all of the grime should come off easily!

Clean Your Hairbrushes

You wash your hair regularly, but you probably don’t think to wash your hairbrushes regularly, do you? Brushing your hair with an unclean brush will just put the unwanted oils back into your hair. To clean it, fill up your sink with some warm water, add a couple squirts of dish soap, and leave your hairbrushes to soak for a couple hours. Remove from the solution and rinse, and you’ve got yourself a clean hairbrush that’s like new!

Use as a Cleanser For Oily Skin

If you have oily skin then you’ll know how much of a pain it can be to keep the oils at bay. Not to mention, the cost of drugstore cleansers can really add up over time! Instead, try making your own cleanser by mixing together a few drops of dish soap and some warm water. Wash your face and rinse until there’s no soap residue left on your skin!

DIY Laundry Detergent

As it turns out, Dawn doesn’t only act as a detergent for dishes…it can be a laundry detergent as well! All you have to do is combine a third of a cup of washing soda, a quarter cup of Borax washing booster, two tablespoons of Dawn, and a gallon of hot water. Now you have a cost-effective laundry detergent that gets grime and stains off of your clothes!

Get Gum Out of Hair

Getting a sticky substance like gum out of one’s hair can be quite the ordeal, and it happens to pretty much every kid at one point or another. But before you reach for the scissors, try out this hack- Gently work a dollop of dish soap into the gum-tangled hair and massage until the stickiness is gone, at which point you can more easily pull it out of your hair. No impromptu haircut needed!

Cleaning Cloth Diapers

It’s been well-established that cloth diapers are way better for the environment than the disposable kind, and some even argue their healthier for babies. However, they can be permanently stain and become greasy thanks to normal oily body secretions. Believe it or not, Dawn is great at removing these stains.

Make Windows Sparkle

If you’re running low on glass cleaner and need to clean your windows ASAP, Dawn has your back. Simply mix 3 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of dish soap into an empty spray bottle and shake them well before spraying. It will get windows, mirrors, and doors looking sparkling and clear.

Grout Remover

A small amount of Dawn is the perfect cleaning solution to clean up grout stains that can develop in the spaces between bathroom tiles.

Clean Appliances

Anyone who owns any stainless steel kitchen appliances knows they are basically magnets for everything from splash residue to fingerprints. However, a small amount of Dawn dish soap and a sponge will polish them right up.

Rainbow Bubbles

You can use Dawn to make fun, rainbow sensory foam bubbles to play with your kids. In a bowl, add 2 Tbsp of dish soap and 1/4 cup of water. Add food coloring or Colorations Liquid Watercolors (we used Liquid Watercolors here) to the mix if desired. Mix on the highest possible setting for 1-2 minutes. Your foam should be able to form stiff peaks that hold their shape. Scoop it out into your container and repeat as necessary until you have the desired amount of foam!

Car Wash

That’s right, you can use Dawn to wash your car. Simply fill a bucket  water and pour in 2-3 tablespoons of dish soap into it. After stirring them them, use the solution to scrub the car with a sponge then simply wash it off with water.

Remove Sticker and Residue

Anyone whose ever tried to remove an adhesive label knows how frustrating the leftover goo and residue can be. To avoid this, spread some Dawn on the sticker and wait an hour. At that point,  you should be able to peel it off quickly with nothing left behind.

Removing Chewing Gum from Hair

Getting chewing gum stick in their hair is the nightmare of anyone whose ever had long hair, as it can lead to disastrous haircuts if it needs to be cut out. If you find  yourself in this situation, be sure to break out the Dawn before the clippers. Rub some dish soap into the piece of gum, which should dry it out and make it crumble right out of the hair.

Clean a Garage Door

In addition to a garage floor, the dish soap can also be used to clean a garage door. Combine 1 teaspoon of Dawn with 1/2 cup of white vinegar into an empty spray bottle, spritz it thoroughly on the garage door, scrub it with a brush, then wash it off with water.

Beautify a Makeup Sponge

If your makeup sponge is looking old and grimy, don’t throw it out just yet. First pour 3-5 drops of Dawn and 2 cups of water into a bowl, mix the solution, and soak your sponge in it for an hour. That should make it good as new.

...And You Can Use It to Clean Dishes, We Guess...

Would you believe that you can even use Dawn dish soap to clean your dishes? Who would have thought?!