Table of Contents
- What Makes Dawn Soap So Hackable?
- 9 Uses For Dawn Soap Besides Doing the Dishes
- A Couple Of Things I Don’t Recommend Using Dawn For
- What Else Can Dawn Dish Soap Be Used For?
- Want More Cleaning Tips and Ideas?
We all know Dawn soap is for two things. Cleaning up your dishes and cleaning adorable ducklings that have had the misfortune of an oil spill in their habitat. But you might not know all of the other Dawn soap hacks you can try around your house.
I think once people saw the work it did on those ducklings, they thought they would get creative, too.
What Makes Dawn Soap So Hackable?
Dawn is a degreaser. If you ever ran out of Dawn while trying to clean your greasy pots and pans, then you know cleaning a greasy mess is WAY easier with Dawn than without it.
It really does take grease out of your way.
Dawn is a mild soap. The blue, original Dawn, is not all natural, though, so if that’s important to you, Dawn is not a good choice.
That combination of tough degreaser while still being mild for your skin makes it perfect for hacking.
9 Uses For Dawn Soap Besides Doing the Dishes
#1 – De-ice The Front Steps
I live in the Northeast. Icy front steps are a menace for a solid four months of the year. If you live in a warm climate, imagine that for four months of every year you were risking a clumsy fall every time you left the front door? Perilous, right?
There’s salt and other super chemical-y de-icers that you can buy for the winter, but salt does a number on brick, concrete and your car. And the other stuff is EXPENSIVE.
Dawn dish soap will de-ice your steps in a pinch. Just a teaspoon of Dawn, a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and a 1/2 gallon of warm water will do the trick AND keep the stairs or walkway from refreezing.
#2 – DIY Ice Pack
My kids are athletes. That means bumps and bruises and twisted ankles are a thing in my house
The best remedy for most of those mild injuries is always ice. Which means I always need ice packs. They just don’t like to use a bag of partially thawed peas. Peas get no love in my house
Luckily Dawn soap can be used to make a DIY ice pack. You literally just fill a strong baggie (not a sandwich baggie, use something sturdier like a freezer bag) about half way with Dawn and pop it in the freezer until it’s a frozen-ish gel like cross between a solid and a fluid.
The ice pack can be refrozen and because it’s not frozen solid, it will be a lot more comfortable to use than a solid ice pack or a bag of peas.
#3 – Bubbles!
My kids and dog love bubbles…until they run out. The worst is when your kid has bubbles and is gleefully blowing bubbles and then spills the bubbles and now they are screaming because the bubbles are gone
Dawn to the rescue. But, not just Dawn. You’ll need 6 cups of water, a half cup of dawn and a quarter cup of corn syrup. Mix it all together and you’re good to go.
#4 – Gum (or other sticky goo) Out of Hair
I don’t think anyone makes it out of childhood (or motherhood for that matter) without getting gum or some other equally sticky gunk in their hair. It’s a right of passage.
There are ways to get it out. You can cut the hair off, but, really that’s a little harsh, isn’t it? There’s also rubbing an ice cube on the gum, but that’s not my favorite method. It’s cold and not super effective. There’s always a little gum still stuck in there.
Rubbing the sticky stuff with a little Dawn gets the out goo out quickly and fairly painlessly.
#5 – For the Messy Painter
I’m a messy painter. I do a good job of getting the paint on the walls fairly neatly, but I always end up with it all over my hands. And then I have paint hands for days. Because it doesn’t just come off without some serious scrubbing and picking.
Dawn soap can help with that. Rub some Dawn on your hands before you start painting and let it dry. When it’s time to clean your hands, the paint will come right off!
#6 – Stain Pre-Treater
I still love Spray N Wash as a stain pre-treater, but it’s one of those things that I often forget to buy and when I suddenly need it, I’m out.
I’ve used Dawn in a pinch for a pre-treater and it works well on greasy stains. Like a pizza drip. Or a salad dressing drip.
Or even grease from the potato chips you were eating.
Put a small (SMALL! Dime size, tops. We don’t a Brady Bunch episode happening) on the stain and rub it in. Allow it to set for a bit and then wash as normal.
#7 – Prolong Your Manicure
If you are a do it yourself when it comes to your fingernails, then you should always start with Dawn.
Our skin has natural oils and the less of those present on your nails, the better your nail polish will adhere.
So scrub your nails with Dawn, rinse well, dry well and then do your normal nail polish routine.
#8 – Keep Bugs Away From Your Plants
Bugs are my number 1 creep out thing. If I hadn’t already given up houseplants because I am a reformed plant murdered, then I would probably give them up the second I saw a bug near them
If you love your plants and don’t murder them with neglect, then you can keep pesky bugs at bay with a little Dawn soap hack. Just a drop of Dawn with some water in a spray bottle and a little spritz for the plant. I’d test it out first, just to be certain, on a small part of the plant.
#9 – Keep Your Glasses from Fogging Up
If you don’t wear glasses this seems like it’s not a big problem.
You’re wrong, it is a problem. When I am wearing glasses and I open the dishwasher or sometimes the oven, I temporarily blinded. It’s not fun. And it’s an easy fix.
Just smear a bit of Dawn on your eyeglasses and rub til they are clean. The Dawn will leave a little bit of a film that will prevent fogging.
A Couple Of Things I Don’t Recommend Using Dawn For
Don’t Use Dawn for Poison Ivy Rash Blisters
If you look hard enough, you’ll see two other uses for Dawn that a lot of people recommend.
One of them is to help stop the spread of poison ivy. I don’t recommend Dawn for this. First of all, poison ivy is NOT spread from the oozy stuff that comes out of the blisters after you’ve gotten a poison ivy rash.
I know this because I have had poison ivy several times and the doctor tells me so every time I have to go get steroids when the rash gets infected.
The rash is sort of time released. You can’t stop the spreading. It’s going to happen. Dawn isn’t going to stop it.
You can try using Dawn immediately after you’ve been exposed to poison ivy to get the wickedly sticky oil off of your skin, but a soap made specifically for poison ivy oil will work better.
And, PSA, go to the doctor at the very first sign of an infection. It can get out of control quick
Don’t Use Dawn for Regularly Bathing Your Pets
Dawn does work for getting rid of fleas.
Unfortunately, it can also dry out your pets skin. And dry skin is pure misery for a pet.
Take them to the vet and get something that is more appropriate for an animals skin.
What Else Can Dawn Dish Soap Be Used For?
In addition to being a great cleaning hack, Dawn soap can be used for many other helpful tasks around the house. It can be used as a car wash, to remove bug and tar residue from your car’s exterior without damaging paint or wax. It also works well on lawn furniture and outdoor grills, since it cuts through grease and grime with ease. You can also use it to remove pet stains and odors from carpets, as well as clean your dog’s fur. With so many uses, Dawn soap is truly a great all-purpose cleaner.