Tips and Uses For Dawn Dish Soap You May Not Know About

The legendary cowboy, Kent Doyle, of Bandera County, Texas, recently told me how to get rid of some ants using bottled dishwashing soap. It worked.

So I took on another project of searching out more tips and hacks with Dawn dishwashing soap.

Eliminate fruit flies. Pour white vinegar into a small container. Add a drop of Dawn. Fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar, but cannot escape the Dawn.

Make your own ice pack. Partially fill a plastic, zipper-type bag with Dawn dish soap. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag closed. Place the ice pack into the RV freezer. The Dawn will become a gel which will flex to fit the shape of the injury site.

Remove grease stains from clothing. Apply Dawn directly onto greasy stains from that yummy BBQ meal. Rub it in a bit and launder as usual.

Clean carpet stains. Mix together equal parts Dawn and warm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the stain. Use a microfiber cloth to gently clean the stain away. Use another microfiber cloth dipped into clear water to rinse the area. Blot the cleaned and rinsed area with a towel. Allow to air dry.

Clean windows. Just one drop of Dawn into a quart of water makes a great glass cleaner. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and get to work on those windows.

Clean hairbrush and comb. Begin by removing hair from the utensils. Then pour a cup of hot water into a shallow bowl. Add one tablespoon borax and one tablespoon Dawn. Gently swirl to mix. Soak the comb and hairbrush in the mixture until you see they are clean. Use an old toothbrush to scrub away any residue. Rinse thoroughly with clear water.

Prevent eyeglass “fog.” Rub a small drop of Dawn on each lens of your eyeglasses, both sides. Then use a microfiber cloth to dry and polish each lens. This is especially helpful when temperature differences cause the lens to fog, such as transitioning from an air-conditioned car to the steamy, outside summer weather.

Eliminate squeaks. Apply Dawn detergent to a squeaky hinge and the squeak will disappear.

Soothe poison ivy. Gently wash the affected area with Dawn and cool water. (Dawn’s oil-fighting formula will help to eliminate oil from the poison ivy plant.) Follow the first application with a second round of Dawn and warm water, which will help soothe the blisters and itch.

Clean the tub and shower. Fill a plastic spray bottle halfway with white vinegar. Heat the vinegar in the microwave until warm. Then fill the remainder of the spray bottle with Dawn. Put the lid on and shake to mix thoroughly. Spray the mixture all over your shower walls, floor, and that disgusting ring around the tub. Let it sit for ten minutes and then scrub stubborn places clean. Rinse thoroughly.

Outdoors

Stop ants. Put two teaspoons of Dawn into a spray bottle of water. Spray the ant trail or any suspected ant entry point into your home. (Hint: This recipe also works to kill fleas. Spray the affected area. Let sit for half an hour. Then vacuum up the dead critters.)

Kill weeds. Mix together 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 gallon white vinegar, and two tablespoons of Dawn. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the resulting solution on weeds. This should take care of them—even poison ivy!

.Clean outdoor furniture. Mix water with Dawn detergent. Using a sponge or brush, dip into the soapy water and scrub off furniture. Use your hose to rinse and set furniture in the sun to dry.

Oil/grease spill on concrete driveways. If you spill grease onto the concrete pad, you can clean it off with Dawn. First, remove as much of the spill as possible by sprinkling kitty litter over it. Use a paper towel to pick up the oil-soaked kitty litter. Then mix a generous squirt of Dawn with warm water. Use a scrub brush or old towel to apply the treated water to the spill. Scrub to remove the stain.

Find leaks. Spray Dawn soapy water over the hose (water or gas). If you see bubbles, you have a leak.

Clean your BBQ grill. Put 1/2 cup of Dawn dish soap into a gallon of water. Stir gently to mix. Pour the solution into a large tub or sealable trash bag. Then put cooled grill grates into the mixture. Soak the grill grates in the solution overnight. You should be able to easily scrub them clean the next morning.

Scrub tires. Begin by hosing loose dirt and grime off tires. Put Dawn directly onto a rag or heavy-duty sponge and scrub the tires. Rinse thoroughly.

Clean greasy tools. Put one tablespoon of Dawn into a gallon of water. Dip a sponge into the solution and use it to clean greasy tools. Avoid rust by drying the clean tools immediately with old towels.

Remove stickers. Apply Dawn right to the stickers and let it sit for several minutes. Dawn cut through the glue and the stickers were easily removed. Note: Be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards.