Over the years I have learned many tips and tricks. One of these tips or tricks is, even if you don’t use it to wash dishes, it is important to keep a bottle (or three) of original blue Dawn Dish soap. I’ve lost count of the number of uses that I have found for Dawn Dish soap. I don’t have time to explain them all but, I am excited to share with you my top 10 uses for Dawn Dish soap.
Tools
Tools tend to get greasy. Dawn dish soap can help fix that. One tablespoon of dish soap in a gallon of water is all it takes.
I highly suggest using old rags to clean the dirty tools. After that use a clean rag to wipe it completely dry. If you allow the tools to air dry they may start to rust.
Fireplace Brick
Over time the brick around the outside of your fireplace is likely to get dirty (especially if you have a wood burning fireplace). With just a few ingredients (and a wire brush) you can make that brick look as good as new.
All it takes is about half a cup of Dawn dish soap, half a cup of salt and just enough warm water to make a paste out of it. Rub the paste on the bricks and let it dry (usually around 10 minutes). Once the paste has dried, use the wire brush and scrub the bricks. After you’re done scrubbing take some plain warm water and a sponge and wipe the bricks down.
Stainless Steel Appliances
I love the look of stainless steel appliances but I don’t love the number of fingerprints and smudges that tend to show up on them. I also don’t love the harsh chemicals it takes to clean them. Thankfully Dawn dish soap is a gentle option to keep your appliances nice and shiny.
Before you do anything, take a good look at your appliance. Determine which way the grain of the stainless steel goes. Once you have determined that you are ready to start cleaning.
Put a little bit of Dawn dish soap on a wet sponge (make sure this is a soft sponge). Make sure the sponge has suds on it before you begin cleaning. Starting at the top of the appliance follow the grain of the appliance and gently use the sponge and wipe your appliance down.
After you have given your appliance a good wipe down, use a spray bottle and clean sponge (again another soft sponge) to wipe the soap off. Next, you will want to take a clean rag or paper towel and quickly dry your appliance off. Letting it air dry can result in spots all over your appliance.
Tires and Hubcaps
Dawn dish soap works really well on tires and hubcaps. All you have to do is hose the tires down making sure they are really wet. Put some Dawn dish soap on a rag and start cleaning. After you clean the tire and hubcap rinse them really well with the hose.
I highly suggest that you clean one tire and hubcap set at a time. This will help minimize soap spots being left.
Homemade Foaming Hand Soap
You can save money and make your own foaming hand soap with Dawn dish soap! Find the recipe here.
Hair
Whether it’s kids or yourself, I am sure that you have at some point been confronted with something sticky stuck in someone’s hair. While there are many remedies floating around the internet, Dawn dish soap is my go-to solution.
You can either place the dish soap directly on your hand and rub it around the stuff that is stuck or, you can use it as shampoo and wash the whole head.
Depending on what is stuck in the hair it may take a few times but I can promise you it will come out.
Oil Stains
Oil stains in the driveway are less than appealing. Dawn dish soap is amazing at cutting grease and oil on our dishes so it doesn’t surprise me that it works on motor oil stains as well.
All you need is Dawn dish soap, kitty litter, a wire brush and hot water.
First, cover the oil spot with kitty litter, then drizzle on some Dawn dish soap. Next, add the hot water and scrub with a wire brush. Once the spot is gone you can rinse the driveway with your hose or more hot water.
Bubbles
Homemade bubbles were a staple when I was little. They are simple to make and honestly, they work much better than some of the store bought recipes these days. To make bubbles you will need: corn syrup, Dawn dish soap, and water.
In a bucket or large bowl mix ¼ cup of corn syrup, one cup of Dawn dish soap and 6 cups of water. Stir gently as over stirring will make the solution less effective.
Sidewalk De-Icer
Icy sidewalks and walkways are one of the less than desirable winter byproducts. By mixing one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap and a half gallon of hot water you can make sure that your sidewalks and walkways won’t freeze. One treatment won’t last all winter but, it is much easier to dump this on your walkways and sidewalks then chipping at all the ice that built up.
Houseplants
Houseplants are a great addition but sometimes they get bugs and that can be a pain. One drop of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle of water will help to keep those pesky bugs away. Gently shake the bottle to mix and mist your houseplants.
DIY Disinfecting Wipes
You can add dawn dish soap and other liquids to make your own disinfecting wipes. Get the directions here.
Lubricant
If your door hinges, sliding door tracks or door knobs get sticky or squeaky Dawn dish soap is a great non-toxic alternative to other store bought chemicals to help these issues. Not only will it help to lubricate these places but it will also clean them as well (talk about double duty).
Dawn dish soap is really the go-to cleaning product for many homes. There are so many uses for it that I couldn’t possibly list them all here. I hope that you find some of my favorite uses for Dawn dish soap helpful.
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