We typically think of Dawn dish soap as a kitchen item. But using Dawn dish soap to clean is a time-honored and budget-friendly way to get the job done.
That “cut-through-the-grease” strength that takes baked on lasagna off your pan will easily wipe away oil stains, soap scum and dirt.
I remember when I was growing up my mom would reach for the blue bottle whenever something around our home needed cleaning. And I still reach for Dawn when there’s a mess that needs to be cleaned.
My husband thinks I’m nuts (each and every time I grab Dawn to tackle a mess), but it always works! In an effort to keep our home (consisting of two teenagers, a crumb-oblivious husband and a goldendoodle who sheds tumbleweeds of hair in my kitchen) as clean as it needs to be, I’ve tried most of these out of necessity.
Here are 30 things you can clean with Dawn besides your dish rack!
1. STREAK-FREE WINDOWS AND GLASS
Nothing beats a few drops of Dawn and some warm water for squeaky clean and streak-free windows and glass. My husband thinks I’m crazy when I use it, but it always outperforms the glass cleaner that leaves a filmy mess behind sitting next to it on the shelf.
Dawn cuts through smudges and fingerprints and even paw prints with ease. Dip a sponge or rag in some of your cleaning mixture and start to wash.
For best results, squeegee from top to bottom. Trust me on this one, you’ll never use that ammonia-filled spray ever again.
2. GREASY STOVETOP AND RANGE HOOD
There’s no question, nothing cuts grease like Dawn. It’s formulated to remove the nastiest baked-on gunk and grease from pots and pans.
It’s an asset for tackling that sticky brown haze that builds up around the burners on the cooktop—just make sure it’s cool. Simply mix some warm water and Dawn together, sponge on, let sit for a few minutes, wipe off and voila’ like-new stove.
Dawn also comes through on that dreaded task of degreasing the range hood. Soak a rag in Dawn and watch the grime disappear before your eyes.
Within ten minutes your range hood will be as good as new.
3. GREASE STAINS ON CLOTHES
The “grease-cutting power” of Dawn makes this blue bottle of dish soap the best pre-treater for oil and grease stains. Just drop some Dawn directly on the stain and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes, then wash as normal.
Trust me, Dawn will tackle those tough, pesky stains, like salad dressing, butter, and bacon grease, that your trusty laundry detergent couldn’t conquer.
One of these mystery stains shows up in our laundry almost every week. Dawn has saved my favorite hoodie time and time and time again.
4. CLOUDY DIAMONDS AND GOLD JEWELRY
Mix a few drops of Dawn with some warm water. Fill up a bowl with this mixture and drop your diamond and gold jewelry in the solution.
Let sit 10-15 min. Use a soft toothbrush to give them a really gentle scrub and then rinse.
The oils from your hands, lotions, etc. can build up and take away their luster. This mixture will loosen them.
My wedding ring has been looking a bit cloudy lately and will get a treatment tonight. Note: softer/porous gems (pearls, opals, emeralds, etc.) need much more gentle treatment.
5. SOAP SCUM IN THE SHOWER AND TUB
This is another one I had no idea about and have already tried it in our teenagers’ bathroom. We need to teach those kids to rinse things off, I’m telling ya.
Mix equal parts white vinegar (warmed up) and Dawn. Spray on shower walls, sink, or tub.
Let sit 30-60 minutes before wiping/spraying clean. You’re mixing Dawn with vinegar so yes, it will smell like salad for a bit.
Open a window if it grosses you out. This cuts through the film and grime and loosens mineral deposits.
6. CARPET SPOT CLEANING
Living room carpet in a family with two teenagers and a goldendoodle gets a lot of stains. Between food and other mystery stains from the kiddos, and muddy paws from walks, our carpet sees some pretty gnarly stuff.
Mix together 2 cups of warm water with just 1 tsp of Dawn. Apply to spot, dabbing with a clean cloth.
Do not rub. Blot away.
Repeat as necessary, ending with a rinse with a clean, wet rag. Dawn cuts through grease and loosens other types of stains too.
Save the special equipment for larger spills.
7. SCUFFED AND GRIMY WALLS
Add a drop of Dawn to some warm water and dampen a sponge, wrung out really well. Apply to marks and wipe away.
Finish with just dampened sponge. Around switch plates and high-traffic areas like in the stairway, fingerprints and other mysterious handprint-y items accumulate and take walls away from being white and closer to a beige-ish gray color.
We thought it may have been time for a quick coat of paint on the stairway wall until I saw this idea and spent about 5 min scrubbing away. It was Dawn-worthy, not paint-worthy.
8. BAKED-ON SHEET PANS AND AIR FRYER BASKETS
When I make a batch of fries in my air fryer, I fill the basket and pan with Dawn and hot water and leave it for an hour (or overnight), and it lifts away all that nasty, congealed grease. Same idea applies to greasy sheet pans.
Now, my pans are permanently browned, and I’m not sure they’ll ever not be, but at least they’re clean and not overly greasy, and Dawn makes it easy since I don’t have to do most of the scrubbing.
9. THE TOILET BOWL IN A PINCH
On those rare (okay, frequent) occasions that we run out of toilet bowl cleaner just as we’re getting the house ready for company, a squirt of Dawn into the bowl is totally acceptable. Leave it sit for five minutes so the Dawn has a chance to attach itself to anything naughty, then give it a good scrub.
It’ll do the job.
10. GREASY DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE OIL STAINS
Since we do our own oil changes, the floor of our garage and the concrete of the driveway has its share of oil stains. Sprinkle baking soda over the stains, then drizzle on some Dawn.
Add hot water and leave it sit. When ready, scrub with a stiff brush and rinse.
Dawn loves oil and will dissolve the nasty stains while the baking soda will soak it up.
11. MAKEUP BRUSHES AND SPONGES
I know, I know. We’re supposed to use makeup brush and sponge cleaners, but if you’re like me and forget to use them as often as you’re supposed to, Dawn gets the job done.
Add a drop of Dawn to dampened makeup sponges and brushes and work it into a lather. Work through bristles and swirl around sponges, then rinse until foundation and concealer are no longer present and lay them out to air dry.
My daughter’s makeup brushes hadn’t been washed in who knows how long, and after one trip through the Dawn method, all traces of eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, etc. were gone.
12. HAIRBRUSHES AND COMBS
Combs and hairbrushes collect tons of oils and product residues, and the bristle areas on brushes can be difficult to keep clean. Fill a bowl with hot water and a few drops of Dawn and add the combs and brushes.
Leave them sit for about 15 minutes and swish them around. Pull them out and give them a good rinse under hot, running water and give them a scrub with an old, clean toothbrush if necessary.
Lay them out to air dry.
Have you ever used Dawn on your hairbrushes? They’re so gross when we use products like dry shampoo, leave-ins, etc.
Scrubbing them out in soapy water is super satisfying and effective. My daughter’s hairbrushes need cleaned way more frequently than mine.
13. EYEGLASSES AND SUNGLASSES
Rub a teeny drop of Dawn between your fingers and rub it onto your glasses’ lenses. Rinse with warm water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
They’ll be so much clearer than breathing on them and wiping them off your shirt. Trust me on this one, which would upset my optometrist.
You’ll only add about ten more seconds onto your regular cleaning method and get super sparkly results.
14. GREASY POTS, PANS, AND CASSEROLE DISHES
Instead of aggressively scrubbing to get cooked-on crud out of pots/pans, try adding Dawn and filling them up with hot water. Let them sit for about 20 minutes, and the crud will come out SO much easier.
You’ll be amazed.
I usually leave crusty casserole dishes to Future Me. It happens to the best of us.
Just kidding. It doesn’t always happen to Future Me.
Sometimes it happens to Present Me who has been ignoring that casserole dish since yesterday. It’s okay, we’ve all been there.
If you know you’re not going to clean it right away, fill the casserole dish with Dawn and hot water before putting it in the refrigerator. Trust me on this.
Your arms will thank you for your efforts.
15. OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND PATIO CUSHIONS
Once the weather warms up and you drag the patio set out from its long winter’s nap, I’m sure they’re covered with a thin layer of icky, weathered crud and pollen. Fill up a bucket with warm water and a few drops of dish soap and give them a good scrubbing with a sponge.
You can be shocked at how great they’ll look with only 20 minutes of elbow grease. Patio cushions: Test an inconspicuous spot with Dawn and warm water first.
Then, gently scrub them with a sponge and warm/Dawn water. Hose off with a garden hose, and they’ll be good as new (minus dirt/pollen/weather crud).
16. THE KITCHEN SINK AND FAUCET
Put a teeny bit of Dawn on your sponge and give your sink a good scrub. Especially around the base of the faucet where crud/grease builds up.
Rinse and buff with a rag. This prevents streaks AND gives you a shiny stainless or porcelain sink.
This task takes just a few minutes and will make your ENTIRE kitchen look cleaner.
17. MOPPING SEALED HARD FLOORS
A few drops of Dawn in a bucket of warm water will make a wonderful, super-inexpensive floor cleaner for tile, linoleum or vinyl, but never use this method on UNSEALED wood floors, as those woods can’t tolerate any kind of water. Don’t use too much Dawn because too much soap will leave your floors sticky and attract dirt. I made this mistake once and had sticky floors for a week.
18. BATHTUB RING AND GRIME
Bathtub rings are composed of film from soap and oil from our bodies. Spray some Dawn directly on the ring and grime in your bathtub, making sure to get some of your grime into the cracks around your tub, especially.
Let some warm water into your bathtub, reaching just above the grime line. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes.
Use a sponge or a soft-bristled scrubbing brush to remove the now-loose grime and body oil, then rinse. This method has saved me precious and much-appreciated minutes of scrubbing on my hands and knees.
19. WINDOW AND DOOR TRACKS
If you have sliding windows or doors, you know how grossly nasty the tracks can be. There’s dirt and dog hair and God-knows-what-else in those tracks, and it’s a pain to get it out.
Put a squirt of Dawn on an old toothbrush or a cotton swab. With a small amount of Dawn-sudsy water and your toothbrush/swab, loosen the gunk.
Wipe away with paper towels or a clean cloth.
20. BLINDS AND WINDOW SCREENS
If your blinds are in your kitchen, you know about the nasty, greasy paste that results when dust meets cooking grease. Dip a rag in a bowl of warm, sudsy Dawn water, wring it out, then wipe the blinds with it, going slat by slat.
For screens, remove them from windows and lay them flat on the ground. Using a soft-bristled brush and Dawn-sudsy water, give the screens a light brushing.
Rinse with a hose.
21. GREASY CABINET DOORS AND HARDWARE
Kitchen cabinets near the stove, or anywhere you always open or close the cabinet, get noticeably dirtier around the door/handle area. Use Dawn and a soft, wrung-out cloth with warm water to wipe down your kitchen cabinets in those areas.
When you’ve removed the dirt/grease, give the cabinet another wipe-down with just dampened cloth.
That cabinet beside our stove has a film over it that I thought was part of the wood finish until I wiped it clean and discovered its true color.
22. GARBAGE DISPOSAL AND SINK DRAIN
Between major clog removal projects, it’s good to give your garbage disposal or sink drain a boost with Dawn and hot, but not boiling, water. Grease can collect in the drain, making it drain more sluggishly than it should, and can give your sink a funky smell.
Simply squirt some Dawn in the drain, then follow with hot water from the kettle. We are diligent about putting things in the trash that shouldn’t be washed down the drain, but every few weeks someone forgets and clogs our garbage disposal.
Dawn and hot water will loosen the culprit, buying us time before we have to remove the P-trap or buy an industrial strength clog remover.
23. HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS
If you have a feeder out for hummingbirds, you know they have to be cleaned often to prevent sugar and mold buildup. Dawn and warm water makes a good cleaning solution, and a few drops is enough to degrease a couple of feeders.
Use a bottle brush to get into those tricky bottlenecks and feeder ports. Rinse ports very well before adding fresh nectar – don’t want any soapy goodness mixed into their beverage.
24. GIGI’S EMERGENCY BATH
Dawn. That’s right, dishwashing liquid.
Gigi did something in the park today. Something died and she rolled in it.
We knew the situation called for more than just pet-safe shampoo. We worked the Dawn through Gigi’s fur (being careful to keep it out of her eyes) and rinsed it out.
She will be holding this experience against us for a little while but it was definitely necessary. Did you know that they use Dawn to bathe animals affected by oil spills?
It’s great to keep around for extreme pet smells and messes. Just don’t use it often because it will dry out their skin.
Save it for the emergencies!
25. STICKY LABEL AND ADHESIVE RESIDUE
Mix together some Dawn and either cooking oil or baking soda to make a thick consistency. Smear onto plastic or glass and let sit a few minutes and then the glue will roll off easily.
Great for removing glue from labels. I’m saving glass jars for a pantry organizing project that is coming up and this is what I use to remove the gunk off them!
26. FRUIT FLY TRAP
Fruit flies. Ugh!
I hate them! They always seem to find their way into my kitchen and into my fruit bowl during summertime.
Mix some apple cider vinegar (they are attracted to it) and a single drop of Dawn (this breaks the surface tension and the fruit flies will be unable to get out of the mixture if they fall in) in a container and leave it in your kitchen. Throw it out when you get the invaders out of your home.
27. GROUT AND TILE
Over the years, all sorts of crud gets mopped into the grout of your kitchen. Mine used to be bright white but has taken on a gray cast no matter how often I cleaned.
Mix together some baking soda and Dawn to make a thick, runny paste. Dawn cuts grease and baking soda adds a little abrasive element.
Spread it on your grout lines and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Take an old toothbrush and scrub away.
Rinse. Enjoy white grout.
28. SHIRT COLLAR AND CUFF RINGS
Especially on men’s work shirts, oil from the body causes those nasty yellow rings around collars and cuffs and they won’t budge no matter what you do in the wash. Apply a small amount of Dawn directly to the ring and allow to sit for a few minutes before washing.
The Dawn will help dissolve the oils and sweat. Say goodbye to yard-work-only shirts.
29. COMBS, BRUSHES, AND KIDS’ BATH TOYS
Did you know your kid’s squeaky bath toys can be moldy on the inside?! Gross!
Fill a container with warm, Dawn-sudsy water and soak your kid’s toys. Push the water in and out of any items that squirt or squeak to dislodge the gunk inside.
Rinses will reveal murky brownish-gray water. Shocking.
This works on combs and other small plastic items as well.
30. HOUSEPLANT LEAVES AND A MILD PEST SPRAY
Mix some Dawn with a quart of water and use to wipe down houseplant leaves to remove dust. Also can be used as a deterrent for gnats, aphids and other soft-bodied pests, though use sparingly and try spraying a single leaf first since it can harm foliage. I’m not sure how anyone keeps their houseplants alive, as I’m certain it must be nothing but luck, but this is what I reach for when I notice gnats, etc. I only ever use a tad and have been pleasantly surprised at how effective Dawn has been around my house.
I prefer cleaning with Dawn. It saves me from filling my cabinets with cleaning products.
For a few dollars, the blue bottle handles grease, dirt, soap scum and oil spots with ease. My husband was a Dawn naysayer until he saw the greasy stovetop and windows shine with ease.
If your goldendoodle rolls in something naughty at the dog park like ours did recently, take comfort knowing Dawn will remove the funk. Moms and grandmothers knew how to stretch the dollar and Dawn is a key player in their arsenal.
Where would I even start without Dawn? With my favorite, the greasy stovetop and windows!
It’s great to have Dawn at hand when pondering, “What do I clean this with?”
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT CLEANING WITH DAWN DISH SOAP
What should you not clean with Dawn dish soap?
Don’t use Dawn on leather. Dawn will remove the natural oils from leather. – Don’t use Dawn to clean unsealed or waxed hardwood floors, the water and the degreasers could potentially damage the finish. – Don’t use Dawn on delicates like wool, silk, cashmere etc… – Don’t use Dawn in your dishwasher or washing machine, it will overflow with suds! – Don’t wash your hair or body with Dawn on a regular basis, it will leave them very dry. – Don’t use Dawn (especially in combination with vinegar) to clean natural stone (granite, marble, etc. ).
What happens when you mix vinegar and Dawn dish soap?
Pour some Dawn and white vinegar in a spray bottle, and it’s amazing how well it cleans. Dawn cuts through the grease, while vinegar removes any mineral and soap-scum buildup (which is why this combo is ideal for cleaning showers, tubs, and glass).
But avoid using this spray on natural stone surfaces like granite or marble. The acid from the vinegar will etch those surfaces.
What does pouring Dawn in your toilet do?
Putting Dawn in the toilet will perform two functions. 1.) When you don’t have any toilet cleaner to clean your toilet, pouring Dawn in will cover and lift the dirt, so you can simply wipe the bowl. 2.) If you squirt a bit of Dawn in the toilet prior to dumping a pail of hot (NOT boiling) water in, it will help break up a small clog. It’s a good emergency tip but not a replacement for real toilet cleaner or a plunger for a large clog.
Can you clean windows with Dawn dish soap?
Yes. Add a few drops of Dawn to a bucket of warm water for an effective no-streak window cleaner.
Use a sponge and squeegee to wash the glass starting at the top and working your way down. Since Dawn is a grease cutter, it leaves your windows clearer than many ammonia-based cleaners that often leave a film streak on your glass.
Can I wash my dog with Dawn?
Dawn dish soap will kill fleas in your dog’s fur. Fleas have a waxy coating on the outside of their bodies that gets broken down by dish soap, allowing them to drown.
Dawn does not repel fleas, however, and they’ll make a beeline for your pup as soon as they’re able. It’s okay to use Dawn to get rid of fleas but using it as a shampoo on a regular basis can leave your pup’s skin very dry.
Check with your vet for more information.