9 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Dawn Dish Soap

Here’s a milestone you might not have heard about: America’s bestselling dishwashing liquid, Dawn, has turned the big 5-0. While the mention of Dawn dish soap might conjure up images of greasy baby birds being scrubbed in a bubble bath, cleaning wildlife affected by oil spills isn’t the only out-of-the-box use for this powerhouse dish detergent.

To celebrate 50 years of the grease-fighting liquid, here are Dawn dish soap uses you probably didn't know about—but should definitely add to your roster of household hacks.

1. Wash the Vinyl Siding on Your Home

Create a solution using Dawn and warm water to gently clean siding that’s covered in dirt, moss, or mold. Coat the siding with the mixture, let it soak, and then hose it off.

2. Use It as a Clarifying Shampoo Substitute

While replacing your regular shampoo with Dawn isn’t recommended, plenty of people actually swear by using the dish soap a couple of times a year to clean out stubborn buildup that conventional products don’t seem to address. Just be sure to use only a pea-sized amount of Dawn that’s heavily diluted with water, and nourish with conditioner afterward to avoid stripping hair.

3. Clear up Your Dog’s Fleas

Dawn isn’t going to repel and prevent repeat infestation (meaning your dog should definitely still be on a year-round flea and tick treatment), but in a pinch, a small amount of Dawn diluted with water can be used to immediately kill fleas that your pup might have carried home from the dog park or doggie daycare.

4. Defog Eyeglasses

Glasses always fogging up when you head indoors on a chilly day? Rub a single drop of Dawn dish soap on both sides of your lenses, rinse off, and then let them air dry or wipe with a microfiber cloth.

5. Clean Jewelry

Add a few drops of Dawn to a bowl of warm water and place your jewelry inside to soak. Necklaces, bracelets, and rings will be clean and shiny in no time.

6. Make a DIY Glass and Mirror Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle with equal parts distilled white vinegar and warm water, then add a few drops of Dawn, mix, and go to town on those smudgy surfaces.

7. DIY a Gel Ice Pack

This one couldn’t be simpler: Fill a sealable bag (like a Ziploc) with Dawn soap and freeze it. After you take the bag out to use, you can refreeze it to use the DIY pack again and again.

8. Unclog a Toilet

Pour a half cup or more of Dawn into the toilet, followed by three to six cups of very hot water, and the blockage should loosen up within minutes.

9. Use It as an Everyday Multipurpose Cleaner

You can find a variety of recipes online that incorporate Dawn as part of a DIY cleaner that’ll work in nearly every area of your home. One worth trying: a heavy squirt of dish soap (or about a tablespoon), a cup of distilled white vinegar, and a cup of water mixed together in a spray bottle.