7 Surprising Kitchen Uses for Dawn That Have Nothing to Do with Dishes

You know it can get grime off your plates and pans, but did you know that Dawn dish soap can strip laundry stains and make jewelry look new?

As you might guess by its name, most of us reserve Dawn dish soap for tidying up dirty dishes. But Morgan Eberhard, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based senior scientist for Dawn, confirms that you’re sleeping on the majority of the blue dish soap’s superpowers if you stop there.

“The grease-fighting power of Dawn isn’t just for cleaning dishes; it can also clean other areas around the house,” Eberhard tells Allrecipes.

Both the classic Platinum dish soap and the Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray (which one Allrecipes editor deems “the kitchen staple I can’t live without”) can come in clutch for cleaning far outside of the boundaries of your sink. 

7 Ways Blue Dawn Can Make Kitchen Life Easier

There’s a reason why that squeeze bottle of blue liquid is seemingly ubiquitous in home and professional kitchens from coast to coast. In fact, there are several.

With so many unique uses for classic blue Dawn, we think it might be time to rebrand it as "so much more than dish soap."

1. Sanitize Your Countertops

Eberhard adds that the same built-in spray function in Dawn Powerwash that makes cleaning dishes without a full sink of water a breeze can also make quick work out of tidying up countertops after your meal. Spritz the solution on the surface, then follow that up with a swipe from a clean, damp dish towel. (The Dawn crew confirms that Powerwash is safe to use on dark and light granite, porcelain enamel, Corian, quartz, and stainless steel surfaces.)

2. Remove Food Residue From Jewelry

Add a few drops of Dawn soap to a bowl of warm water, then pop in jewelry that has lost its luster or is caked with grime. (We can’t be the only ones who sometimes forget to remove our rings before kneading bread dough!) After a few minutes of soaking in sudsy water, rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings should be back to their original shiny and clean glory. Rinse with water, dry, and rock those good-as-new accessories.

3. Make Cleaning Oven Doors a Breeze

Glass surfaces, like the door to your oven and microwave, will shine after you spray them with this natural cleaning solution. Round up a spray bottle, then fill it with 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, and 1/2 tablespoon of blue Dawn. Spray glass surfaces, then wipe clean with paper towels or a dry microfiber cloth.

4. Keep Your Lunchbox Cool

There's no need to invest in a new fancy ice pack to keep lunchbox items cool. Dawn can do that, too. Fill a zip-top bag with Dawn soap, seal the top, then pop the bag in the freezer. Within a couple of hours, you’ll have a reusable DIY ice pack that can keep that beautiful bento box cool for hours.

5. Say Goodbye to Foggy Glasses

If you are sick of that steamy-lens look when opening your oven or dishwasher door and being faced with a “whoosh” of hot air or steam, blue dish soap can help prevent this. Rub one drip of Dawn on both sides of both lenses, rinse under running water, then wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.

6. Ditch Your Fear of Cooking Stains

Tomato sauce, chocolate, red wine, and those stubborn oil splatters won’t stand a chance when they’re up against blue dish soap. The next time you have a spill that could potentially turn into a laundry stain, drizzle on a quarter-sized dollop of Dawn, then use your clean fingers to cover the entire spill (adding a bit more soap if necessary). This should help prevent the stain from settling in before you run it through the normal wash cycle.

7. Make Your Stainless Steel Appliances Sparkle

Stainless steel appliances like microwaves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and toasters seem to be magnets for fingerprints, smudges, and drips. To clear them up in seconds, get a sponge damp, add a few drops of blue dish soap, then scrunch it up a time or two to disperse the suds. Starting at the top of the appliance, brush with the grain of the steel on your way toward the floor. Use a clean, damp kitchen towel or paper towel to wipe off any excess debris or residue. Immediately dry the surface, top to bottom, with a dry and clean kitchen towel, microfiber cloth, or paper towel.