Original Blue Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
It's not just for washing dishes. Isn't it amazing how some things can be used for more than what they were originally made for?
1. Bubbles
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great
homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers
at many children’s museums:
1/2 cup Ultra Dawn
1/2 gallon warm water
1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too!
Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam
breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good,
clean fun!
2. Greasy Hair
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed
into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong
enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
3. Hair Product Buildup
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove
excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of
styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you
won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
4. Manicure Secret
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft
and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the
fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.
5. Repel Houseplant Insects
A safe, effective way to repel insects from
your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a
drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the
bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the
soapy water.
6. Clean your windows
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water
and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would
with any window cleaner.
7. Pets and Pests
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dog shampoos.
8. Ice Pack
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing
liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it
can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an
ice pack.
9. Tub and Shower Cleaner
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in
the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and
shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a
few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime,
sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
10. Repels Ants
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants
with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn
that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants
hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the
Dawn spray.
11. Unclogging Toilets
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit
for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from
waist height will clear out the toilet.
12. Poison Ivy
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters.
Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep
scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from
spreading.
13. Cleaning the kiddie pool
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water,
then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like
bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
14. Multipurpose Cleaner
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic
tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
- Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
- Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
- Tubs and toilet seats.
15. Laundry pre-treater for oily stains
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil,
cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing
liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush
until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
16. Non-toxic lubricant
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer
than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It
does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!
17. De-Icer
For
icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of
Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon
hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks
18. Pool Cleaning
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan
lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND
it makes the pools sparkle.
19. Eyeglass Defogger
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean.
It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
20. Shower floors
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let
sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
Other good cleaning posts:
45 Uses for Vinegar
40 Uses for Baking Soda
50 More Uses for Vinegar
Source:
One Good Thing by Jillee
