This One Dawn Trick Replaces 12 Bottles Of Dawn Powerwash
I vividly remember standing in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store last month and staring at the price tag on my favorite spray dish soap, Dawn Powerwash. It is honestly one of the few cleaning products that actually makes doing the dishes easier and I love it for that. But as I reached for a refill bottle I felt this sudden pang of frustration because I knew I would be back in two weeks buying another one. It felt like I was literally washing my money down the drain every single night. I went home empty handed and decided there had to be a smarter way to handle this.
Understanding What Is Actually In The Bottle
It turns out that the magic spray we all love isn't actually some complex chemical mystery that can only be made in a factory. When you really look at what makes it work it comes down to three very basic things that most of us already have sitting under our kitchen sinks or in the bathroom cabinet. It is mostly just water mixed with a specific type of soap and a little bit of alcohol to help it spray. Realizing that I was paying a premium price for watered-down dish soap was a huge wake up call for me and my budget. So I learned to make my own.
Three Simple Ingredients
You are going to need an empty foaming spray bottle to start this off so do not throw away your last empty one just yet. For the soap portion you need Dawn Platinum specifically because it has the right ingredients to cut grease effectively even when diluted by water. You will also need standard rubbing alcohol which is the secret ingredient that clears the nozzle and helps the spray dry faster. Finally you just need some water from your tap. That’s it.
The Soap Comes First
We start by adding the soap to your empty spray bottle and this is where the savings really become obvious. You only need to add about one ounce of Dawn Platinum to the bottle. Some people use two teaspoons if they want a lighter mixture but I find that the one ounce measurement is the sweet spot for cutting through heavy grease on baking sheets. It looks like such a tiny amount of soap sitting at the bottom of that big bottle but trust me on this because it is extremely concentrated stuff.
Adding The Rubbing Alcohol
The next step is pouring in two ounces of rubbing alcohol right on top of that soap. This part might smell a little strong for a second but it dissipates quickly once everything is mixed. The alcohol is important because it thins out the heavy soap enough to travel up the straw and turn into foam rather than just a gloopy mess. It effectively turns your standard dish soap into a power cleaner. I usually just eyeball this part or use a shot glass if I want to be precise about it.
Filling It Up With Water
Now you need to add thirteen ounces of water to finish the mixture. Please learn from some of my early mistakes and pour the water very slowly. If you rush this part you will end up with a bottle full of bubbles overflowing onto your counter before it is even halfway full. I like to tilt the bottle slightly and let the water run down the side of the plastic so it does not agitate the soap too much. It takes a little patience but it makes it easier to get a full bottle of liquid cleaner instead of just air and foam.
Give It A Mix
Once you have all your liquids in the bottle you just screw the spray nozzle back on tightly. Do not shake it wildly or you will create too much pressure inside the bottle. Just gently tip the bottle upside down and back up a few times until you see that the blue soap has fully combined with the clear water and alcohol. You are now ready to spray down your greasy pans or wipe down your counters just like you did with the store bought version.
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This has become one of my favorite money saving hacks for doing dishes and keeping my home clean. You get the exact same cleaning power for pennies on the dollar and you are reusing one plastic bottle instead of tossing it in the recycling bin every few weeks. It is one of those small household shifts that really does help you stick to your budget. I hope this helps you save a little cash and makes your evening dish routine just a tiny bit easier.
Bliss Donahue-Power
