From windows to stubborn stains, dish soap can work wonders. Turn the everyday helper into your cleaning secret weapon.
In the cleaning departments of supermarkets you will find magic potions and equipment that will help you polish and scrub every corner of your home. But home experts say you can clean many places with one simple product: dish soap.
“Honestly, I can’t think of anything we couldn’t clean with Dawn, except maybe leather upholstery,” says Kevin Reynolds, co-founder of the American House Cleaners Association. Dawn and other dish soaps get their dirt- and stain-fighting abilities from laundry detergents and degreasers, says eco-cleaning expert Micaela Preston of Mindful Momma. "They're just powerful cleansers, and the liquids help concentrate their power," she says.
Dilute a few squirts with water to create a spray cleaner that can replace Windex, Method or Mr. Clean. Or combine it with a few teaspoons of baking soda to make a homemade scrub for tougher jobs.
“People fall prey to marketing and think they need their own cleaning product for everything,” says Kelley Jonkoff of Unfolde, a home organization company in North Carolina. "Making your own dish soap solution is easier than having all of these different products, and it also reduces clutter."
Here's how to make dish soap your secret cleaning weapon.
The right recipe for the all-purpose cleaner
First of all, no one advises you to put Palmolive on a rag and wipe all surfaces. “A tiny bit goes a long way,” says Caroline Solomon, a professional organizer in New York City who creates cleaning TikToks as @neat.caroline. "To make an all-purpose cleaner, take a spray bottle and add a teaspoon of dish soap, two cups of cold water, and 10 drops of essential oil if you want a subtle scent."
Use dishwashing liquid on stains on fabric
Dishwashing liquid removes dirt from pots and pans, so it makes sense that it could also be used to remove a red wine stain on the carpet or a chocolate stain on a white sofa. “I mix about three tablespoons of dish soap with the same amount of baking soda to make a paste,” says Jonkoff. “I just rub it on the stain. This is better than Shout! on grease stains and works really well on natural fibers like wool and silk.”
Dishwashing liquid for degreasing kitchen worktops
"Dish soap is pH neutral, so it's gentler on marble and quartz than vinegar, another easy cleaning solution," says Soloman (vinegar is acidic, so it can damage stone surfaces).
To clean your countertops, take a bottle of diluted dish soap solution and "spray the surface and let it sit for a minute or two before wiping it down," she says. “This helps with degreasing.” Because the soap is so diluted, you don’t have to worry about rinsing the countertops.
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For a streak-free shower door or mirror, use dish soap
For an effective DIY glass cleaner, follow the same recipe as above to make a soap/water spray, just make sure you use distilled water. Tap water can be “hard,” meaning full of minerals that can leave residue and streaks. Distilled water purified by boiling does not leave dull surfaces. “It’s a way to really make things shine,” Solomon says.
Mop your floors with dish soap
Dish soap also works on tile, cement, or vinyl floors. Simply pour the concoction from the spray bottle into the container of a mop (or use it to soak a reusable mop). However, be careful when using the agent on hardwood floors, says Reynolds. “You can use dish soap, but if it's too concentrated it can damage the wood over time. Additionally, too much water can cause the wooden floorboards to warp.
Clean your toilet with dish soap
Yes, you can even clean a toilet bowl with dish soap - just add a few drops to the water, let it sit for a few minutes, scrub and flush. However, if you want to disinfect the toilet, you will need to use a stronger ingredient.
To kill bacteria and viruses, mix two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and one tablespoon of dish soap in the toilet bowl, then repeat the cleaning steps above, says Preston. If you need to remove mold, mix together half a cup of white vinegar, two cups of water, and a large squirt of dish soap.
Jennifer Barger is a Washington-based writer covering housing and travel.
We are currently testing machine translations. This article was automatically translated from English into German.
This article was first published in English on September 14, 2023 at the “Washingtonpost.com” - as part of a cooperation, it is now also available in translation to readers of the IPPEN.MEDIA portals.