If You Think Dish Soap Is Just For Washing Up, You Should Try These 40 Handy Hacks

As any vehicle owner will attest, oil marks can be incredibly difficult to remove from the driveway. However, according to the Remove & Replace website, dish soap could solve the issue. To pull it off, you just need to apply a significant helping of the product over the pesky mark, before rubbing it with a “bristle brush.” From there, the blotches should begin to disappear.

If you’ve got children who are fans of bubbles, you could create your own mixture with a bit of dish soap. As Jill Nystul explained on the One Good Thing website, you need a half cup of the latter, a single tablespoon of glycerin and a half gallon of hot water. After combining them and disposing of the excess foam, it’ll be good to go.

If you’re struggling to clear the grease from your car tools, dish soap could be the answer. As per the DIY & Crafts website, the latter’s already well known for wiping out the former during the washing-up process. And the same can be said here, as a quarter-hour dip in some hot water and soap should give your instruments a nice sheen.

As any gardener will tell you, weeds can cause havoc in your yard if left unchecked. But before you purchase a specialized weed killer from the store, you could create a mixture yourself instead. Indeed, DIY & Crafts claimed that a spray bottle containing dish soap, vinegar and salt is just as potent – and probably much less costly.

To explain this next hack, Nystul shared some advice on One Good Thing. She wrote, “Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. [So] dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn dish soap and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.”

Unsurprisingly, brushes and combs can accumulate a lot of gunk following regular use. To get rid of that oily build-up, The Make Your Own Zone website outlined an interesting tip. As it turns out, a mixture of dish soap, borax and hot water should do the trick. You just need to leave the implements in that liquid for no more than three-quarters of an hour.

To help rid your dog of fleas, you could create your own treatment in the bathroom. As reported by Home Hacks, you need to draw up a bath of hot water and throw in a single cupful of dish soap. From there, sit your pooch down in the tub for a few minutes, before washing their body. Then, once they’ve dried off, you can brush the insects out.

After long-term use, your makeup utensils can become quite dirty. However, instead of opting to buy some new equipment, DIY & Crafts shared an intriguing idea that you might want to consider. The website claimed that a frozen solution composed of dish soap and coconut oil would clear off any mucky residue.

If you’re in desperate need of a manicure, Nystul offered up a suggestion via One Good Thing. “Soak your fingers in a dish of Dawn dish soap,” she said. “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 better.”

Dyeing your own hair isn’t the easiest of tasks, as one wrong move can leave your locks in a bit of a mess. According to Home Hacks, though, dish soap could fix issues of that nature. The website noted that the product’s properties would “lightly strip” the dye and return your follicles to a more pleasing tone if you use it rather than shampoo.

For those of you who want to shield your indoor flowers from harm, Nystul came up with an idea. Writing for One Good Thing, she claimed, “This is a safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants. Put a drop of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.”

As many people will no doubt attest, acne is a problematic condition that can put a real strain on your wallet. But as per DIY & Crafts, you could save quite a bit by utilizing dish soap as an alternative treatment. You see, while it can rid your plates of grease, the contents will also serve a similar function for your pores.

When you get an oily mark on an item of clothing, you’ll probably throw it into the washing machine straight away. but Nystul had an alternative idea on One Good Thing. The blogger wrote, “For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil and some pen inks, simply apply some dish soap and scrub with a small brush until it’s removed. Then launder as usual.”

If you use your bathtub on a regular basis, there’s a good chance that “soap scum” will start to form on the surface. To get rid of it, Home Hacks suggested that a helping of dish soap could do the trick. After squirting the product into the tub, you should leave it to soak until the following day. At that stage, it’ll take the muck off when you wash it.

Traditional fireplaces can accumulate lots of dirt thanks to the ash and soot. However, if you’re struggling to clear the marks away, Home Hacks shared an intriguing idea. By combining Morton salt, dish soap and water, you can create a thick substance to slather across the fireplace. Once it’s settled, you’ll then be able to scrub the stains off.

It’s not always easy to spot the precise location of a tire puncture on your vehicle, but dish soap might point you in the right direction. As per Home Hacks, you just need to stir some of the product in with water and approach the problematic wheel. After you’ve applied it to the rubber, bubbles should start to appear close to the rupture.

When it comes to unpleasant jobs around the house, you’d be hard-pressed to name a worse one than unblocking a toilet. Nonetheless, the task can be made a lot easier with a bit of dish soap. According to Home Hacks, the liquid’s powerful ingredients can slice through the grime in your pipes when you add some drops before flushing.

Poison ivy rashes can be incredibly uncomfortable, as they irritate the affected area of skin. As per DIY & Crafts, the plant contains a chemical known as urushiol that causes the rash. So with this in mind, the website noted that dish soap could be a worthwhile treatment due to its anti-grease properties.

Insects can be the bane of a gardener’s existence, as they munch on flowers across the yard. But instead of employing toxic materials to get rid of them, DIY & Crafts offered up a far less dangerous solution. As it turns out, dish soap is lethal for critters such as spider mites.

If you own a swimming pool that’s started to become a little grubby, you might want to hear this piece of advice from Jill Nystul. Writing for One Good Thing, she stated, “Squirt [some] Dawn soap down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges for an easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.”

If you wear a pair of glasses, you need to keep the lenses clean on a consistent basis. According to DIY & Crafts, though, dish soap might be the ideal product to maintain their sheen. After combining it with rubbing alcohol and water, you can cleanse your spectacles and even stop them from clouding over.

Grout is a tricky thing to clean at the best of times, but Home Hacks offered up an idea. To begin with, you need to warm up some vinegar – a microwave is ideal for this – before pouring it into a spray container. From there, you should squirt a bit of dish soap into the mix and then apply the liquid to the grout. The website noted that it’d clear off any residing gunk.

You’d be hard-pressed to name a more grating sound than that of a noisy door joint. However, if the squeaking continues to test your patience, Home Hacks shared a suggestion. Surprisingly, a small helping of dish soap can work wonders on the troublesome area. Plus, it’ll also get rid of any dirt in there, too.

For those of you who like to wash your own cars, here’s something to consider going forward. As per Home Hacks, a combination of water and dish soap will leave your vehicles looking as clean as a whistle. But you might have to add some wax to the paintwork afterwards, as the kitchen product is classed as an “abrasive soap.”

To explain this next hack, Vanessa Beaty from DIY & Crafts gave a detailed outline. She wrote, “[Dish soap] is harsh on grease, but it’s really gentle on jewelry. It makes a wonderful no soak jewelry cleaner. You just mix seven parts hot water with one part Mr. Clean and just a small squirt of dish soap. [Then] dip an old toothbrush in this mixture and gently scrub your jewelry.”

When discussing the other uses for dish soap, One Good Thing’s Jill Nystul stated, “Dawn soap combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands [and] then rub it over the affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint - yet [they] leave [your] skin soft.”

Over time, marks and fingerprints will start to accumulate on your walls at home. If you’re wondering how to remove them, Home Hacks reported that dish soap could be the answer. By mixing it with some hot water, ammonia and borax, you’ll have a fluid that’s powerful enough to cleanse the mucky surfaces.

Ice packs are very useful tools to help soothe muscle and joint injuries, but they aren’t particularly durable. On that note, you can create a unique pack yourself in your kitchen. As per Home Hacks, all you need is a re-sealable bag, a bit of water and some dish soap. Thanks to the latter’s ingredients, the liquid won’t turn into a block of ice in your freezer.

While out on the road, your car’s tires will slowly develop a greasy coating known as brake dust. If you’re looking to get rid of it, you might want to consider utilizing a bit of dish soap. As per Home Hacks, it’ll clear away the nasty residue if blended with some water, leaving them in an excellent state.

Unsurprisingly, the base of a shower can become pretty grubby after a while, but Nystul shared a solution via One Good Thing. The blogger wrote, “[You can] cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn soap. Let [it] sit overnight, [then] scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.”

While talking about cloth diapers on One Good Thing, Nystul wrote, “Add a tiny squirt of Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash. Then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps to strip cloth diapers by removing oily residue. [So] be sure to rinse [them] until the water runs clear!”

It’s not always easy to work with cables and conduits, especially when you need to thread the former into the latter. But the job could be made much simpler. According to Home Hacks, if you spray a covered wire with dish soap and water, it’ll add some helpful lubrication to the surface.

As most of you will already know, certain shampoos can be incredibly expensive at the supermarket. So if you’re trying to tighten the purse strings, you might want to consider an interesting alternative. Indeed, Home Hacks reported that dish soap could stand in for specialized hair products, as its properties will help fight greasy locks.

If you own any fruit trees in your garden, Nystul revealed how you can protect them from aphids. Writing for One Good Thing, she advised, “Mix two tablespoons of Dawn soap to a gallon of water and put it in a sprayer. Try to spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!”

It could be argued that carpet stains are the worst marks to deal with at home, as those blemishes can potentially ruin the look of a whole room. However, you could create your own solution by blending dish soap with hydrogen peroxide. Home Hacks noted that the resulting liquid should be applied to the spot, before a douse of water washes away the troublesome mark.

At first glance, a barbecue grill might seem like an absolute nightmare to wash, but Vanessa Beaty wasn’t so sure. She informed DIY & Crafts, “Just fill a bucket with hot water and a bit of dish soap, and then soak the racks from your grill for about ten minutes or so. You can also use it to clean the inside and outside of your grill.”

If you hate bugs, you’ll no doubt be looking for ways to stop them entering your house. With that in mind, Home Hacks offered up an intriguing solution. The website claimed that you could trap the insects in the tight spaces near your windows and doors by laying out some dish soap. The product essentially acts like a sticky barrier.

Cleaning all the windows in your house isn’t the easiest task, but a creative approach could lead to some excellent results. DIY & Crafts reported that dish soap and hot water will give the glass a pleasing shine. And that simple mixture should also wipe out any residing grime as well.

During the winter months, icy driveways can become very problematic. However, thanks to dish soap, you can stop the ice from forming more than once. To pull that off, Home Hacks claimed that you need to create a liquid made from the aforementioned product, hot water and rubbing alcohol. You then have to tip it across the affected spot.

When ants find a way into your home, you might not know how to get rid of them. If that’s the case, you should probably take DIY & Crafts’ advice on board. The website suggested that a combination of dish soap, hydrogen peroxide and mouthwash would repel the critters from your hard surfaces. The liquid’s residue also puts off other ants from exploring the house, too.