Dish Soap: Your “Go-To” Household Cleaner

Dish Soap, dishwashing detergent, dishwashing liquid, whatever you may call it is used for much more than you would ever imagine. The specialized form of soap that contains a mixture of surfactants that are especially high-foaming and chosen because they do not irritate the skin. This special mixture of surfactants is what makes dish soap so effective at cutting oils and grease on dishes and pots.

Dish soap generally is one of the safest of all cleaning products. If you remember a while back, dish soap was used to save thousands of birds badly soiled by ocean oil spills in Alaska and Louisiana.

Take a look below at some great cleaning ideas for your ordinary dish soap!

Take a look below at some great cleaning ideas for your ordinary dish soap!

1 - Floor Cleaner

All you need to do is mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap in a bucket of water and mop away! Dish soap works well on linoleum and vinyl floors, as well as ceramic tile. But do not use on wood flooring, as they may stain or warp. For laminate flooring, follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for cleaning.

2 - Laundry Cleaner

Some of the most difficult stains to remove from fabric are the oil-based stains. But dish soap is a great stain remover! Gently rub the soap into the fabric with the hottest water that is safe for your fabric.

For hand-washable clothing items, dish soap is great to use! Make a solution using 1 Tablespoon of dish soap and 1 gallon of water and soak the fabric for about a minute, rinse in clear, clean, cool water afterward.

3 - Countertops and Other Surface Cleaner

Mild dish soap works very well on your countertop surface. It also works well on your baseboards, window sills, and many other surfaces. One way you can easily apply it is to add a little soap to a spray bottle filled with warm water. Spray the surface and wipe clean. Rinse with a damp cloth and dry the surface.

4 - Appliances Cleaner

Your appliances can get pretty filthy, pretty fast! There are a lot of appliances included in this category that can benefit from a dish soap cleaning. These include microwaves, toasters, blenders, griddles, ovens, cooktops, refrigerators, and more… oh, let’s not forget your washer and dryer as well! A good way to clean them is with a spray bottle or a bucket of water. Whichever works best for you. Make sure you rinse appliances after washing by wiping them with a damp cloth and then drying thoroughly.

5 - Glass Cleaner

If you dilute your dish soap with water, it can be a great cleaner for glass. This is best for really dirty glass surfaces to clean off the dried-on dirt and grime. Afterward, shine it up with a glass cleaner. If using a squeegee, you may not need to use a glass cleaner.

6 - Kitchen Cabinet Degreaser

You don’t realize how much dirt and oil accumulate on your cabinets if they aren’t cleaned regularly. The oils are mixed with dust and kitchen grime and create a thick layer of sticky grit! Your best defense in keeping up with this mess is wiping them down with a mixture of 2 Tablespoons of dish soap and warm water solution for scrubbing. The special mixture of surfactants that lifts the grease from your dishes will do the same for the grease on your cabinets.

 

7 - Outdoor Furniture and Grill Cleaner

Your outdoor furniture needs a good cleaning too! Especially after the winter when you bring your furniture out from storage, or you get a good coating of tree or grass pollen covering everything. Mix up a small amount of dish soap in a bowl of warm water and wipe down the plastic or metal furniture. After wiping it down, lightly scrub it with a non-scratch nylon pad, rinse the furniture with a garden hose. This works well on plastic and metal, but do not clean teak or other wood furniture with dish soap.

Your Barbecue Grill’s walls and burner grates need to be cleaned regularly. A strong mixture of dish soap and warm water solution works great for cleaning up grease and residue. Be sure to rinse thoroughly before using the grill again.

Oil and Antifreeze stains on a garage floor or driveway can be cleaned up by covering the stain with baking soda, then pouring undiluted dish soap over it. Scrub the stain with a plastic brush, then let it sit for several hours. Scrub the stain as necessary, repeat until the stain is gone. May take a few times.

7 - Jewelry Cleaner

Mix a very small amount of dish soap with seltzer water in a bowl, then soak your dirty jewelry piece in the solution for 5 minutes. Slosh it around to make sure you get the dirt off the piece. Using a soft toothbrush can help get the dirt off.

8 - Personal Grooming

If you are needing something universal for cleaning, say for a camping trip, dish soap can be a good source. It is mild enough to be a substitute for shampoo or body soap.

9 - Carpet Stains

 A lot of stains can be removed from your carpet with a solution of 1 Tablespoon of dish soap and 2 cups of warm water. Just sponge the stain with a little bit of the solution until the stain is removed. Then rinse by sponging the spot with cold water. Then pat dry with a cloth.

10 - Get Rid of Pests Harming your Plants

Mix dish soap and water in a spray bottle. Lightly spray it over your plants infested with pests. It won’t harm the plants, but it will kill the insects plaguing them.