Scrub Your Troubles Away With These Amazing Dish Soap Hacks
Most people view dish soap as a mere solution for cleaning their dishes. However, what they don’t seem to realize is that dish soap has ingredients that solve other household problems. This article explores the most common dish soap life hacks that may make your life easier by saving you both time and money.
With these life hacks, it is evident that dish soap can bail you out of many situations. So, the next time you want to solve a simple household problem, the solution may be lying on your kitchen countertop.
Lubricating Door Hinges
Squeaky door hinges can be annoying and embarrassing at the same time. Of course, this problem can easily be solved using commercial spray lubricants. However, such alternatives can be harmful to human health due to their toxic nature. Therefore, it’s safer to use dish soap to fix your squeaky joints.
Instead of spending on that can of chemical lubricant, apply a small amount on your hinges and listen to the disappearing squeaks as you twist the hinges back and forth. Unlike commercial lubricants, dish soap can clean and lubricate the hinges on your doors, windows, cupboards, and anywhere else that might need a little bit of smoothing.
Eliminating Tough Stains From Your Clothes
No matter how careful you are, the risk of getting tough stains onto your clothes is high. However, you don’t have to worry when this happens; with a little bit of dish soap, your problem will be solved. Just apply some dish soap on the stained area and with a toothbrush, scrub the area until the stain fades.
Next, put the clothing in the washer and then dry it as usual. When the cycle is complete and your clothing is dry, your stain will be long gone. This hack will save you both money and time and money.
Pre-manicure Cleaning
Women who prefer to do their manicure at home can benefit from this dish soap trick. Cleaning the oils on your nails is an important step before you think of applying nail polish because oil prevents it from sticking well. Most women rely on expensive alcohol solutions to do this without realizing that the solution to their problem lies in their kitchen.
With a little dish soap and warm water in a bowl, you can remove the oil on your nails and make your nail cuticles malleable, enabling the nail polish to stick better. Just dip your nails in the bowl for a few minutes, dry them, and you’ll be set.
Cleaning Oily Skin
If you have an oily skin problem, searching for the right products to use can be a difficult task as some products can cause adverse effects. To avoid such eventuality, using dish soap to remove the extra oil on your skin isn’t too bad of an idea.
To do this, mix a little amount of dish soap with warm water and rub it gently on your face. Then, rinse your face until it’s oil-free. This should leave your skin feeling fresh and shine-free.
Preventing Fogging on Windows
Fog can be frustrating when it accumulates on your eyeglasses, car side mirrors, bathroom mirrors, and other reflecting or clear surfaces. However, with a little mixture of dish soap and water, you can solve this problem in minutes.
Rub this mixture onto your mirrors and windows and this solution will prevent fogging up, thus maintaining your clear view. This life hack can also be used to prevent glass shower doors from fogging up.
Getting Rid of Ants
No matter how clean you maintain your house, you’re prone to ant invasions from time to time. When this happens, instead of running to your phone to call pest control to spray toxic chemicals in your home, try turning to dish soap to solve your problem.
Just make a concoction of dish soap and water and spray it on the invaded surfaces and ant lines. The ants will be killed and repelled within a short time.
Cleaning Jewelry
When you have precious jewelry, having dust, oil, and grime on them is the last thing you want. As much as there exist many commercial solutions to clean your jewelry, exploring a cheaper and less corrosive option is a good idea. Just mix a tablespoon of dish soap and club soda and you will have an efficient cleaning solution.
Dip your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes and then scrub gently with a smooth brush. You can then rinse with water and wipe your jewelry to make them sparkling clean.
Eliminating Garden Weeds
Weeds can be a nuisance to your garden but you don’t have to turn to toxic chemicals that can also ruin your plants. To kill the weeds in your garden and leave your garden looking beautiful, just make a solution of dish soap, vinegar, and salt in similar ratios and spray on the weeds in your garden.
The weeds will dry up in a few days leaving your plants healthy and competition-free. Who would have thought that dish soap would be able to be used on your plants!
De-icing The Sidewalks
Slippery sidewalks can be dangerous as they increase the risk of falling and hurting yourself. During winter, this is a major problem in some places as ice accumulates on sidewalks making them slippery. Although salt is a common remedy, it can damage your concrete over time.
To avoid this, mix a small amount of dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and hot water and pour the mixture on your sidewalk. Within minutes, the ice will melt away and your sidewalk will be safe to walk on.
Cleaning The Pool
Pool owners hate it when the time comes to clean their pools. If you’re lucky to have one, cleaning it shouldn’t be stressful. Dish soap is very effective in cleaning the pool because of its emulsifying effects.
Just pour a significant amount of dish soap in the middle of your pool and this will push all the nasty oils and grime to the edges, thus making it easier for you to scoop it off.
Cleaning The Grill
Having a clean grill during a barbecue is very important. However, cleaning your grill after a previous barbecue can be a tough task due to the stubborn grime that accumulates from burning the meat. To clean your grill, just make a paste of dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda and apply it on the dirty grate using a soft brush.
Let the grill stand for about eight hours and then scrub with a grill brush. The stubborn grime will come off easily and your grill will be clean and ready for the party.
Get Sticky Stuff Out of Your Hair
If your child got gum, candy, peanut butter, putty, or something else that is super sticky in their hair, then this tip is for you!
If this is something you are dealing with, give the hair a good shampooing with dish soap. it will help by breaking up the oils and stickiness. Just don’t use dish soap in your hair regularly as it was not specifically designed for hair and thus may strip your hair of its natural oils if used excessively.
Get The Dog Clean
If you did not already know, dish soap is safe enough to use as dog shampoo! It can also help repel any bugs that bite as well as rid them of fleas.
Just use your dish soap as you would any regular pet shampoo while making sure you are careful and avoid the eyes and face.
Prevent Eyeglasses From Fogging Up
Prevent eyeglass fog! If you are tired of dealing with your eye glasses fogging up, try dish soap! Wipe a little dish soap on them then rinse and wipe clean.
This will leave a clear coating that will prevent fogging. What a miracle! No more dealing with foggy glasses.
Use Dish Soap to Make Laundry Detergent
No more freaking out when you run out of laundry detergent! Just grab some dish soap and follow this simple recipe:
One-fourth cup Borax, 1 gallon distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dish Soap, and 1/3 cup washing soda. That’s it. Mix it together in a large container for squeaky-clean laundry.
Freeze Dawn to Make an Ice Pack
Make yourself or your kids a boo boo pack! First, fill a ziplock bag with dish soap and then freeze it. The solution will stay soft once frozen.
When your child scrapes themselves or you burn your hand on the stove, the bag can simply be placed on the skin to provide cooling relief!
Giant Homemade Bubbles
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon of J-Lube, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, 1 gallon of warm water, 2 tablespoons of Glycerin, and 1 cup of Dish Soap.
Supplies: 1 hula hoop, 1 plastic pool, and 1 stool.
Mix up the ingredients for your bubble solution. Then take a plastic kiddie pool and put the stool in the center. Then fill with your solution. Place hula hoop around stool then have your child get on the stool. Slowly pull up the hoop to create the giant bubble around your child.
Trap Fruit Flies
Trap fruit flies and gnats with red wine vinegar and dish soap! Combine 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon of dish washing liquid in a small container or glass.
Gently stir it together to prevent bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap. With a skewer, poke a few holes in it. The flies will be able to get in, but won’t be able to get out.
Dish Soap Can Clean the Kiddie Pool
You don’t need a swimming pool cleaner to clean a kiddie pool. You can use dishwashing detergent to quickly clean the portable pool.
Mix about half a cup of soap with a pool full of freshwater. Use a mop to clean the sides and bottom of the pool. Then dump the dirty water out and rinse the pool clean with your water hose.
Eradicate Fleas on Carpets and Furniture
Use dish soap as a flea treatment. We’ve already mentioned how you can wash your pet with dish soap and warm water to rid them of fleas. Of course, cleaning them off of the furniture and carpet matters, too.
You can fill a spray bottle with dish soap and warm water. Shake it well. Spray your carpet and the furniture with the mixture and let it soak in for 15 minutes. Wipe down the upholstery with a damp washcloth. Then vacuum the carpet.
Create an All-Purpose Cleaner
Mix an all-purpose cleaner that cuts right through soap scum. Heat one cup of vinegar in the microwave. Mix half a cup of dish detergent and the cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle. Replace the lid and shake the bottle to mix the cleaning agents well.
Spray the mix on the surface you want to clean and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Scrub it off and rinse the surface. This works great on shower doors, and you can use it to clean shower curtains, too.
Unclogging The Toilet
Clogged toilets can be a nightmare. However, instead of turning to the common physical methods of unclogging your toilet, a little bit of dish soap can have this problem solved for you.
Just pour one cup of dish soap into the bowl and let it stand for about 20 minutes to allow the soap to get rid of the debris causing the clog. Then, flush the debris with a bucket of hot water and your toilet pipes will be debris free.
Clean Your Stovetop with Dish Soap
You can use dish soap to clean your stovetop. Let the stovetop cool completely before you squirt a little on it.
Use your kitchen brush to clean the oven top if you have splatters. Otherwise, you can simply wipe it clean with a sponge. Use a damp paper towel or a damp rag to wipe it off, then let it dry.
Get Rid of Paint Splatters
Use dish soap to remove paint splatters whether you are painting the house, or your kids are painting a project.
Most paints are oil-based and oil and grease are pretty much the same thing. The dish soap cuts through the oil so you can wipe up the paint splatter easily.
Grease Stain Cleaner for Your Driveway and Garage
Clean oil stains off your garage and driveway using dish soap. Squirt soap over the stain and use a hard bristle brush to rub the soap into the stain. When you see it start to loosen the oil, spray it off with the water hose. Reapply a bit of soap and brush it clean again, repeating the rinse as well.
For older grease stains, you may need to go through the soap, brush, and rinse process a few additional times. Finish with a bit of baking soda scrubbed in and rinse it once more. Remember to rinse off your scrub brush every time you spray off the stain, so it stays clean and free from oils.
Clean Tiles and Defog Your Mirrors in the Bathroom
Use the all-purpose cleaner mentioned on slide 23 with the vinegar and dish soap to also clean your tiles in the bathroom or kitchen. Spray it on and let the mix sit for five to ten minutes before you wipe it off with a clean, dry rag.
You can also clean the mirrors with this mixture or even the bathroom window. Another plus is that vinegar can stop mirrors from steaming up, so cleaning them with this mixture means they will fog less when you shower. How handy to be able to see yourself when you get out of the shower!
Wash Grease Off Your Tools
You can use the same dish soap to clean dishes in the kitchen and tools in the garage. All those greasy tools can sit in a mixture of warm water and dish soap to soak the grease right off.
The grease on kitchen dishes is the same base as car grease. (It sounds gross, but that is a fact.) Simply let the tools soak for about 20 to 30 minutes, then you can easily wash them off with a washrag or clean shop rag.
Freeze Dish Soap to Clean Your Baking Supplies
You can freeze dish detergent in a muffin tray to create cleaning scrubbers. Use one of these scrubbing baking circles to scrub your baking sheets after baking cookies or pizza.
It takes the burnt bits and stains right off. You can also use these scrubbers to clean off your grill or oven racks. They easily remove stuck-on debris.
A Broom and Dish Soap Can Clean Your Bathtub
Cleaning your bathtub is never fun or easy. Over time soap scum and grease build up all around your tub. Using dish soap can help cut through the grease and stains while using a broom to scrub will be a lifesaver for your back and knees.
Squirt your favorite dish soap generously up and down the length of your bathtub. Now instead of bending over and scrubbing your tub, use a handy broom to do the scrubbing at any height. Trust us, your back will thank you. After an effective scrubbing with dish soap, wash the tub clean with water and enjoy the results.
Create A Dish Soap Slip ‘N Slide
Aside from cleaning and washing areas around your house, dish soap can be used for entertainment purposes as well. As the weather warms up and your kids are looking for fun ways to play outside and cool off, consider transforming your backyard into an epic slip ‘n slide with a bit of dish soap.
Set a plastic tarp down on the lawn then pour a water and dish soap mixture along the tarp to make it extra slippery. With the kiddos involved, you may want to use a tear-free soap so that the mixture won’t sting if they happen to get some soap in their eyes. For an added layer of fun, mix in shaving cream and paint powder for a colorful slip ‘n slide experience.
Remove Grease from Your Kitchen Cabinets
Clean your kitchen cabinets with dish soap and warm water instead of wood polish. The polish does nothing to remove grease from the cabinets that splattered there from cooking.
You can use the dish soap to break down the grease plus it cleans the wood without harming it. It works great to cut grease on your backsplash, too.
Make Stainless Steel Appliances Sparkle
Use the same mixture to clean your stainless steel appliances. Just remember to start with a clean, non-abrasive cloth and wipe with the grain of the steel.
You can make it sparkle using only your dish soap and a bit of water. You’ll have your appliances sparkling again in no time!
Clean Your Dirty Garbage Disposal
A sink with a garbage disposal can be a wonderful thing but also equally problematic. Instead of wasting money on getting a plumber to fix or clean your disposal, try using dish soap to clean the drain yourself!
To begin, remove the rubber seal of your garbage disposal and soak it in hot water and dish soap. Then place a bunch of ice cubes in your drain and pour dish soap on top of them. Put on your stopper then start up your disposal. This incredible soap hack will not only clean your drain, but it also helps to sharpen the blades of your disposal. Try repeating this about 3 times a year for a clean and problem-free garbage disposal.
Get Your Hair Brushes Cleaned
Hair brushes are always annoying objects to clean. They have seen your hair in every state, meaning many oils often accumulate on your brushes over time. As the oils on your brush grow thicker and thicker, you may be increasingly grossed out about brushing your hair.
However, your hair brushes can easily be cleaned with the help of dish soap. Wash the oil on your brushes off by soaking them in water and dish soap. Fill your sink with warm water then add in a few drops of dish soap. Let them soak for a bit then wash them clean for an oil-free brush.
Keep Insects Away From Your House Plants
We all love having house plants around to bring life and nature into our homes and rooms. However, have you also had to deal with the pesky insects that your plants attract? Not only do you have to remember to care for your plants and water them when necessary, but you also have to constantly fend off the bugs feasting on your poor plants.
Well to solve this pesky problem, did you know that dish soap can be your solution? First, create a water and dish soap solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Now spray your mixture all over your plants. The mixture is completely safe for your plants and will help deter bugs, mites, and aphids from gathering in and around your greenery.
Keep Aphids Off Your Fruit Trees
While no one wants pesky insects on their indoor plants, you may also want to protect your outdoor plants from sap-sucking insects like aphids. While insects are a part of nature, aphids are known to ruin fruit trees and cause them to die.
To keep the aphids away from your fruit, you should mix one tablespoon of fragrance-free dish soap with a quart of water. Use the mixture in a spray bottle and spray your precious fruit trees. This process will not harm your tree, but will rid the area of the aphids. For the best outcome, spray the mixture on your tree once a week.
Use Your Dish Soap As A Carpet Cleaner
As we’ve gone over quite a few ways dish soap can help clean a variety of different surfaces, dish soap can also be used to clean your carpet. Save some money on carpet cleaning, and make your own version instead.
Fill a spray bottle with two ounces of hydrogen peroxide and one ounce of dish soap. Mix the solution thoroughly then spray it on those unfortunate carpet stains. Use a rag to scrub the stain and be sure to put some elbow grease into it. Wipe away any remaining dish soap and your carpet stain should become a thing of the past!
Rescue Your Sliding Door
If your home has a sliding door, after some time the sliding aspect may become troublesome. Perhaps the door isn’t as smooth to open and close anymore. Or maybe it continuously squeaks every time it’s used.
If your sliding door could clearly use some greasing but you don’t have WD-40 around, try using dish soap instead. Just pour some dish soap at the base where the door slides then scrub to help clean and lubricate the area. This will help your door slide smoother and be less squeaky.
Washing Cloth Diapers
Easily clean your cloth diapers with dish soap! Just like it strips chlorine from your hair, it works great for stripping diapers.
Stripping the cloth diapers will take them back to their original form. By doing this they will be more absorbing for your kids. Just use a few drops in the wash, and wash in hot water.
Make Your Floors Sparkle and Shine
Mix half a bucket of water, one cup of vinegar, and one cup of dish soap with a degreaser in it to mop your floors.
The great thing about this mixture is you can safely use it on wood, laminate, vinyl, tile, ceramic tile, or parquet. Mop as you normally would and let it dry naturally. It lifts grease and dirt beautifully.
Deep Clean Your Patio Furniture
After it’s been sitting outside without much use, you’ll want to give your patio furniture some tender loving care before summer, especially if it’s white plastic. Thankfully, you can easily deep clean your white plastic chairs with dish soap. Just mix the liquid cleaning agent with warm water and you’re ready to deep clean your patio furniture with a sponge.
Nothing beats clean furniture, especially when it allows you to have your family and friends over for a barbecue and some chit-chat. Time, effort, and dish soap are all you need to make this hack a reality.
You Can Wash Your Hair With Dish Soap
All these dish soap hacks work so well because dish soap is designed to clean oil off of surfaces. Just as you can clean oil off your hair brushes, you can even wash oil out of your hair. While dish soap should not be used regularly in your hair and is no substitute for shampoo, it can help you in certain situations.
If you find you have extremely greasy hair, a monthly dish soap wash can help remove those excess oils from your lovely locks. Just remember that not all oils are bad as your hair also produces natural oils that should not be frequently stripped away.
Locate The Puncture In Your Tires
Whether it’s your car or bicycle tire that gets punctured, luckily you can easily find the hole with this DIY trick. Instead of wasting your time and money at a garage or with a mechanic, let dish soap help with your tire troubles. Yes, you read that correctly.
If you are aware that you may have a leaking tire or know you ran over something you shouldn’t have, create a mixture consisting of a bit of water with a couple of drops of dish soap. Brush the soapy mixture on your tire and wait. Wherever your tire begins to foam with little bubbles is where the puncture is located. You can now patch up the puncture or change your tire and be on your merry way.
Clean Tile and Floor Grout
Don’t you despise cleaning grimy tiles and floor grout? It’s one of the most terrible household chores. Fortunately, this dirty job can be made much simpler with this basic stunt. Put a cup of vinegar in the microwave for a minute, then put it in a spray bottle.
Add one cup of dish soap to the bottle and shake it to mix well with the vinegar. Spray the solution on your tile grout and leave it for a few minutes before cleaning the grime away. Wash with water to finish the job!
Soothe Eczema
Eczema can be frustrating, but it can be alleviated with the help of dish soap. Yes, you read that right! Pick a gentle dish soap and use it as an alternative to your usual skin cleanser. Apply it to the affected area and rinse.
This trick was discovered by an eczema sufferer who noted that the eczema on his hands cleared up when he started washing dishes with gentle dish soap. He tried applying it to other affected areas of his skin, and soon enough, his eczema cleared up!
Create Your Own Floor and Wall Cleaner
Another amazing trick dish soap can do is to refresh your walls and floors. All you have to do is blend ½ teaspoon of liquid dish soap with 1 teaspoon of ammonia, ½ cup of Borax, and two gallons of warm water. Be sure to put on gloves before scrubbing and wiping your walls and floor with your homemade cleaning solution.
Enjoy the chore and trust the process as you wipe away grime and dirt with ease. In no time, you’ll have fresh and spotless walls and floors. You’re welcome!
Eliminate Excess Hair Dye
If you color your hair at home, it’s easy to get carried away with the hair color, especially if you’re not an expert. For those that color their hair dark, don’t worry if the tone comes out uneven or darker than you desired.
This dish soap hack will help you out! Simply use liquid dish soap instead of your regular shampoo, and it will gently strip the shading down. Continue until you reach your ideal shade.
Use Dish Soap to Wash Your Car
One of the most versatile household items is dish soap. Aside from doing an amazing job as a dish cleanser, of course, it serves as a great alternative to your usual car shampoo.
Just blend a tablespoon worth of dishwashing liquid into a gallon of water and scour your vehicle with the foamy solution using soft fabric or a sponge. It is important to note that the solution will eliminate any protective wax, so you’ll have to re-wax the vehicle when you’re set.
Get Rid of Soot Marks Around Your Fireplace
If you have a fireplace in your home, you know all too well that ash and soot can solidify and settle around your chimney, making it look unattractive and filthy. Thankfully, all you need is dish soap to clean and beautify your fireplace!
Blend equal parts dishwashing liquid and salt and add sufficient water to reach a glue or cream-like texture. Rub the solution onto the stained brick and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Wipe clean with a soft cloth or sponge and warm water.
Remove Brake Dust From Car Wheels
Since dish soap does an incredible job of slicing through grease, it’s ideally suited for cleaning your vehicle. There’s no need to spend money on expensive products thanks to this easy hack.
Just mix a couple of drops of a dishwashing liquid into a bucket of water and wipe down your vehicle wheels with the solution using a soft fabric or a sponge. Rinse with water, and your wheels will be shimmering like new.
Easily Guide Cables Through Tight Spaces
Needless to say, guiding cables through restricted spaces can be difficult. Make this challenging task easier with the assistance of liquid dish soap. Fill a spray bottle with water, then add a couple of drops of dish soap and shake it up to ensure it’s mixed thoroughly. Spray the cable with the solution before you guide it through.
The lathery mixture will assist with guiding the cable through the tight space. This should take all the frustration out of the task.
Remove Tree Sap From Your Skin
If you do a ton of woodcutting or simply love enjoying nature, you’ve probably had tree sap on your skin at least once in your life. It can be a challenge to remove, but don’t panic – dish soap is your ultimate savior!
Gently rub dish soap into the affected area and then rinse it away with warm water. It will effortlessly eat through the sap without irritating or drying out your skin. Easy!
Clean Makeup Sponges
In addition to your makeup brushes, you can also clean your makeup sponges with a few drops of your favorite liquid dish soap. Just mix 2 cups of warm water and 2 drops of dish soap, then soak your beauty sponges in the solution for about half an hour.
Rinse the sponges well with water and repeat until they are totally spotless and fresh. Remember to dry them fully in a well-ventilated area so you don’t gather mold or mildew inside of the makeup sponges.