Tired of paying full price for Dawn Powerwash? Learn how to make Dawn Powerwash at home using just a few simple ingredients. This DIY Dawn Powerwash recipe gives you the same powerful grease-fighting clean without the high cost. Perfect for dishes, counters, and more. All while saving money!
For years, I have made my own cleaners, but if I were to be honest with you, I’d say that there are some store bought cleaners I genuinely love. Dawn Powerwash is one of them. It cuts through greasy messes like nothing else, especially in the kitchen, and it smells pretty nice too.
But as much as I like it, what I don’t love is the price tag. A single refill bottle online or at your local supermarkets can run more than $4.00 and that’s far more than I am willing to spend regularly. Especially when I know I can make copycat Dawn Powerwash that is just as effective for a whole lot less.
That’s the thing about most store-bought cleaners: the secret is almost always in the marketing, not the ingredients. Once you break it down, you’ll usually find it’s made of a few simple components you probably already have in your home. Dawn Powerwash is no different. Once I figured out how to make Dawn Powerwash at home, it was added to the list of things I stopped buying and I haven’t looked back.
Why DIY Dawn Powerwash?
I am a firm believer that just because something is easy to grab off a store shelf doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for your wallet. In fact, most of the time I will tell you to pay for quality over quantity because it usually means that you actually are getting a better product.
However, when a DIY option gives me the same results with a fraction of the cost? That’s an easy win and an easy decision in my book. Dawn Powerwash Spray is one of those easy decisions. The homemade version works every bit as well as the store bought. In fact, it may work better as the homemade version will for sure disinfect which I can’t say is certain about the store bought version.
Making your own Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray lets you:
- Control what goes into your cleaner
- Spend pennies on the dollar compared to store-bought
- Reuse bottles and reduce packaging waste
- Whip up a fresh batch anytime you need it
It’s convenient, customizable, and just plain smart. And if you’re trying to cut household expenses without sacrificing the effectiveness of your cleaners, a good DIY like this is worth learning.
How Do I Make My Own Dawn Powerwash?
If you look at the label of the original product, you’ll find a handful of ingredients and chances are you’re not going to be able to pronounce some of them; let alone know what they do. The cleaning magic really comes down to just a few key ones though.
The biggest player? Dawn dish soap. That’s not exactly a surprise. Dawn has always been known for being tough on grease and gentle on hands and there are so many ways to use Dawn that don’t involve dishes that it just makes sense in this copycat. You’ll want to use either the original blue Dawn or Dawn Platinum for this copycat.
From there, you’ll also need a bit of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and water. That’s it. Yes, you can use tap water, however, distilled water is always a better option when you’re making homemade cleaners.
Add the three ingredients to a quart mason jar or a foaming soap dispenser and the three ingredients work together to cut through tough grime, disinfect and deliver that familiar foamy texture.
Why Does Dawn Powerwash Work So Well?
As we all know, Dawn dish soap is an amazing degreaser. It not only works to clean bits left on surfaces, but removes oil in a way that not too many other cleaners can. The cleaning power of Dawn is a work horse which is why it’s the perfect base for DIY Dawn Powerwash.
Isopropyl alcohol is the second piece of the puzzle. It helps to cut grease, evaporates quickly (which means fewer streaks), and has some mild disinfecting properties. You don’t need a ton of it, but it plays an important role in how the cleaner works especially if you want to use your DIY Dawn Powerwash outside of just dishes.
And water? That just helps thin the mixture so it sprays and bubbles up the foam properly. It’s also what stretches your soap and alcohol to make your cleaner more cost-effective.
Pour all three liquid ingredients together and you’ve got a powerful cleaner.
What Makes It Different From Regular Dish Soap?
The biggest difference between Dawn Powerwash and just using Dawn from the bottle is the application. Powerwash sprays out as a foam and clings to whatever surface you hit. It can be used to clean dishes, your stove and oven, the shower to fight soap scum on tile and grout, kitchen and bathroom countertops, grill grates and even works as a stain removal spray in for your clothes.
It saves water because it doesn’t need a sink full of water. It works simply by spraying it on, letting it sit for a few minutes, wiping and rinsing.
Does It Actually Work?
Yes. That’s the short answer.
I’ve been using my own homemade Dawn Powerwash for quite a while now, and I haven’t found a single reason to go back to the store-bought kind. It works just as well on dried-on food, greasy pans, cabinet smudges, and even gunk on my stovetop.
The biggest issues I have with it? I can’t keep enough made!
And if you’re the type who likes a little scent with your cleaners, you can even add a few drops of essential oil to the empty spray bottle or jar before you mix the rest of the ingredients. . (I don’t always bother, but if I do, I only trust Simply Earth essential oils. They’re triple GC/MS tested for purity, and they’re priced in a way that fits my frugal lifestyle.)
The scent made with just the ingredients can be a bit overpowering if you’re sensitive. I personally don’t like the scent of the blue Dawn original so I tend to cover mine with an EO. As an alternative scent, essential oils not only create the smell you want, but can also add to the cleaning power. Various scents made with essential oils such as lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil, orange essential oil and so on all have their own cleaning benefits to help boost your cleaner even more. Basically, you can use any essential oil to create the fresh scent you want.
Learning how to make Dawn Powerwash doesn’t just save you money. It’s one of those little hacks that makes your day-to-day routine easier. I always keep a bottle under the sink, and I use it for everything from dishes to counters to small spills that don’t need a full deep clean.
It’s another small way to take control of what comes into your home and keep a little more in your wallet at the same time.
If you’re someone who loves making your own cleaners, or you’re just looking for ways to cut costs without giving up convenience, this DIY Dawn Powerwash is a great place to start.
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