12 Unexpected Things You Can Clean With Dish Soap

To tackle cleaning chores around the house, opening your cupboard or storage space and seeing a host of specialized cleaners for different tasks around your home is common. However, dish soap is a surprisingly versatile tool you'll find in most households, and many people overlook it and go with a specialized option. However, the soap you trust to get grease and grime off your dishes also works wonderfully to clean a host of unexpected items around the house, including things you may not consider. These items range from tools to jewelry and everything in between.

It's common to think more is better when tidying up, but one accessible product can replace many cleaning agents. Along with decluttering your cupboard or storage space, dish soap allows you to rethink how you approach your cleaning routine. By using it to tackle your tough cleaning challenges, you're saving money and reducing waste, which is an eco-friendly approach to keeping your home sparkling and your items spotless. Whether you want to remove tough grease stains on fabric or ensure your gardening tools are ready to go in the spring, dish soap is powerful.

As the seasons turn cooler, your plastic, metal, or wooden outdoor furniture starts to show signs of wear from being in the elements. Dirt, pollen, and bird droppings can all stick to the furniture's surface, making them less inviting to relax in and potentially shortening their lifespan. However, dish soap is an effective cleaning solution for each material, proving that you don't necessarily need outdoor-specific cleaners to tackle this project. To clean them, get a bucket of warm water and enough dish soap to make suds. Use a sudsy rag, sponge, or soft-bristled brush and scrub your outdoor furniture to remove any visible dirt and grime. However, to clean wicker furniture, limit the amount of soap and water you use to avoid material breakdown, cracking, or peeling.

The balanced dish soap formula is the key to why it's so effective for cleaning your outdoor furniture. It will get rid of grease and grime without harsh chemicals, making it perfect to banish buildup without damage. The mild properties ensure excellent results without any harmful residues or films that can harm the material. Soap also emulsifies dirt and oil, allowing you to easily rinse them away before storing your pieces.

Keeping your makeup brushes clean ensures they last longer and makes for a more hygienic routine each time you use them. Over time, products build up on brushes, especially if you use cream- or oil-based makeup. This buildup impacts how well they work while also being a breeding ground for bacteria. While you can reach for cleaners specifically marketed for personal care or cosmetic tools, you can also use dish soap. To clean your makeup brushes, gently wet the bristles under cool water, keeping the handle as dry as possible. Drip a few drops of dish soap onto your palm and gently swirl the brush to create a lather. Rinse them under running water until the water runs clear, and squeeze out any excess. Shape the bristles before laying the brush flat to dry. Do this roughly once a week for the best results.

Dish soap works to clean oil- or cream-based makeup from brushes the same way it works on dishes. Dish soap's surfactants break up oil and water, allowing it to gently pull cream, oil, and pigments out of the brush's bristles. This is very important as it helps keep your makeup brushes functioning since allowing residue to build up can lead to uneven application. Additionally, regular cleaning with dish soap helps preserve the bristles' softness and shape, extending the life of the brushes.

When you cook, especially if you fry foods, it's easy to splatter your kitchen cabinets with grease, which eventually builds up and makes your cabinets look dull or sticky. You may think you need a strong degreaser or a kitchen-specific cleaner to eliminate it, but dish soap works. To use this tip to clean your kitchen cabinets, mix warm water with dish soap and gently scrub your cabinet's surfaces with a soft cloth roughly once a week. It'll remove the fine layer of grease without damaging the finish. Afterward, rinse them with a clean, damp cloth before wiping them dry. However, if you have wooden cabinets, be sure to use a damp rag instead of a soaked one to prevent warping or damage. Rinse well to avoid getting stuck with a soapy residue.

Dish soap works well for this project because it is designed to fight oil and fats, and it has degreasing properties with a mild formula that removes the stubborn residue that builds up from cooking. The surfactants lift the grease, making it easy to wipe away. It does all of this without harsh chemicals that could damage your pretty finish on the cabinets or pose a health risk when preparing food. It's also cost-effective because you don't have to run out and buy a specialized degreaser when you're ready to clean the cabinets.

Figuring out the best way to clean your ceiling fans can be challenging because they build up dust between cleaning sessions. When you switch them on, the dust circulates throughout your room, impacting air quality. But you don't need a cleaning service or special tool to clean them; using a mix of dish soap and warm water will remove the grime. Switch your fan off and make sure it's stopped moving before cleaning. Mix a few drops of dish soap into a bucket of warm water, dip a cloth into the mix, and gently wipe down each blade, ensuring you get both sides and the edges. Use a damp cloth, not a wet one. Take a second cloth and dry the blades. A second cleaning option is to remove the blades, soak them in soapy water, dry them, and then put them back on.

Dish soap works to get rid of dust because the surface-active agents trap oil and water, and encapsulate dirt particles so that you can wipe them off. It's gentle on the fan's housing, and you can use it on various materials without stripping the finish.

Cleaning your fabric shoes or sneakers is vital because they build up scuffs, dirt, stains, and odors. While you may think you must use specialized cleaners, you can get away with a simpler method for many issues that make your shoes look grimy. To get rid of dirt and scuffs, as well as deodorize, first use a soft brush to remove any excess dirt. In a bowl, mix warm water with dish soap, and use a soft brush to gently scrub at any spots on your sneakers. Use a toothbrush dipped in soapy water for harder-to-reach spots like your insoles. Wipe them down with a damp cloth when you finish to get rid of all the soap, and then place them somewhere sunny to air dry vs. putting them in your dryer. This prevents the fabric from shrinking or warping.

You can use dish soap for this project because the formula gets to the whole stain and starts dissolving the bonds it has with your shoe's fabric or rubber components. As you scrub, you work the soap in and break up the stains so that you can rinse them away. The formula is gentle enough to use on most sneakers — including mesh, canvas, or synthetic fabrics — without damaging them. It's also an easily accessible product, making it cost-effective over more traditional sneaker cleaners.

Cast iron grates are the workhorses of kitchen cooktops, routinely being exposed to heavy pots and high heat, leading to stubborn grease and burnt-on food. Cleaning cast iron stove grates might seem like it requires abrasive scrubbing pads or harsh chemicals, but dish soap is a safe alternative. To tackle the grime, remove the grates from the cooktop and submerge them in hot water mixed with a generous squirt of dish soap. Let them soak for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or even longer for particularly stubborn grime. This soaking process loosens the burnt-on food and grease, making it easier to clean the grates with a non-abrasive brush or sponge. When they're done soaking, scrub lightly with a sponge or brush and rinse them well. Allow them to completely dry before putting them back to avoid rust and corrosion issues.

Dish soap's effectiveness in cleaning cast iron grates lies in its grease-fighting formulation. Cast iron, known for its durability and heat retention, often accumulates burnt-on food and grease that can be challenging to remove. Dish soap, designed to break down and emulsify fats and oils, penetrates this stubborn residue, softening it for easier removal. The surfactants in dish soap act on the grease and burnt food, lifting them from the cast iron's porous surface without the need for harsh chemicals or abrasive scrubbers that could damage the grate's seasoning or finish.