DIY This Powerful Dishwashing Soap With This Simple Copycat Recipe

When pots, pans, and dishes get super grimy, you might need to call in the big guns to get them really clean. Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray is a popular product for cutting through this type of muck, and many people swear by it. Augmenting your dishwashing arsenal with another cleaner can become expensive, however, so having a budget-easing copycat recipe can come in handy. This is especially true when the DIY solution calls for ingredients you likely have around your house already.

To mix up a batch of spray cleaner that works similarly to Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, grab an empty spray bottle to get started. Reusing a Dawn Powerwash bottle is a great option if you have one. To make the recipe, add 12 ounces of warm water to the bottle first. Then squeeze in about 1 ounce of Dawn Platinum dish soap and top it off with 1 ounce of rubbing alcohol. After screwing the spray top in place, make sure the ingredients are mixed by gently moving the bottle back and forth in your hand. Don't skip the alcohol as that helps keep the nozzle from clogging and makes spraying your copycat cleaner easier. Some recipes also encourage letting the mixture sit for a few hours so the ingredients can meld. For an added touch of fragrance, consider adding about eight drops of your favorite essential oil as well.

Just like Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, you can use your copycat DIY spray to make quick work of soiled dishes simply by spraying the cleaner and rinsing it off with clean water after a light scrub. For greasier messes or baked-on foods, spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off with a sponge and rinsing. What else can you use it for? Try it with other tasks you would normally use a water and mild dish soap mixture to clean.

For instance, even though there are some types of floors that you cannot clean with dish soap, you can use it on ceramic tile, linoleum, and vinyl flooring, so there's no reason not to try your DIY spray on stubborn spots. Some people find that it works to rid shower doors of soap scum too. Taking it out on the patio is also a great idea since grills can be degreased, and many types of patio furniture – including plastic, wrought iron, and stainless steel – can be cleaned with dish soap diluted with water. Once you get started, it may be hard to stop! Not to worry, though. You can easily mix up another batch of this economical cleaning solution in no time.