Dawn Dish Soap is one of America’s best-selling brands from Procter and Gamble. The brand prides itself on its effective removal of burnt-on food in pots and pans, and making utensils squeaky clean. The product is not only useful in hand-washing the dishes, but also in removing oil and grease spills on any surface. Considering its cleaning superpower, does Dawn Dish Soap have bleach in it? Here is the truth behind it.
Dawn Dish Soap does not contain bleach. Even the Dawn Ultra Platinum Bleach Alternative dishwashing liquid does not have bleach in its list of ingredients. It only has sodium hydroxide, an ingredient used to produce chlorine bleach when combined with chlorine. Dawn Dish Soap is made of powerful surfactants that make it an effective dish cleaning product.
What are the Ingredients in Dawn Dish Soap?
Dawn dish soap commits to sustainability by using recyclable packaging and biodegradable ingredients to reduce the environmental impact. The product does not contain bleach, phosphates, phthalates, and triclosan, which are notorious for polluting the environment. Instead, it used powerful surfactants to make the product efficient when cleaning delicate dinnerware to burnt-on cookware.
The surfactants, however, do not render the Dawn Dish Soaps totally environment-friendly. Check out the list of active ingredients that most Dawn Dish Soap variants contain:
- Surfactants are the cleaning agents for stripping dirt, grease and stubborn grimes in dishes. Dawn Dish Soap uses surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, PPG-16 copolymer, C-10 alkyldimethylamine oxide, and C9-11 pareth-8.
- Solvents stabilize the formula, hold the ingredients together and adjust the viscosity of the liquid. It can be denatured alcohol, PPG-26, phenoxyethanol, phenoxy-isopropanol, propylene glycol, terpineol, or water.
- Sodium hydroxide as a mineral-based pH adjuster to balance the formula’s pH level
- Sodium chloride as a thickener and also as a viscosity adjuster
- Chelant or water softener to boost soil removal
- Antibacterial agents like chloroxylenol
- Opacifiers like acrylates copolymer make the product more opaque
- Preservatives such as Methylisothiazolinone
- Glycerin
- Fragrance
- Colorant
Will Dawn Dish Soap Stain Clothes and Other Fabrics?
No, dish detergents will not ruin clothes and fabrics, but they should also not be used for laundry purposes either. There are some life hacks about using Dawn Dish Soap as a prewashing spot treatment to break down grease and food stains. The thing does work to easily wash off grease, owing to the powerful surfactants of the dish soap. But, you still need to wash the clothes using the standard laundry method afterward.
Dish soap will not clean clothes thoroughly and may leave a film of soap scum that can eventually damage the washing machine.
Can You Mix Dawn Dish Soap with Bleach?
No, you certainly cannot mix two cleaning solutions together. Bleach is a corrosive and reactive chemical that can react with other ingredients in the product. It can produce toxic and harmful gases that are dangerous when inhaled. There is a warning stated on the label of Dawn Dish Soap that users should not ignore.
Furthermore, the manufacturer refuted some claims that Dawn Dish Soap contains ammonia. It does not. However, it has amine, which is the organic form of ammonia. This product can react with bleach and produce an undesirable result.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic?
Dawn Dish Soap is famous for its grease-cutting and cleaning abilities. Unfortunately, there is also some downside to its biodegradability claims. The synthetic ingredients added to this dishwashing product can be toxic to some extent.
It is mostly safe for humans as long as it is appropriately used and rinsed off. It can also clean animals without causing them any harm. On the flip side, its ingredients can contaminate groundwater and pollute it eventually.
If the dish soap remains too long in the soil, it may wither and kill the plants. In aquatic resources, it can kill fish eggs, and halt the breeding of fishes.
What to Do if Dawn Dish Soap Gets in Your Eye?
Dawn Dish Soap has eye damage and irritation Category B. It means that the product is mildly irritating when it gets into the eyes. If it gets into the eye, the primary response is to wash it thoroughly with running water for several minutes. Remove the contact lenses, if any, and continue rinsing them. If eye irritation gets worse, contact your doctor and get medical advice.
Can Dawn Dish Soap Cause Skin Irritations?
Skin irritations and contact dermatitis are rare, but they can happen if a person is allergic to any of its ingredients. Dish soap irritation can cause the development of rash, chapping of the skin, or eczema. To avoid it, wash hands thoroughly after using. If skin contact produces itching, rinse with plenty of water. Seek medical advice if irritation persists.
What to Do if You Swallow Dawn Dish Soap?
Dish soaps may not have bleach, but they are not food-grade. It may result in some nasty side effects when taken internally. It is due to the chemicals in the product that can be hazardous when eaten or even when inhaled.
If you accidentally swallow Dawn Dish Soap, drink two glasses of water immediately. Do not induce vomiting. Seek medical attention if health effects occur and the symptoms get worse. If the product is inhaled, move the person to open air and call a physician if the symptoms persist.
Final Thoughts
Dawn Dish Soap is made of a combination of potent ingredients intended to de-grease and thoroughly clean the dishes. These ingredients do not include bleach, phosphates, phthalates, or triclosan. Although the product claims to be safe, sustainable, and environment-friendly, it is still debatable. The synthetic ingredients added to it can still harm both human health and the environment. When using any dishwashing products, make sure to rinse the dishes well to avoid any of their unknown side effects.
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Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.