Overheard a guy at Lowe's say 'just use dish soap for everything'

I was in the cleaning aisle last Tuesday and this older dude tells his friend he uses Dawn for laundry stains, grease on his driveway, and even spots on his couch. Said he's been doing it for 15 years and never bought a specialty cleaner. Made me think about how many products I have under my sink that probably do the same thing. Has anyone else downsized their cleaning stash and regretted it or saved cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot20d ago

...and the thing nobody brings up about this is the long term effect on your plumbing. Dish soap isn't designed for washing machines or dishwashers, it creates way more suds than laundry detergent. I had a friend who did this for years and ended up with a clogged drain line from all the soap scum buildup. Plus some of those driveway stains might need something with actual degreasers that won't harm your concrete sealer. Not saying the old guy is wrong, just that there's a hidden cost most people don't think about until it's too late. Your mileage may vary but I'd rather spend a few extra bucks on the right stuff than deal with a plumber bill.

veramiller20d ago

The suds thing is way overblown for a normal squirt of dish soap, and concrete sealer is tougher than people give it credit for. I've seen plenty of driveways hold up fine with just a basic wash.

adams.vera20d agoTop Commenter

Honestly my buddy used dish soap in his washing machine for like 5 years before he moved out and the landlord never said anything about any plumbing issues. I gotta wonder how much of this is just people being overly cautious. Like yeah if you dump a whole bottle in there you might have problems but a tiny squirt? Come on. Plus most dish soaps these days are phosphate free and way milder than they used to be. And that thing about concrete sealer I call BS on too I've pressure washed my driveway with dish soap and water for years and my sealer is totally fine. Ngl feels like one of those internet warnings that gets repeated so much people think it's a fact.