If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for products that will make cleaning chores easier and still get the job done. So when Dawn Powerwash hit the market, of course I had to try it. Hey, it’s pretty good stuff! But it’s pricey!

This product hit the market and internet by storm, and many of us were curious: what makes it so special that tough, stuck-on foods just wipe right off? I personally found that it works just as well for some stains on clothing and other household cleaning needs. It’s become a staple in my house for tough messes and quick dish presoaks.

Turns out, the basic idea is surprisingly simple: dish soap, alcohol, and water. But the ratio and the sprayer bottle make a big difference. So if you’ve already bought a bottle of Dawn Powerwash, save that sprayer! You can refill it at home for a fraction of the cost.

Our Household Recipe Series is here to help you save money by replacing expensive store-bought solutions with homemade versions that work for us.

Mock-Power Wash Spray

This homemade power wash is great for more than just dishes. You can power away deep set in stains and even grease in clothing. Set in stains in clothing items that have already been through multiple wash and dry cycles may lift for you using this pretreatment spray. It also works on tough stains on walls and floors, and so much more. You can even use it to remove labels.

Prep Time5

Yield: 1 Bottle

Cost: $1 each

Equipment

1 Spray Bottle Any industrial size will do but it will work better with the Dawn Power Wash bottle or continuous spray bottle which mists the liquid better.
1 Set of Cup Measures 1 cup and 3/4 cup
1 Set of Spoon Measures Tablespoon and Half Tablespoon
1 Funnel Optional

Materials

1 Bottle Dish Soap (any brand will do)
1 Bottle 70% Isopropyl Alcohol I use 90% but it works with 70% or higher; vodka will also work
1 3/4 Cups Distilled Water I used water straight from the tap and it still worked

Instructions

Pour 1 3/4 cups distilled water into the clean, empty spray bottle.
Add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Dishwashing Liquid.
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Screw on the spray top.
Swirl gently to combine ingredients.
Allow to sit for a few hours to allow everything to incorporate.

Notes

Here are a few more tips and points to make your recipe more successful

Any dish soap or scent will work. You may opt for the Dawn Platinum brand of dish soap as it is more concentrated, but I find this recipe works with anything you have on hand except for the foam varieties and dishwasher varieties of dish soaps.
Any 70% or higher alcohol will work. Alcohol is a solvent - it works to break up grease and other stains. Dish soaps is a surfactant. So if all you have is some vodka on hand, go for it. 90% proof or more will make the mix more powerful.
Tap water will work, but if you have hard water or softened water expect different results. You will simply be adding other unknown chemicals, chlorine, and minerals into your cleaning product and have unexpected or unsafe outcomes.
The ingredients will make a large number of recipes so feel free to pull out some math and make more of it at a time and store it for later refills. This is where the savings is at: the initial recipe is roughly $14 or so for ingredients, but you really only use about $1 of those ingredients per recipe. Compare that to $7 a bottle for the Dawn Power Wash Spray.
Do not use dishwasher soap, laundry soap, or tallow based soaps for this recipe. Stick with actual dish soaps meant for handwashing dishes, There are other chemicals in the other types of soap and you may potentially make unsafe chemicals by mixing them with alcohol.

Why Make Your Own Power Wash Dish Soap?

The biggest reason is simple: refilling a bottle yourself can cost much less than repeatedly buying new bottles of dish spray.

The original Powerwash-style sprayer is also part of what makes this type of cleaner so convenient. Instead of throwing away a perfectly good bottle and sprayer when it’s empty, you can reuse it with your homemade mixture.

I also like having this type of spray around for more than ordinary dishes. It’s handy when something needs a quick presoak or when I’m dealing with a stubborn household mess.

Save That Spray Bottle

If you already have an empty Dawn Powerwash bottle, don’t throw it away. The sprayer creates the wide foaming spray that makes this type of dish cleaner so easy to use.

You can also purchase reusable spray bottles, but make sure the bottle and sprayer are suitable for the mixture you’re putting into them.

Products for Making Your Own Power Wash Dish Soap

If you need supplies for the recipe, here are some of the products we originally selected to go with it.

Product	Price
Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, Dish...	$4.94	GET DEAL
Ajax Ultra Liquid Dish Soap, Triple Action...	$3.97	GET DEAL
Vi-Jon Swan Isoprophyl Alcohol, 70% 16 Fl Oz	$3.99 $3.45	GET DEAL
Pure Life Distilled Bottled Water - 1-Gallon...		GET DEAL
Zep Industrial Sprayer Bottle - 48 oz	$5.99	GET DEAL
Remarkable Home Continuous Spray Bottle...		GET DEAL