Instead, Dawn Dishwashing Soap (like the Platinum Powerwash) has become my go-to for cleaning grease splatters off clothes or nixing hard water stains from glass shower doors.
Start with a small amount of dish soap (about the size of a dime) and put it on a sponge. Then, wipe the soap all over the shower glass doors. Be sure to get plenty of soap on the areas with a lot of soap scum and dirt. Any dish soap will work!
It's also best to avoid using scouring pads, abrasive brushes, or sharp objects while cleaning glass shower doors, as these can scratch the glass. While there are many commercial products available for tackling the scum and grime in your shower, you may also want to try some DIY eco-friendly options.
When using Dawn Powerwash, you should avoid cleaning porous surfaces such as marble and other soft natural stones or untreated wood. It is also best to keep Dawn Powerwash away from painted surfaces, too. Always make sure to test new cleaning products on inconspicuous areas of surfaces first.
Many hotels use ammonia-based cleaning solutions because ammonia readily cuts through dirt and soap scum. Because of the way it dries, ammonia also decreases the possibility of streaks on glass.
Baking soda is a popular ingredient for clean up. It is a mild abrasive and causes dirt and grease to dissolve in water. Some people suggest making a paste using baking soda and some water, applying it to a sponge, and then scrubbing your glass shower doors.
Use Dawn and some hot water and a cloth or sponge to get into those nooks and crannies where grime and scale tend to build up. You can also combine Dawn with vinegar for stronger cleaning power, especially when tackling hard water stains.
“Vinegar is a good cleaner because it's acidic, but when you add dishwashing liquid/dish soap to it (which is a base or neutral) - you neutralise the vinegar. You take away the very thing that makes it work well. “The dishwashing liquid works that well on its own. Adding the vinegar is a pointless step.”
The combination of dish soap and vinegar is highly effective for a few different reasons. They're both excellent at breaking down tough grease and grime, but vinegar alone will simply run off of most surfaces, and dish soap is too thick to use on its own.
Windex is one of the time-tested ways to clean glass and it still works great. Spray down the shower doors with Windex and then wipe off the Windex with a soft cloth. This will help you remove streaks in and smudges in the glass. There are also a number of other glass cleaners that you could use to do the job as well.
For light buildup on glass shower doors, moisten dryer sheets and use them to cut through soap scum and newer hard water stains. Mr. Clean® Magic Erasers also work really well for removing grime and residue from your shower doors, tile and more.
Simply wipe your Magic Eraser firmly across the glass shower doors with a firm, steady swipe. All it takes is a few wipes to break through soap scum and hard water. Your doors will go from grimy to shiny in no time at all.
Instead, mix some liquid soap with baking soda until it's the consistency of frosting, says Kris Koenig, CEO of Natura Clean. Scrub this eco-friendly cleaner onto the glass shower door with a nonscratch sponge, then rinse with warm water.
Dip some paper towels into the hot vinegar and adhere them to the glass door. The acid in the vinegar should soak into the limescale and loosen deposits. Wait 30 minutes to an hour to allow the vinegar to break down the limescale.
Dawn Powerwash is almost the same as regular Dawn, but it also has rubbing alcohol. This helps it remove more stains. It also spray in a foam, so it's easy to dispense and small amount.
When you learn how to make Dawn Powerwash, you'll be shocked that it only has three ingredients! It's just blue Dawn dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol.
Considering the above analysis of some of the key ingredients of Dawn dish soap, we would have to conclude that no, Dawn is not an environmentally friendly product. It contains one or more ingredients that are potential groundwater contaminants. They can pollute the water system and can harm fish or marine life.
Spray all over the tub and shower and let it sit for a few minutes to a few hours, depending how challenging the job is. Scrub if you need to, but the scum should rub right off. Don't worry about the strong vinegar smell. You will be pleasantly surprised it smells more like Dawn than vinegar!