TikTok swears by Dawn Powerwash, but does it really work? We put this miracle cleaner to the test.
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I Tried the Viral Dawn Powerwash and Doing Dishes Will Never Be the Same
Updated on Nov. 26, 2024
The last thing you want to do after a long day of working, kid-wrangling, exercising and all the other things you squeeze into your day is spend hours in the kitchen cooking up an elaborate meal. Scratch that—the last thing you want to do is clean up said meal, especially if it involves washing dishes by hand. Who wants to spend the night wearily scrubbing burnt-on tomato sauce and greasy melted cheese off all the pots and pans while your couch and a glass of wine call your name?
Fortunately, plenty of brilliant dishwashing products exist to make your life easier (and help you get to that new episode faster). Say hello to Dawn Powerwash—the cleaning spray that’s been all over social media. As someone with a bad habit of leaving dishes in the sink out of pure laziness—and pure hatred of cleaning them—I decided to try out the dishwashing liquid that’s supposed to do all the work for you. Did it live up to the hype? Here’s my honest review of Dawn Powerwash.
What is Dawn Powerwash?
If you haven’t yet heard of it or seen it in stores, Dawn Powerwash is the cleaning brand’s latest and greatest dishwashing product. It claims to be five times faster at cleaning grease than other sprays and liquids. Rather than a squeeze bottle, it comes in a sleek and modern reusable spray bottle that you can easily refill with more Powerwash as needed. The big highlight is that it only requires a spritz and rinse to effectively clean even the dirtiest, greasiest and crustiest dishes.
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Dawn Powerwash
Why is Dawn Powerwash trending?
With more than 95,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s clear that Dawn Powerwash is having a moment. It’s mostly thanks to the phenomenon #CleanTok—aka the craze that is cleaning hacks and videos going viral on TikTok. Tons of influencers swear by the spray. The hashtag #DawnPowerWashSpray has nearly 600 million views, with a plethora of reels all showcasing the genius of the trendy dishwashing liquid. Just like The Pink Stuff and Scrub Daddy gear, it’s one of those Amazon cleaning products that’s well worth the hype.
How We Tested It
I’m a pro at making dishwashing harder than it needs to be. I confess, I let dirty dishes sit and fester until they’re even tougher to clean than they’d be if I had just tackled them right away. So I knew right away that I needed to put the Dawn Powerwash through two tests: crusted-on food and grease.
I first prepped my conditions. That involved leaving my breakfast oatmeal bowl with chunky remnants stuck to the sides in the sink for an entire day, along with a bowl smeared with olive oil. After a few hours of drying, crusting and greasing, the dishes were a glorious mess. It was time to bring out the Dawn Powerwash. (Don’t forget the dishwashing gloves!)
Following the directions, I spritzed each bowl thoroughly, coating the dried-on food and slick oil. While you can wipe and rinse right away, Dawn recommends letting the spray soak on tougher dishes, so I let them sit for about five minutes.
Imagine my surprise when I turned on the hot water, grabbed my sponge, and was able to wipe both the oatmeal and oil off immediately. There was no furious scrubbing, grabbing the steel wool or angry cursing. The food particles and grease rinsed off almost too easily. I was shocked! Pleasantly so, of course. I felt victorious.
Dawn Powerwash Product Features
Right away, I liked the look of the Dawn Powerwash bottle and the fact that it’s a spray—something about that just screams “easy and convenient” to me. It’s less messy than dealing with a squeeze bottle, and I don’t have to worry about leaks or spills. It comes in four scents: Free and Clear, Fresh, Apple and Citrus. I tried the Fresh scent and found it to be very airy and fragrant without being too overwhelming. Plus, there’s something about the blue color that just feels clean to me.
The liquid comes out easily when you pull the trigger without clumping or clogging, so you can cover a large surface area with just one spritz. Note, however, that a little goes a long way. You don’t need to overload your dishes with liquid. In my experience, a single spray on the affected area does the trick.
But above all, get this: You can use Dawn Powerwash for a lot more than just washing dishes. Reviewers say it’s equally handy for cleaning stove tops and common kitchen appliances (like your air fryer). It can even be used on stainless steel.
Pros
- Cuts through tough grease very well
- Smells good
- Versatile
- Quick and easy to use
Cons
- Leaves a soapy and sticky residue if not thoroughly rinsed
- Not practical for washing a lot of dishes at once
What Other Shoppers Had to Say
Thousands of shoppers have chimed in with their own praise of Dawn Powerwash.
“My breath was taken away when a little spritz on the grungy residue left inside metal thermal coffee mugs made the dark stain absolutely disappear,” writes Kindle Customer, adding, “The interior of the mugs is shiny as the day I purchased them.”
Another verified reviewer, Pamela Bennett, said, “This spray is like actual magic; spritz and grease disappears!! I’ve now started giving a light spritz to my every greasy pot, pan and plasticware lunchbox with salad dressing, and am constantly wowed at how this product cuts the oil.”
Powerwash has applications outside of the kitchen, too. Reviewer Paige Menendez writes: “I saw this being used to clean baseboards easier/faster without having to scrub excessively, which is why I purchased this. I love it, I got all of my baseboards spotless so much faster than usual.”
FAQs
How to refill Dawn Powerwash?
If you’ve ever removed the screw top from a bottle, you’re ready to refill your Dawn Powerwash! Simply unscrew the power nozzle from your empty Powerwash, then screw it onto a new refill bottle. Easy peasy!
What not to use Dawn Powerwash on?
According to Dawn, you shouldn’t use Powerwash on the following surfaces:
- Marble
- Wood (not including cutting boards—just rinse thoroughly)
- Treated glass
- Painted, varnished, or coated surfaces
- Precious metals, copper, or sterling silver
- Leather
- Upholstery (again, unless you plan on thoroughly rinsing it)
- Unfinished cast aluminum surfaces and fixtures
Does Dawn Powerwash disinfect?
Dawn Powerwash is not antibacterial. Therefore, it won’t disinfect surfaces.
Why You Should Trust Us
I have more than a decade of media experience, specifically in product testing in the cooking and lifestyle space. As a freelancer for Taste of Home, I write mostly about foodie finds, home and lifestyle goods and cooking and baking utensils that make life easier (and more fun!).
Final Verdict
Washing dishes will never be fun, but Dawn Powerwash at least makes the daily chore a little less tedious. Goodbye, scrubbing and scouring. See ya later, tired arms. And good riddance, greasy, ruined pots. Hello, easy, breezy dishwashing! Similar to the Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner and Keurig cleaning pods, Dawn Powerwash is a lazy cleaner’s dream. Just spray, wipe, rinse and voila—clean dishes with almost zero effort on your part. After trying it for myself, I’m a convert—and so is my husband. It’s something we use nightly in our household, and I foresee it sticking around for a long time.
Where to Buy Dawn Powerwash
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Dawn Powerwash
Dawn Powerwash is available at major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and The Home Depot. Prices start at just $5 for a 16-ounce bottle. Trust us—once you try it, there’s no going back to plain ol’ dishwashing detergent.
