What Happens If You Mix Bleach And Dawn Dish Soap?

If you appreciate having a spotless house and enjoy scrubbing everything from top to bottom, you've probably spent some time searching online for clever cleaning hacks to give your standard products an extra boost. Most of us already know you shouldn't mix harsh cleaners like bleach and ammonia together due to the chemical reaction. But what about adding a gentle cleanser like Dawn dish soap to bleach when deep cleaning your house?

Since Dawn doesn't contain ammonia or other ingredients that emit toxic gases, you would think it wouldn't be dangerous to mix it with bleach. However, just because it might technically be safe doesn't mean it's a good idea. As a general rule, you should never mix any type of household cleaners together.

Beyond the safety of it all, mixing dish detergent and bleach is actually pretty useless despite what social media videos suggest. Detergents are surfactants. They clean dishes and surfaces by trapping oil, grease, and lifting dirt away. Bleach is an oxidizer that steals electrons from other chemicals. When you combine it with dish soap, it destroys the composition of the detergent and cancels out its ability to fight grease. Instead of getting a boosted cleaner, you're left with something completely ineffective.

Dawn is marketed as an incredibly gentle cleanser. It's mild enough to wash family pets and clean oil and grease from wildlife. In fact, Proctor and Gamble donates Dawn detergent to the International Bird Rescue and other wildlife rehabilitators to help with oil cleanup efforts. It also works well on household surfaces throughout your home, including glass windows, stainless steel appliances, ceramic bathroom tile, and natural stone countertops.

Even though it's gentle, Dawn isn't chemical free. It contains ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate and methylisothiazolinone, which can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation in some people. Bleach is an extremely harsh cleaner. It's designed to destroy bacteria and strip away tough stains. It weakens wood fibers, can cause rust on stainless steel, ruin the finish on natural stone like marble and granite, and break down tile grout. When you mix these two products together, you risk unexpected reactions that can severely irritate your skin.

Bleach by itself can also be dangerous when it's used in a poorly ventilated area. The fumes can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, and if you breathe them in for too long, it can even cause respiratory issues and lung damage. If you're starting to think twice about using bleach at all, you do have options. Dawn Platinum is a bleach-alternative dish soap specifically formulated for those who want a safer way to clean without the toxic chemicals. Add it to your list of cleaning supplies you really need.