Thursday, October 01, 2015

Why Does Dawn Dish Liquid Make My Sponge Stink?


I had been using Palmolive and before you ask why I didn't just use the dishwasher...I am the dishwasher. My apartment complex is too damn cheap to have dishwashers in the apartments. 

Anyway, I had been using Palmolive and I received a coupon for $1 off of Dawn so we tried it. I like that it cuts grease better and that I don't have to use as much to get my dishes clean but it leaves my sponges with a really rank odor even after the first time I use it. I've tried washing my sponge out really well after doing the dishes, I tried boiling the sponge, microwaving the sponge and even using a new sponge each week. It doesn't matter what I do, Dawn leaves my sponges and dish cloths with a musty, moldy smell after using it with them. No other dish washing liquid does this to my sponges.


So I left a question on the Dawn FB page and this was their response. 

I know I'm not the only one who has had this question because I "Googled" the question and there are a lot of blog posts, articles and forums about this so it's not just me. I may have to use a different dish liquid now.

Do you use Dawn? Have you noticed this?

47 comments:

  1. It may just be something in the product, which I'm sure they will be aware of -since you mentioned there are several articles out there.

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  2. LOL on their non-answer! I've never used Dawn, because I'm cheap and buy Ajax. I wonder if it's the particular scent you bought or all Dawn?

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    1. I bought three different scents and it happened with all of them.

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    2. It doesn't matter what color or scent you buy! It makes the dish cloth absolutely putrid stinky!My hands even stink after touching the filthy stinky cloth! I don't buy Dawn anymore--PERIOD--it is NASTY!!

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    3. Gary, that is so true.

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    4. I've used so many scents of Dawn and I have the same problem. I think it's time to switch it up

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  3. haha typical PR spin. I never used them and now never will. Don't need moldy smells.

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    Replies
    1. lol I switched back to Palmolive.

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  4. i use only dawn but don't use sponges. i use dishrags.

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if it would happen if I stopped using the sponge.

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    2. And it still stinks! Right???!

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    3. lol Yep, the dish rap started stinking too.

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  5. Weird. I use dawn, and don't have that issue. I do change my sponge every few days.

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  6. Wow! I use Dawn all the time and haven't had that problem, but I have to admit that I'm surprised they responded (or nonresponded so quickly-lol) Hope they can give you a better response soon. Hugs...

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  7. I never use the sponge, I always find they get nasty quick

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  8. I haven't noticed, we use Palmolive and the sponge gets musty smelling eventually

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    Replies
    1. I change my sponge every month when using palmolive.

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  9. I only use a dish rag and I have to change up every couple of days no matter what soap I use. But that's...yeah, not a helpful response. At least it was polite? :)

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  10. Huh that's so weird your sponge stinks after using that brand, especially as it doesn't happen with other brands. I hope they will figure out why that happens. We do have a dishwasher, although I wash some things by hand too and we always have a sponge lying aroung as well.

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    1. I never heard back from them after that.

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  11. I recently figured out that dawn was the issue as well, after using a Target brand dish soap for a while then switching back to Dawn. I used a brand new sponge and dawn and over night the sponge smelled awful. This DID NOT happen with the Target brand. My husband and I even noticed we hadn't experienced a smelly sponge in a while. The Target brand works good so I'll be switching back.

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    1. I stopped using Dawn and went back to Palmolive.

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  12. I cannot use any dish soap because it makes my diah rags smell. .I now use Myers and Clorox dish soap. They do not make my cloths smell !!

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  13. Its the dawn for sure same thing here its just a bad product or our senses of smell are different than others. Switched to sunlight and it smells fine and has the power to cut through grease.

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    Replies
    1. I stopped using Dawn and switched to Palmolive.

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  14. I had read somewhere that the smell is due to the degreasing agent they use.

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  15. I have that happen with Dawn dish soap too.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah it happens with all the scent too.

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  16. I think there is something in it that is breaking down the sponge. I noticed it too, switched years ago to different dish soap. No more smell, and the sponges last much longer as well. Theory: Sponge and dawn are in it together, and you have to buy more sponges because they get destroyed by dawn.

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  17. Wow, I am SO SO psyched to find this thread. My BF uses Dawn, and I can't stand the way it makes his sponges and his whole sink area smell--like mold. We've argued about it! I recently found a half-empty bottle of Dawn under my sink and just figured I'd use it up (not a waster), but now after just one day of use, my sponges smell moldy, too. I boiled them and rinsed everything, and now my hands have a faint odor of Dawn/mold. It's become hard to tell the difference. Why doesn't Dawn fix this?

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    Replies
    1. I don't know but I won't use it anymore.

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  18. Thanks for all your Dawn comments... definitely that detergent ... switched to home brand and No Smell!! Even after 6 weeks!

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  19. I know I'm super late to this post, but after having the problem described (I'm definitely a sponge gal!) and trying all the things to remedy it, I switched to the eco Kirkland brand from Costco. Never had a problem. Then Costco was out of that soap last week so I thought I'd try the Dawn. Problem is back in full force so I googled it and found your post. I'm taking the Dawn back to Costco bc I cannot waste time with this problem and the container is so big that I'm sure it will last a whole year. Thanks for just confirming what I had observed about the smell being associated with Dawn and reminding me I'm not crazy or not a good cleaner.

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    1. Glad I could help. I switched to Palmolive and have no problems now.

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  20. Dawn as well as Joy ate both horrible for leaving the mildew smell on dish rags even in as little as an hour after you are finished with dishes! They are the only two brands I've found that cause this. I have to get a clean rag out every time I wipe anything in the kitchen all day long! It leaves my hands smelling awful and only a little bleach spray will get it smelling clean.

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    1. I didn't know that Joy would do this too.

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  21. I have same problem when using Dawn. So went to different brand no problem

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  22. Yes! I've noticed the same disgusting smell from Dawn, and no other dush soap I've used does that. I had to stop using it

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