I can't go back to traditional dish soap after trying Dawn's new dish spray

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• Dawn's Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray ($5) is the first dish spray of its kind.
• The spray nozzle deposits suds directly onto your dirty dishes, rather than your sponge.
• I found it to be more effective, easier to use, and less wasteful than liquid soap.

When I first learned about Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, the first dish spray of its kind, I was surprised it didn't exist already. Many household cleaners, including disinfectant and window cleaner, come in a handy spray bottle, but why not dish soap?

Here's how the Dawn Dish Spray works

The spray makes washing your dishes more convenient, plus it prevents you from overusing and wasting soap. All you have to do is point the spray nozzle of the 16-ounce bottle at your dish, press down, and watch as a healthy amount of suds are dispensed onto your dirty dishes. The soap cuts through grease and stuck-on food well, plus you don't need additional water to activate the bubbles.

I found the process faster and more enjoyable (if I can call washing dishes enjoyable) than taking out my large bottle of liquid soap, opening the cap, and carefully pouring a bit onto my sponge (I usually pour too much and end up wasting soap).

The spray form also makes it easier to clean things like bottles with hard-to-reach corners, since it can evenly disperse the soap suds.

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Cons of the dish spray

The spray is more expensive than its traditional liquid soap counterparts. For $5, you can get either 16 ounces of Dawn dish spray or 40 ounces of the brand's regular liquid soap. I think it's worth it to spring for the dish spray, though, because of the time, effort, and amount of soap saved. In the end, it took me about the same amount of time to get through a bottle of the dish spray as it would a bottle of liquid soap.

If you're sensitive or allergic to common cleaner ingredients, you might have to steer clear of this spray. It contains some ingredients, such as ethanolamine, that the EWG flag as human skin allergens.

Can't I just DIY this?

Nope. I tried to hack liquid Dawn soap by sticking a spray nozzle in the bottle, and it didn't work. The soap didn't come out sudsy, and it was thicker than the Dawn Dish Spray.

The spray formula is more concentrated than Dawn's other formulas, which would explain the texture difference and why it cuts through grease well.

The bottom line

I love using this clever and practical spin on dish soap, and even though it's a bigger upfront cost (plus you need to buy soap refills ($4 each), I find it more convenient to use than liquid soap. In the end, it's still only $5, so it won't hurt to try it.

Shop the Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray below