Dawn Powerwash mixing guide

These stencils help you mark volumetric graduations on your 16 fl oz Dawn Powerwash bottle, allowing you to quickly & easily mix your DIY solution without using measuring spoons. The bottle becomes its own measuring cup.

The main Powerwash stencil features major graduations at 1 fl oz intervals (inner lines) and minor graduations at ½ fl oz intervals (edge notches), up to 16 fl oz. The top edge of the stencil measures 17 fl oz.

The simplified Powerwash-mini stencil features major graduations at 2 fl oz and 3 fl oz (inner lines) for the most common recipe, and minor graduations at ½ fl oz intervals (edge notches). The top edge of the stencil measures 4 fl oz. The 16 fl oz mark is superfluous because it roughly corresponds to the apex of the teardrop shape on the bottle (see photo).

The ergonomic Powerwash-wide stencil features major graduations at 2 fl oz and 3 fl oz (inner lines), and minor graduations at ½ fl oz intervals (edge notches). The top edge of the stencil measures 4 fl oz. This design makes it easy to mark across the entire width of the bottle.

Now, for the recipe:

1. Pour 2 fl oz (4 Tbsp) of Dawn dish soap directly into an empty bottle. Use Dawn Platinum or Dawn Ultra for best results.

2. Add 1 fl oz (2 Tbsp) of rubbing alcohol, taking the volume up to the 3 fl oz mark. Most recipes call for 70% or 91% isopropanol, but I've had better results with 70% ethanol. Or use 2 fl oz of 40% ABV (80 proof) vodka.

3. Slowly fill up to the 16 fl oz mark (or the apex of the teardrop) with your best water. You could use deionized, distilled, filtered, or even plain old tap, as long as it's clean.

4. Cap the bottle (or insert the sprayer), and swirl or invert gently to combine.

Alternatively, work in reverse to avoid the runaway foam bubble overflow problem: start with 13 fl oz of water, add 1 fl oz of rubbing alcohol, slowly add 2 fl oz of Dawn dish soap, cap the bottle (or insert the sprayer), and swirl or invert gently to combine.

Technically, for this non-ideal solution, there is a negative excess volume of mixing: 2 fl oz of dish soap + 1 fl oz of rubbing alcohol + 13 fl oz of water would occupy slightly less than 16 fl oz of volume. By compounding everything in the same bottle and then adding water to the 16 fl oz mark, you would end up with a slightly less concentrated solution than if you'd measured each component separately before mixing. However, this technique saves time and avoids wasting material in the form of measuring spoon residue. Don't worry about it. It'd be fine. You're not doing rocket surgery in your kitchen.