Ever wonder why Dawn soap is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.

Liquid soap requires five times more energy to produce and nearly 20 times more energy to package, and, we use about seven times more liquid soap than bar soap for each hand wash. Even though we tend to use about 30 percent more heated water washing with bar soap, it was still the environmental winner.

Materials are usually deemed biodegradable if they break down to at least 90% H2O, CO2 and biomass within 6 months. Biodegradable soap is NOT biodegradable when it ends up in a waterway.

Even the simple task of washing dishes can have an impact on the environment. For starters, many dishwashing detergents contain phosphate – it’s a naturally occurring substance, but if too much of it gets into waterways, algae and phytoplankton feed on it and reproduce in massive numbers; causing an algal bloom.

It’s pretty simple — just like they do on food particles that are stuck to your dishes in the sink, the combination of hot water and dish soap help to dissolve and break up whatever it may be that is lodged in the toilet causing a clog. This handy tip is great should you find yourself in a pinch.

In Ivory dish liquid, methylisothiazolinone is used primarily to stave off bacterial growth. Methylisothiazolinone was once suspected to be a neurotoxin, causing cell damage, but testing by regulatory agencies has shown the product to be safe for humans.

That’s right: Grab your dish soap and a broom, and you might be as pleasantly surprised as we were to learn that Dawn is apparently just as effective at banishing bathtub scum as it is at removing all that grime and grease from your dishes and pans.

TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER Spray on your tub and shower walls, allowing it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing away. This will even take care of the bathtub ring. Let it sit on your shower floor overnight and scrub the gunk away in the morning.

She says the reason Dawn is so good at cleaning birds without hurting them is that it was designed to erase grease from dishes without harming hands. The exact formula is a secret, but she says the key is balancing the surfactants — the chemicals that cut the grease.

To unclog drains: pour blue Dawn dish soap down the drain, followed by boiling water. The Dawn cuts grease build up to get things moving, again. Find this Pin and more on Tricks of the Trade by Wranglers and Ribbons.

Using WD-40: The good part about using WD-40 is that it gets right under the build-up and muck, and breaks it down, which helps clear the drain. In addition, WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds, so even if there is internal rusting in the pipes, this should resolve that issue as well.

Use DIY pipe clearing solution Pour at least one tablespoon of salt into your bathroom drain followed by ¼ cup of plain white vinegar, and let it sit for an hour. Then, run hot water to clear out the loosened substances from the drain. For best results, do this a second time.