This $3 bottle of Dawn dish soap that sits by your kitchen sink can do a whole lot more than just dishes.

This $3 bottle of Dawn dish soap that sits by your kitchen sink can do a whole lot more than just dishes. We know that it cleans oil off animals during an oil spill, but most people don't use it for what it's best at, which is saving you hundreds of dollars in specialty cleaners that you buy at the store. Today we're counting down 15 ways that Dawn soap saves you some serious money. So let's get into it. Number 15, restored dried out paint brushes. If you leave a paint brush out after a weekend project and the bristles freeze rock solid with paint, don't throw it in the trash. Good brushes are expensive and buying chemical solvents ends up ruining the bristles anyway. So instead, fill a small jar or glass with hot water and add a heavy squirt of blue Dawn. Drop the stiff brush inside and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. The soap softens up that dried paint without damaging the brush. Once 20 minutes is up, take the brush out and work the bristles with your fingers and rinse it under warm tap water. The hardened paint will slide right off and your brushes are ready to use again. Number 14, clean grimy wood cabinets. Kitchen cabinets near the stove get covered in a sticky film over time. It's a mixture of airborne grease and dust that turns into a layer that regular furniture polish won't touch. If you use harsh degreasers or abrasive sponges, you can actually strip the finish or peel the paint right off. So mix a tablespoon of Dawn into a bucket of warm water. Dip a soft microfiber cloth in the mixture, ring it out until it's just damp and wipe down the cabinets. The Dawn cuts right through that sticky film without harming the wood finish underneath. When you're done, wipe it down with a dry towel and the sticky residue will be gone. Number 13, stop bathroom mirror fog. Every time you take a hot shower, the bathroom mirror fogs up. And if you try to wipe it with a towel, it just leaves streaks all over the glass. So instead, take a clean microfiber cloth and put one tiny drop of Dawn on it. Buff it across the entire glass until it looks clean again. It will leave an invisible barrier on the surface of that mirror. That barrier stops the steam from clinging to the glass. And the next time you take a hot shower, the mirror stays clear. One application will last you for weeks. Number 12, erase driveway oil stains. If your car or mower leaks oil onto the concrete driveway, leaving an ugly dark stain that sits there forever. So instead of paying a company to come blast your driveway, you can fix this with two pantry items. Mix a quarter cup of blue Dawn with a half cup of baking soda until it forms a thick paste. Spread that paste right over the oil stain and scrub it with a stiff bristled broom. Then let it sit for 30 minutes. The baking soda will pull that oil up out of the concrete while the Dawn breaks down the grease. Rinse it off with a bucket of hot water and the stain will lift right out. Number 11, clean grill and hood grease. If you ever look down your range hood or your backyard grill, you're going to see that thick, sticky grease that's been baked on for months. Scrubbing it with a sponge just doesn't do anything but ruin the sponge. So take a heavy duty trash bag, lay the metal filter or grill grates inside. Add three cups of water and two heavy squirts of Dawn. Then tie the bag shut. Let it sit in the sun for an hour. The trapped heat inside the bag combined with the soap softens up that baked-on gunk. Then open the bag and rinse them off with a garden hose. The grease will wash right off without any heavy scrubbing. Number 10, no chemical fruit fly trap. When fruit flies or gnats take over your kitchen, spraying bug spray near your food is just gross and unsafe. Store-bought traps cost $10 and half the time they don't work anyway. So here's a simple trick that clears them out fast. Take a small bowl or a coffee mug and fill it halfway with apple cider vinegar. Then just add two drops of Dawn on the top. Don't stir it. The flies fly in because they love the vinegar. Normally, that surface tension lets them land and drink without falling in. But Dawn breaks that surface tension. The second a fly touches it, it sinks straight to the bottom and drowns. Let it sit on your counter overnight and your kitchen is cleared out by morning. Number 9, clean outdoor furniture. Plastic, resin, metal patio chairs left out all winter can get covered in mildew and dirt. Pressure washers can gouge the plastic and bleach can ruin the metal finish and make it rust. So mix two tablespoons of Dawn into a bucket of warm water. Dip a soft scrub brush into the mixture and gently scrub over the chairs. Dawn lifts the dirt and mildew right off the plastic pores without damaging the finish. Hose it off with clean water and your patio set looks brand new for just pennies. Number 8, easy gel ice packs. Store-bought gel packs cost $10 to $15 bucks and half the time they don't work anyway. So you can make your own gel pack at home that stays soft every single time. So take a sealable freezer bag and pour two cups of blue Dawn into it. Make sure to double bag it so it doesn't leak and then toss it in the freezer. Because of how dish soap is made, it won't freeze solid into a block of ice. It turns into a flexible gel that molds right around a sore knee, ankle, or even a shoulder. When you're done, toss it back in the freezer and you can reuse it. Number 7, unclog a toilet without a plunger. If your toilet backs up and you don't have a plunger nearby, stop flushing before the bowl overflows. Just pour a half cup of blue Dawn straight into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The weight of that water combined with the slick soap will push the clog right down. There's no mess and no plumber bill. Number 6, deep clean jewelry. Over time, body oils, lotions, and dead skin build up behind rings and inside chain links. It makes good jewelry look cloudy and dull. So instead of taking it somewhere to be cleaned, fill a small bowl with warm water and add a few drops of Dawn. Soak your jewelry for about 5 minutes. Then take an old soft toothbrush and gently scrub behind the settings or through the chain links. The Dawn breaks down the trapped oil and skin, lifting it right off your jewelry. Rinse it off with water and it shines like the day you got it. Number 5, carpet and couch spots. When someone drops greasy food or makeup onto a light carpet or couch, people panic and grab harsh spot cleaners. But a lot of store-bought carpet cleaners leave behind a sticky film that attracts more dirt later. So mix a tablespoon of Dawn into two cups of warm water. Dip a cloth into the mixture and blot it on the stain. Don't rub it in. Dawn breaks down the oils holding the dirt to the carpet fibers. Then rinse the spot with clean water and blot it dry. Number 4, erase shower soap scum. If your glass shower doors are covered with white soap scum, regular glass cleaner won't do anything. So mix one part blue Dawn with one part plain white vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake it up, spray it all over the glass and tile and let it sit for 15 minutes. The vinegar is going to help break down the mineral build-up while the Dawn cuts right through that greasy film. Rinse it off with water and the glass will come out crystal clear. Number 3, save greasy clothes. Getting motor oil or cooking grease on your favorite shirt or pair of jeans usually means it's heading for the trash. Standard laundry detergent is made for dirt and sweat, it can't break down baked-on oil once it's set. So Dawn dish soap is the answer. Just put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt or pant leg so the grease doesn't bleed through to the back. Squirt a few drops of blue Dawn directly on the grease spot and sprinkle a little baking soda right on top. Rub it in with your thumb for 10 seconds. That Dawn breaks down the oil while the baking soda absorbs it and pulls it out. Then toss it in the wash. Number 2, garden pest spray. If soft bugs like aphids are eating your garden plants, you don't need to spray harsh insecticides, especially if you plan to eat some of that. So mix a tablespoon of Dawn into a spray bottle filled with water. Now test a few leaves first because some delicate plants can be sensitive to soap. But once you know it's fine, spray it directly onto the leaves in the evening. That soap will break down the protective coating on the bugs causing them to dehydrate and die. Rinse the leaves with water the next morning and your plants are clear and safe. Number 1, wash off poison ivy. If you've been clearing brush or working in the yard and you know you've come into contact with poison ivy, go straight to the sink or shower and scrub down with blue Dawn. It'll wash that oil right off your skin. Regular hand soaps or body washes are made for dirt and sweat, not oil. But Dawn is a real degreaser. It strips that plant oil right off your skin. Then rinse it off with water and you've saved yourself from weeks of itching.