Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic to Humans, Cats, & Dogs? (The Truth)
Dawn dish soap is an all-purpose cleaner that can be used to wash dishes, windows, and sometimes even pets. But what happens if you accidentally swallow some? Is Dawn dish soap toxic to humans and pets when ingested?
Dawn dish soap is toxic to humans, cats, and dogs if ingested. Accidentally ingesting dish soap can lead to an irritated stomach and symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea. If you, a family member, or a pet accidentally ingests dish soap, contact your doctor or veterinarian immediately.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the possible side effects of swallowing dish soap, what to do if you or a loved one or pet ingests dish soap, and some tips for preventing accidental ingestion in the first place. We’ll also provide a list of safe, nontoxic dish soaps that you can use in your home.
This post contains affiliate links. This means Household Blogger may earn a commission should you make a purchase using any of our links. Please refer to our full affiliate disclosure policy for full details.
Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Although it might seem handy to wash your dog or cat with Dawn dish soap, you really should not, as numerous health risks could end in a trip to the vet. Instead, we recommend using a shampoo specifically designed for your pets’ skin.
Our favorite picks from Amazon:
1. Dog shampoo – pH balanced and soap-free.
2. Cat shampoo – Mild shampoo that does not irritate your cats’ skin.
3. Pet shampoo – Perfect for both dogs and cats.
Toxicity of Dawn Dish Soap to Humans
Dawn dish soap is designed and manufactured to clean our dishes, not to be consumed. Therefore, it is not edible and can lead to health risks if ingested. Let’s discuss this further.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic to Humans?
Dawn Dish Soap is not deadly to humans, but it’s not completely safe either. The Environmental Working Group reveals that this detergent may consist of ingredients that could be toxic.
The EWG organization states that the ingredients in Dawn Dish Soap can not only lead to skin irritation and allergies but acute aquatic toxicity as well, which could lead to issues involving breathing.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Non-toxic?
Dawn dish soap is not a non-toxic product. In fact, it might be categorized as a toxic product. This is due to the ingredients found in Dawn products that could lead to acute aquatic toxicity.
There are concerns related to aquatic toxicity-induced skin irritation or allergies. Dawn also contains methylisothiazolinone, which is a corrosive substance.
When a substance is corrosive, it can cause immediate damage when in contact with the eyes, digestive tract, or skin.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Carcinogenic?
Dawn soap contains dyes that are known to have benzidine, a known carcinogen. When a substance is carcinogenic, it has the potential to cause cancer, so dawn dish soap is carcinogenic.
These dyes are only added for the looks of the product. It offers no cleaning properties and is often banned from other countries because of its carcinogenic ingredients.
These days are usually named after their color, like ‘ yellow-5’.
Is There Formaldehyde in Dawn Dish Soap?
Dawn dish soap does have formaldehyde in it. It is mostly added to enhance the smell of the detergent. Unfortunately, it is also a carcinogenic substance that can be absorbed through the skin, and it’s a respiratory irritant.
Formaldehyde is usually not found in unscented products, but sometimes it is not easy to spot in the ingredient list.
Ingredients you should look out for are bronopol, Diazolidinyl urea, and ethylene glycol.
Does Dawn Dish Soap Have Triclosan?
Dawn does not add triclosan to its detergents due to the FDA banning it under certain conditions. Although, it is a common ingredient in most products as it prevents bacteria growth.
Triclosan has been used for over 30 years in consumer products, even though numerous health concerns have been linked to the ingredient.
For example, the FDA has stated that exposure to triclosan has been linked to decreased thyroid hormones and bacteria resistance.
What Happens if You Accidentally Drink Dawn Dish Soap?
Ingesting any soap detergent can be scary, but it is usually not fatal. Symptoms that you might experience include diarrhea or vomiting. If these symptoms are volatile, you should contact emergency services.
Soap poisoning is common among children as they tend to unintentionally swallow products that are not edible.
If you notice diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, or chemical burns on the skin, you could suspect soap poisoning and seek immediate medical attention.
You might also enjoy our post on Are Artificial Plants Toxic?
Toxicity of dawn dish soap to Dogs
Dogs are more likely to drink dish soap if it spills on the floor or if it is within reach. Therefore, you should always store your dish detergents in a space where your dog can’t reach them.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic to Dogs?
Dawn dish soap and any other household detergent are toxic to dogs because most detergents contain ionic and anionic surfactants. These chemicals can cause the intestines of your pet to become upset.
This can lead to excessive drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea. Detergent poisoning happens when a dog ingests a certain amount of detergent or any household cleaner that can be toxic.
You should contact the vet immediately if you suspect your dog might have detergent poisoning.
Is Blue Dawn Dish Soap Safe for Dogs?
Blue dawn dish soap is not safe for dogs or any other pets. If your dog ingests detergent, you should keep an eye on them for signs of detergent poisoning (excessive drooling, vomiting, or diarrhea).
Blue dawn dish soap should also not be used as a dog shampoo. It contains ingredients that can irritate the skin and eyes of your dog.
It’s always the safest bet to use shampoos specifically designed for dogs.
What if My Dog Licks Dawn Dish Soap?
When dogs lick dawn dish soap, they could develop detergent poisoning, which upsets the stomach and irritates the bowels. Keep an eye out for symptoms and immediately contact your vet if these symptoms appear.
Symptoms of detergent poisoning include vomiting, excessive drooling, and diarrhea.
In addition, if you attempt to wash your dog with dawn dish soap (which we do not recommend), they might lick the soap off their fur – which could also lead to detergent poisoning.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe for Dogs if Swallowed?
Dawn dish soap is definitely not safe for dogs to swallow. Depending on how much your dog has ingested, you should keep a close eye on them or call the vet immediately. Dogs tend to swallow a small amount at a time, which is also toxic to dogs.
If you notice your dog licking Dawn dish soap or any household cleaner, and you’re not sure how long they have been ingesting the detergent, you should immediately contact your local vet for a checkup.
Is Dish Soap Safe Around Dogs?
You should think of dogs like children and keep the dish soap sealed and out of reach. Good storage space for your cleaning products is on a high shelf that your dogs can’t reach easily.
Like children, dogs tend to smell and ingest any strange objects – it’s how they explore the world.
So you should be sure to store your cleaning supplies in a safe area that is out of reach for your dogs.
What Kind of Soap Is Okay for Dogs?
You should not use most shampoos designed for humans on dogs as they have much more sensitive skin that can very easily be irritated. Instead, you can purchase dog shampoo from your local supermarket or Amazon.
Dog shampoo made of natural ingredients should be the ideal shampoo for your dog.
If you do not have dog shampoo on hand, you should use an all-natural, plant-based unscented glycerine.
Which Dawn Soap Is Safe for Animals?
No Dawn soap, or any other dish soap, is safe to use on your dog. Using dish soap could lead to several complications, including skin irritation. In addition, your dog will probably be very itchy and constantly scratch themselves.
The skin irritation could require a vet visit to get antibiotics, which leads to a lot of money that you could have saved.
Some sources claim that you can make homemade dog shampoo. The key ingredient is nontoxic dish soap (Dawn dish soap is not considered a nontoxic product).
Can I Wash My Dog With Dawn Dish Soap?
You should not wash your dog with Dawn dish soap. The pH level of dogs’ skin is different from humans. Using detergent upsets the pH balance, which leads to skin irritation.
Using detergent is bad for a dog’s skin, but it should also not be ingested by dogs. Ingesting dish soap could lead to detergent poisoning.
Even worse is that your dog could have both of these simultaneously.
Will Dawn Dish Soap Hurt a Dog’s Eyes?
Dawn dish soap and most other dish soaps will irritate your dog’s eyes. If your dog gets dish soap in its eye, you should immediately try to rinse it out. Do not scrub the eye. Only rinse with water.
Keep an eye on your dog for any signs of eye irritation like a weeping eye, inability to open, or cloud eye.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should immediately contact your vet and explain the situation.
Is Dawn Dish Soap for Dogs With Fleas?
Technically, you can use Dawn dish soap to remove fleas from your dog immediately. However, we do not recommend using dish soap long-term on your dog as a preventative method.
You should get tick and flea medication at the vet if you suspect that your dog might have fleas.
Using dish soap once or twice to kill fleas might help, but the chances are greater for your dog to have negative side effects like skin irritation, vomiting, or excessive drooling.
toxicity of dawn dish soap to Cats
Cats usually are less to worry about as the smell of detergent does not entice them, but your cat might still accidentally drink dish soap.
What Happens if a Cat Eats Dawn Dish Soap?
Cats (and dogs) who eat dish soap might develop aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that could be deadly if not treated. Although, with treatment, it’s usually not that serious.
If you notice your cat eating dish soap, you should watch them.
If they refuse to eat, consistently vomit, or seem lethargic, you should contact your local vet or take them to your vet’s emergency room.
Will Dish Soap Hurt Cats?
Dish soap can harm cats, even though it’s usually not that bad. They might vomit or have diarrhea and should be fine within a couple of days. It should also not be used as a cat shampoo.
Most people do not bathe their cats, as cats are self-cleaning animals. However, if you feel that you need to bathe your cat, you should not use dish soap.
Dish soap could cause skin irritation or infection. Instead, you should be using cat shampoo.
Can I Use Dawn to Wash My Kitten?
We do not recommend washing your cat with Dawn dish soap. If you do not have a cat or dog shampoo available, you can use nontoxic dish soap, although you should also not use this multiple times.
Dawn dish soap is not a ‘nontoxic’ product as there are carcinogenic chemicals in dawn soap. Other dish soaps are all-natural and do not contain chemicals.
These would be best to wash your cat with.
Related Questions
Can You Use Dawn Dish Soap on Cats for Fleas?
Depending on how sensitive your cat’s skin is, you can use dawn dish soap to kill flea eggs on cats. Cats, like humans, are unique and have different skin sensitivities. Some cats might be extremely sensitive to dish soap, and others not.
If you’re planning on using dish soap to kill flies on your cat, you should first test a batch of fur.
If your cat is constantly scratching, or you see any redness in that area, you can assume that your cat has sensitive skin, and you should not wash their fur with dawn dish soap.
Can I Wash My Cat With Palmolive Dish Soap?
Palmolive dish soap is an excellent detergent for cleaning dishes and can be used to wash your cat. It should not be used often, though, because it might strip the natural oils that your cat needs for a healthy coat.
Luckily, cats do not need to be bathed very often as they are self-cleaning animals. However, if you notice fleas on your cat, you can bathe them with Palmolive dish soap.
Just keep an eye out for any side effects.
What Kind of Soap Can You Wash a Dog With?
It’s recommended to wash your dog with a dog shampoo, but if you do not have dog shampoo available, you could make your own. Here is a recipe for three ingredients that you probably have in your home.
Three ingredients for homemade dog shampoo:
- 2 cups of warm water
- ¼ cup of non-toxic dish soap
- ½ cup of white vinegar
Final Thoughts
Although Dawn dish soap is a staple cleaning product in most homes, it should be known only as a cleaning product.
It’s not manufactured to be a pet shampoo or flea shampoo, so it’s best not to use it for that purpose.
