Does Dawn Cause Smelly Sponges And Dish Cloths?

I've gotten lots of reviews and experiences from readers lately, all sharing how Dawn has caused smelly sponges, dish cloths and rags.


This seems to be a relatively new phenomenon, since many also report that this didn't use to happen, and they've been using this dish soap for years.

However, there may be some formulation change, or perhaps its the antibacterial nature of some of the soap versions, but something is giving kitchen and cleaning sponges as well as dish rags an odor described as stinky, musty, or smelly.

Of course, you should wash your dish rags and cloths regularly, and really old ones will begin to stink if they haven't been washed often enough. In addition, sponges can harbor lots of bacteria so you should clean sponges regularly, such as in the microwave or dishwasher.

However, this phenomenon of stinky sponges and dish rags seems to occur almost immediately when you use Dawn dish soap, as opposed to building up over a couple of days -- so its most likely something in the soap instead of a build up of odor causing bacteria.

I'm still trying to research a cure for this problem, besides washing your dish rags and cloths daily, and cleaning and changing our your sponges often, or switching to a new dishwashing soap brand. (You can try a dish soap that is designed to keep your sponges smelling fresh, for example, like Palmolive Dish & Sponge Fresh which several people have reviewed at the link, although it has now been discontinued.)

Have you experienced smelly sponge syndrome with Dawn? If so, I'd love to hear from you, including what exact scent or formulation you're using that seems to trigger the problem. In addition, if you've got a cure for this problem, please share it with us all! I know many people are interested! You can share your experiences and/or cures here.

***Update: I've experienced this exact problem myself when trying out Dawn Direct Foam (click the link to read my review and problem)! ***End Update

Dawn Dish Soap Leaves Stinky Smell On My Sponge Or Dish Cloth

by Sylvia
(MI)

Sylvia shared a problem she's having when using Dawn dishwashing liquid.

Sylvia says:

I love Dawn liquid detergent for its cleansing power. I can use a lot less than other brand to clean the same amount of grease.

The big puzzle is that Dawn leaves a stinky smell on my sponge or dishcloth.

I tested this a couple of time by changing to a new sponge and using different liquid detergent (Palmolive). That bad smell was gone.

Once I switch back to Dawn, there's a bad smell again. I hope Dawn's R&D can fix this problem.

Taylor says:

Sylvia, sorry to hear you're having this trouble with this dishwashing liquid.

Has anyone experienced anything similar with this or any other soaps, and if so, do you have any suggestions for Sylvia of what to do about it?

I would normally think the smell was coming from an old sponge, since they can get stinky after using them for a while if they're not properly cleaned. However, I'm not sure that is your problem, in this instance, since you say you switched to a new sponge.

Hope you can figure it out soon! Otherwise, check out the reviews of other dishwashing soaps here so you can hopefully find a new one that works as well as Dawn, but doesn't have that unpleasant odor for you.

Photo by the Original Muddog

It Finally Dawned On Me Why My Sponges Smelled So Bad! (Pun Intended!)

by SR101 Reader

SR101 Reader says:

I happened to be reading the reviews about this soap and I finally realized why my sponges smelled so bad.

I had no idea. I thought that it was because I had left them without rinsing them or they hadn't had enough air circulating around them.

I have never had this problem before using Dawn.

Taylor's note: Picture courtesy of a reader, Keone, who said, "Dawn, Apple blossom does cause smelly sponges! Trust me!"

I Think Dawn Stinks Too

by SR101 Reader

In response to the review above where Sylvia shared her opinions about Dawn leaving behind a bad smell, another SR101 Reader wrote in to agree with her.

SR101 Reader says:

I have tried numerous Dawn soaps and they all leave a nasty smell on my hands as well as the sponge.

It is not a matter of using an old sponge, it is the soap itself.

I had used Dawn before (years ago) and didnt have this problem. I started using Palmolive and I like it but it's expensive so I bought a few bottles of Dawn (in different fragances) and they ALL leave that nasty smell. Very disappointed. I went back to Palmolive.

Taylor says:

Thanks for sharing your opinion and experience with me.

I'll confess I've used this dish soap quite a number of times, but never really noticed this issue. Next time I buy it again though, I'll pay more attention.

I'd love to hear from even more people sharing their experiences with this brand of dish soap, or any other, telling me what you like, or don't about it, and why.

Photo by bimurch

Dawn Makes My Sponges Smell Moldy

by Heidi

I have had problems with all variants of Dawn dish soap as well in regards to it making my sponges moldy.

There is only one which hasn't and that's the direct foam.

I just checked ingredients and the direct foam is the only one with alcohol denat in it (basically like rubbing alcohol), but I have no idea if that's why it doesn't make everything smell moldy.

I have been using Palmolive and then I'm going to try some natural brands.

I would say it was the pH of the soap doing it, as mold likes more acidic enviornments, but Palmolive is on the acidic side too.

It's just weird.

All I know for sure is Dawn makes my sponges moldy, and if you touch the moldy sponge to anything, the odor transfers, even to hands, and it stinks. The odor is hard to get rid of. Yuck.

Dawn Makes My Sponges Smell Horrible!!!

by SR101 Reader

I was using the Dawn Original Concentrated dish soap (the blue one).

At first, I thought maybe my sponges were not rinsed out or dried properly, but they still dried with a nasty moldy disgusting smell.

Then, after cleaning the same sponges with a different dish soap brand (Ajax) and very hot water, the smell suddenly went away that same day.

I think the makers of Dawn need to be aware of this. Maybe there is an ingredient in the soap that creates an unpleasant smell, or encourages the growth of bacteria.

I wish someone can do research on this, as I'm curious to know.
As for now...I will buy other dish soap brands. ;)

Photo by puuikibeach

I Can't Stand The Smell Of My Dishcloth!!!!

by Kris

I too am having "issuse" with Smelly Dishcloth Syndrome.

I have been using Dawn for as long as I can remember. Right now, I have the ultra concentrated original scent Dawn dishwashing liquid.

I can't even go 2 days after doing dishes without the cloth smelling so bad it needs to be washed. It smells like it was left in the washer for 2 days in 100 degreee heat!! Very NASTY.

I kept thinking it was the quality of dishcloth I was buying, but after stumbling upon this site, I'm having second thoughts!

I don't want to change, but am going to to see if the problem goes away. :(

Photo courtesy of erix!

I'm Throwing It Out & Going Back To The Cheap Stuff

by SR101 Reader

In the past, I have noticed a fuel-oil type smell on my hands and sponges and never knew why.

It went away and it was always puzzling to me but I forgot about it when it went away.

At some point, I inadvertently stopped using Dawn for other reasons a couple of years ago and recently bought some.

Now I notice the fuel-oil smell, and have just now connected it up to this brand of soap.

So today, I googled 'dawn dish soap leaves funny smell on hands' and saw your news on the subject.

It must be the degreasing agents that some other cheaper brands don't have.

I'm throwing it out. Anything that smells that bad CAN'T be good. Going back to the cheap stuff.

It Not Only Makes Sponges Smell But Also My Fingers

by Chris
(Las Vegas )

I was looking for a solution to the smell of my sponges, even though I replace them frequently, and saw that Dawn detergent seems to be a common cause of this.

Funny, I really noticed it when I switched to Dawn because I was tired of the giant jug of another brand that I had been getting from Costco.

Now I see that my initial impression may have been right, so no more Dawn for me.

I am tired of my fingers smelly funny after washing dishes in clean, hot water.

I Think Dawn Is Causing Stinky Dish Cloths Too!

by Rene

Wow! I accidently came across this "smelly" conversation!

Just a few weeks ago I was talking to my family about the funky odor on our dish cloths.

I make sure I rinse the dish cloths thoroughly and I wash the rags frequently, but in a day or two it never fails...the smell is there again!

The smell even stays on my hands after I've washed out the rag and dried my hands. Yuck!

I believe it has something to do with the formula also. I will no longer be using Dawn "Apple Blossom" Antibacterial. Are other different Dawn dish detergents smelling too?

Taylor says:

Rene, thanks for telling me which variety of the dish soap you're using that is causing the smell.

Some people have suggested it is the antibacterial versions, but others are using the regular blue Dawn version, which isn't antibacterial, and say it stinks too.

Let's all share which exact scent and variety we're noticing this problem with, to see if it is just a few scents, or all of them!

Dawn Antibacterial Dish Liquid Caused Moldy Smell On My Sponge

by SR101 Reader

An SR101 reader also shared her experience with this product.

SR101 Reader says:

We always used Palmolive or another brand, but recently my husband got Dawn Antibacterial on sale.

Actually, first, I got Dawn ultra concentrated dish liquid to make some bubble solutions for kids. It's supposed to make great bubbles.

That's when my kitchen sponge started smelling moldy.

I didn't know why, so I threw it away and used a new sponge, and it got stinky again and again.

I was extra careful about drying them and everything.

So I googled it to find out what's up and how to deal with it. Then I saw some people mentioning about the same problems. It was the soap!!!

I am going to get rid of the soap. I din't like the fact it's antibacterial too....so toxic.

I would rather eat dirt than toxic chemicals...

Taylor says:

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I also got another similar quick review from another reader, Sarah Rath from New Orleans.

Sarah says:

Dawn has something in it that caused sponges to have a disgusting moldy smell within 24 - 48 hours. It makes you want to throw them away.

One might think the makers of Dawn sell sponges too.

Photo by Horia Varlan

Thought I Was Going Crazy But It Does Make My Dish Cloth Smell!

by Shelley M.

Shelley says:

I seriously thought I was losing my mind.

I have used Dawn for years but in the last year or so I have noticed even after 1 use with a fresh cloth it smelled weird!.

We have a water softner and I though it was because the salt was low...but nope!

Then I switched dish detergents and I didn't have this problem.

It saddens me because I love Dawn. But I can not stand the smell of those dish cloths!

Although I am happy to know I am not nuts like my hubby thinks I am!

Taylor says:

Thanks for sharing your experience Shelley.

You're not the only reader who has told me they thought they might be going crazy because they couldn't figure out the smell. Another reader shared with me:

I like the soap. My wife is named Dawn so it fun to say Dawn always does the dishes even when I'm the one who gets the dish pan hands. :)

Every time I use the stuff the sponge smells nasty though. I can't tolerate the smell.

I wish they would find a way to fix the problem.

Also, thanks for this forum, I thought I was alone on this!

Dawn Mediterranean Lavender Scent Also Makes Sponges Musty

by Lorraine
(Glendale, CA)

I just did a Google search on what makes a sponge musty and smelly, and came upon this site, along with several others.

Having just "nuked" my sponge in the microwave before finding this site, I now realize that it's the Dawn that's making it smell, not because it's dirty or old or whatever.

What a shame, because I really like Dawn and the lavender scent, and I don't want to stop using it.

But, I will, because that musty smell is horrible, and, constantly tossing sponges is money down the drain.

The manufacturer needs to be made aware of this. I'm sure they would take steps to eliminate it.

Dawn Still Stinks In 2013

by David G.

It's been a couple of years now that this smell problem surfaced, first with Dawn plus power scrubbers.

The stink sticks to sponges, cloths, and worst your hands and it is hard to get rid of the lingering stink from you hands.

Our visiting family thought we let our cloths get smelly from lack of cleaning them. NOT!

So now it's 2013 and things may have changed so I decided to try Dawn Ultra bleach alternative last night, sold by the 5 minute power soak marketing glurg and the sale price and coupon.

It did not take long for the stench to start. Everything is stinking again.

If I recall last time even washing the dish cloth there was still a remnant of stench.

Called customer support who said they do get a few reports of this. But not a lot.

Perhaps it is usage. However we don't leave the sponge or cloth soaking. We rinse and wring and hang up the cloth. A few hours later it stinks.

They will send coupons for Ivory, and Dawn to try a different version beside the Power Lift

In the meantime as I told them I will be back to Palmolive for now.

I Never Smelled Anything But My Mom & Sisters All Have!

by Jill
(Milwaukee, WI)

Funny thing is I have not smelled anything, however, my mother and sisters all stopped using Dawn dish detergent due to the fact they said their dishcloths STUNK.

I thought they were crazy and I kept using Dawn.

My mom was in town and staying at my house. When in my kitchen getting a glass of water she immediately could smell my dishcloth, since it was on the sink.

Right away she commented about the smell and told me I must be using Dawn, which I was.

She went out and brought me different dish detergent. I did not smell anything but I do not have a good sense of smell.

I tried looking up other people's thoughts about this, and found your site....thus reason for this post.

I'm not convinced it is the Dawn that causes the smell they are referring to, but for years my sister couldn't figure out why she gets the smell in the dishcloths she has...trust me, she is a cleaning freak, until she switched her soap. BIZZARE.

I love using Dawn....especially as a spot remover on clothes.

Blue Dawn Power Clean Dishsoap Is Stinky!

by SR101 Reader

I'm so glad that others are experiencing the same problem!

I usually buy the big jug of Palmolive from Costco but they were out so I ended up with a big jug of Dawn Power Clean (the blue one) and it makes my dish water, my sponge and my hands smell awful!

It kind of seems like the longer I use it the worse it gets.

I know it's not the sponge's fault because it was brand new when I started using the Dawn.

I zap my sponge in the microwave but it barely helps.

And this Dawn is supposed to be extra strong with overnight soaking power in 5 minutes, but I soaked a jar for about half an hour and the jar now smells like stinky sponge even after repeated washing. So gross!

Original Blue Dawn Causes Problem Too

by Lola

I thought I was going crazy until I Googled "Dawn and smell on dish cloths," and see it's happening to others.

I'm using the ultra concentrated original scent, not antibacterial, and it makes my sponge and dish cloth smell awful.

I tried the "Ajax" brand (only because Consumer Reports rated it very high) and NO SMELL.

A year went by, I'm thinking maybe Dawn changed their product, just bought some and ONE day later the stinky smell is back on my dish cloth - and it stays on my hands as well.

Wasted 2 bucks - it's going in the garbage.

Yep, Dawn Kills Your Sponges

by SR101 Reader

Yes, it's definitely the Dawn.

We used Dawn at our restaurant for years (the blue stuff.) I used the perfume and dye free at home (see picture above).

A couple of years ago I started going through sponges at an alarming rate, even though I am meticulous about keeping them rinsed and dried.

After the mildewy, rotten food smell started I put the sponges in the dishwasher, soaked them in vinegar, microwaved them, boiled them, ran them through the laundry, etc. --- still smelly sponges.

It stopped when I switched to a different dish soap.

I had to buy an emergency bottle of Dawn at a convenience store during a camping trip last year, and my camping sponge was stinky by the next morning.

It's the Dawn, it's something new in the formula, and it happens even if you don't use the anti-bacterial formulations.

It Never Dawned On Me It Could Be The Soap!

by John
(St. Paul, MN)

We've been having a problem with very smelly dishcloths for years.

I know we used to not change them for several days. But with the stinky cloth issue, we changed every day in the morning. And by the evening wash, just a bad smell again. Bad.

About a week ago, being just fed up, because I thought it was something we were doing, just for the heck of it, I thought to try different soap.

I changed to Palmolive....and voila....NO more stinky cloth.

We had been using Dawn. It never 'dawned' on me it could be the soap.

Dawn Leaves My Dishcloth Stinky!

by Holly

Holly has also made a similar observation about how Dawn effects her dish cloths.

Holly says:

I have been noticing that my dishcloth smells musty/icky....like it needs to be washed just one day after I have gotten it out fresh.

This never used to be a problem.

I could use a dish cloth for 3 days at least before it smelled "musty" and icky.

Since I have been using Dawn antibacterial dish soap I notice that my dishcloths ALWAYS smell bad very very quickly.

Taylor says:

Thanks Holly for sharing your experience.

As you can see, there have been several readers who've all experienced this phenomenon, so I'd think its not coincidence.

Seems strange though, doesn't it?

I'd love to hear from even more people who've noticed this issue, sharing exactly what scent and type of Dawn they were using when they noticed this problem.

Plus, I'd love to be able to share solutions with you of how to solve this stinky problem. Please share your experiences or suggestions for fixing the problem here.

Obviously, one way to fix this problem is to switch to another dish soap brand. If you're interested, I've got lots of dishwashing soap reviews from readers that you can read to find a new brand for you. (Feel free to add your own review too for your favorite brand!)

Photo by Alexanderpf

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