The History of Dawn Liquid Soap
- Dawn was created in 1973 by Procter & Gamble. It joined lemon-scented Joy dish soap in the P&G product lineup. Dawn is the best-selling dish soap, according to a New York Times story that cites Information Resources, a market research firm.
- Surfactant molecules activate in water.Clean water and water bubbles in blue image by Suto Norbert from Fotolia.com
Surfactant is the ingredient that allows for the removal of dirt and grease from a garment. One end of the surfactant molecule clings to dirt and oil. The other end, which loves water, keeps the isolated dirt from returning to the fabric. Natural-occurring surfactants come from plant oils and animal fats. Synthetic surfactants are made from petroleum. - Dawn dish soap is effective in cleaning oil-soaked birds.pelican image by Michael Wuelfrath from Fotolia.com
The International Bird Rescue Research Center discovered in 1978 that Dawn dish soap worked best for removing oil from birds. Later, Dawn began donating product and money for environmental cleanup of oil spills.
