Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic if Swallowed?

You may have bought a bottle of Dawn dish soap for the first time and wondered ‘is Dawn dish soap toxic if swallowed?’

Dish soaps of Dawn not only make dishes sparkling clean but also remove dirt and debris from other hard surfaces. However, Such a powerful dish cleaning agent is not safe for the human body.

While washing dishes, one or two drops of Dawn may get into your mouth. Or, your kids or pet may drink it since it has an appealing appearance and fragrance. what happens if you drink dish soap water?

To handle such accidental consumption of Dawn dish soap, you need to read this article! Because its can be happen coz we know some dish soap smells well.

Is Dawn Dish Soap Toxic if Swallowed

Is Dawn dish soap toxic if swallowed?

Dawn dish soap contains harsh, non-biodegradable chemicals. It is not toxic if you swallow a tiny amount of it. If you are lucky, you may not feel any discomfort at all.

But is dish soap toxic if swallowed big amount? Yes of course.

However, if you consciously or accidentally drink a mouthful or more, don’t delay seeking medical help.

What does Dawn dish soap have in it?

Dawn dish soap combines both natural and synthetic ingredients except phosphates in its bottle. Those ingredients are – 

  • Water
  • Triclosan
  • Alcohol Denatured
  • Lauramine Oxide
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
  • PPG 26
  • Methylisothiazolinone
  • 1,4-dioxane
  • Glycerine
  • Oils 
  • Dyes
  • Fragrance

What to do if Dawn dish soap swallowed?

The first thing to do after swallowing dish soap is not to panic. Dish soaps are made of ingredients that are not safe for human and animal bodies. If get panicked, product chemicals may react with body chemicals and worsen the situation.

Dawn dish soap or dish soap of any other brand will create physical discomforts if swallowed. You cannot cure them without medical help.

However, before knowing what to do, know what will happen if you swallow Dawn.

Symptoms of drinking Dawn dish soap

At first, you will feel swelling on your lips, tongue, and pain in the throat. Sometimes swelling in the mouth results in difficulty in breathing or swallowing. You may also feel vision loss and/or burning in the eyes, ears, lips, nose, or tongue.

After Dawn has made its way to your stomach, you will experience gastrointestinal distress. Symptoms will be irritation in the digestive tract, abdominal pain, nausea, repeated vomiting (maybe with blood), and loose stool with or without blood.

The included sulfates, oils, and fragrances of Dawn dish soap are not food-grade. This is why your body cannot digest them and tries to push them out in every way possible.

What to do next?

To minimize the discomfort, immediately drink a few sips of plain water to dilute Dawn dish soap. Wait for a while to see whether the condition worsens after drinking water or not. If any new symptoms appear, don’t drink again.

However, if you are already vomiting or faceing difficulty in swallowing, it’s better not to drink water. Don’t induce vomiting by yourself or someone else unless a doctor or a poison expert advises you.

Dish soap ingredients are highly dangerous for open skins. You also must check whether the soap is anywhere on your body. If you have dish soap on your hair, hands, legs, or in your eyes, repeatedly wash the affected area with plenty of water.

Wait, you are not wasting time on these DIY tricks, are you? You must call the local emergency help. Or, if possible, go to the nearby hospital with the dish soap bottle from where you consumed it. 

Doctors will examine you after taking necessary details – your age, weight, how much soap you swallowed, when swallowed, etc. The rest of the treatment is up to them.

Can you die from soap poisoning?

Not really if you receive proper treatment on time, despite the soap being made from harmful chemicals. However, there is no guarantee that treatment will prevent the soap from being lethal. 

In most cases, a few drops of soap or soapy water will do nothing serious. A terribly bad taste in the mouth, smelly gags, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea are all going to happen. These are curable with prescribed medicines.

Toxicity will take its turn from the point when you accidentally or deliberately consumed a mouthful of soap. Before the mild symptoms appear in your body, you will struggle with death. 

Your liver can filter only a tiny amount of soap out of the blood. A large amount of soap will stress it out. If not washed out properly, the consumed soap inside will burn the blood and organs. 

If you ignore the mild symptoms caused by a tiny amount of soap, and don’t visiting a doctor in time, it will cause death to you.

Elder citizens who suffer from soap poisoning often cannot remember exactly when they had the accident or how much soap they accidentally consumed. As a result, they die even before reaching the nearest hospital.

How to get rid of soap poison?

Your doctors will get rid of soap poison by using special instruments. They will check your lungs, airways, food pipe, and stomach to understand the severity of the soap poisoning and wash out the chemical.

If necessary, they may perform internal or external surgeries to treat your soap poisoning. For mild soap poisoning, they will prescribe pain medication and provide necessary advice.

However, if you are a bit aware in advance, it will be easy for you to avoid accidental soap poisoning. Handle the soap bottle carefully when using it so that it won’t spill on your skin or get into your mouth. Here are the steps you can go through:

  • Use a face mask if possible to prevent the soap from entering your nasal holes and mouth.
  • Make sure to place the bottle cap tightly after finishing your task.
  • Don’t leave the bottle on the counter, place it in a high shelf or cabinet so that kids can’t reach it.
  • When the bottle becomes empty, make sure it does not have a single drop left inside.
  • Thoroughly rinse the bottle and throw it away somewhere safe.

FAQ

Does Dawn have formaldehyde?

Yes, it does. In general, soaps and detergents for various purposes have formaldehyde. This element enhances the smell of the product. Dawn dish detergent is scented and it surely contains formaldehyde, even not mentioned in the label.

Is Dawn dish soap toxic to humans?

Dawn dish soap is terribly toxic to humans. It has methylisothiazolinone, which is linked to skin irritation, allergies, skin damage, nerve and liver damage. Moreover, the brand contains groundwater contaminants in its dish cleaning agents. Due to these inclusions, Dawn successfully gained notoriety. Also read about hair.

How much dish soap is toxic?

A few drops, or 1-2 teaspoons, or minimum 2 grams dish soap is not considered toxic. A mouthful amount of dish soap or more than that is lethal to kill a living being.

Verdict

After knowing the answer of ‘is Dawn dish soap toxic if swallowed’, you should use this soap with caution from now on. Since this soap can be lethal, you better store it far away from kids, pets, and elders. Can you know is dawn dish soap safe for cats?

The best solution, or say precaution, is to use a DIY dish soap using baking soda and vinegar. Though a DIY dishwashing soap is not as effective as a commercial one, it is less harsh and safer than the commercial dish soap.

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