While we think of Dawn primarily as a go-to soap to clean our dishes, in case you didn’t know, it’s also the go-to soap to help save wildlife. If you’ve watched any of the commercials where they clean ducklings, you will see that the product is used to help remove grease and care for aquatic animals through its work with the organization the International Bird Rescue.
Someone who admires these efforts is EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. The star, our recent of the ESSENCE cover star, has partnered with the brand because she is an animal lover and adores what they’re doing to save wildlife. She wants to encourage others to get active, by buying Dawn, to help them do this impactful work. In addition to starring in an adorable campaign to make that happen, Hudson spoke with us about her love for the dishwashing liquid, her memories of it growing up, her fondness for wildlife, and how she and her son make use of the product in their home. Here’s what she had to say.
ESSENCE: How did your partnership with Dawn come to be?
Jennifer Hudson: Well, I mean, I feel like we have always been in partnership with Dawn because Dawn has always been a part of my household and my upbringing. But seeing what Dawn has done for the ducklings with the International Bird Rescue and knowing that they’re the fully trusted soap to be able to help the little delicate feathers on birds and ducklings touched my heart. I’m passionate about animals. I have two cats at home. To know that there’s things that can help the wildlife, that’s something that I would love to advocate for and be a part of. Not to mention, I have a 15-year-old son now. He’s the cook in the house, and I’m washing the dishes. So Dawn is there. It just makes sense to my life and his life as well. And I like to do real things that are true to me, and this is one of them.
What are your memories of using Dawn dish soap when you were growing up?
Oh, my goodness. I was a dishwasher. We all had our chores, and washing the dishes and then setting the table for the holiday, that was my job. That was my department. So I got the dishes and had a table set all beautifully for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and New Year’s dinner. I loved doing it. So that’s my fondest memory of using Dawn soap. And I’m a holiday fanatic, so that is embedded in my brain.
What meal do you love to make, but the cleanup is somewhat of a pain? And what dish does Dawn really come in handy with when cooking?
Let’s see. Well, my son and I make pizza together. Vegetable lasagna is another dish where the cheese always sticks in the pan so you have to have something to break that down. And he’s the cook now. So, again, I just do the cleanup. So whatever he’s cooking, I just pull out my superpower: Where my Dawn at? [Laughs]. That’s a part of cooking. My mother used to say, “Now you know, a part of cooking is cleaning up after.” And that’s right.
Why are you a fan of hand-washing dishes?
I like traditional things. I think it’s relaxing, especially when you have a soothing soap like Dawn. It’s almost like a hand massage at the same time, and then it centers me. It’s like you are really nurturing your home when you’re washing your dishes. And it’s something that I feel like I’m contributing to my home when I can wash dishes versus maybe putting them in the dishwasher. And that could be a part of it, too. But it’s more of a connection. And another thing I love doing is mopping the floor. I don’t know which one I like better, washing the dishes or mopping the floor. I’m so serious.
You mentioned that your son cooks. Does your son, who just turned 15, also find himself on dishwasher duty?
Yes, but boys don’t like to wash the dishes as much. It’s interesting because not only do I have my son, a lot of times I have him and seven of his cousins, which are all boys, and they all have a chore. They have to contribute to the house. And I’m like, okay, “So who’s washing the dishes?” And I tell you, it’s so quiet. And it’s like, what is it about the dishes? Didn’t you make them? It ain’t going to wash itself. Somebody got to wash it. Some of ’em like to take out the trash or fix the beds and sweep the floor, but the dishes…But I want to do it when it’s just me and my kid. Like I said, I’m washing the dishes and he’s doing the cooking. That’s teamwork.
You and David are very close. How do you enjoy spending time with him within the home and outside?
I love it. First of all, I’m into whatever my kid is into. As my mother used to say, “As long as it makes you happy, it ain’t harming nobody, and it brings you joy, I’m all for it.” So whatever he’s into, I’m into. Basketball is one of those things. And I’m a basketball mom. So we get in the car, they put me in the backseat of the car, and then the boys, we go to the gym, and they play ball. For me, that’s one way to relate.
I watch a lot of the sports that they watch, which is basketball. We just got together, and my summer dream was to go to a baseball game and I got them to go to two of them with me, and they loved it. So now we want to play baseball. So getting into things that interest them, and also, he’s madly now into music, and so we bond a lot of ways through music. So the other day, he said, “Mom, I want to play you something,” and the best way to listen to music is to get in your car. And we love our sounds. So we drove around for hours just listening to music together. That’s how we bond. And then with the animals, we love animals, and that teaches him character, and it teaches him compassion and responsibility, those life things when it comes to the animals as well. How to be gentle and compassionate.
How do you balance your successful talk show, filming, and everything on your plate with parenthood?
Oooh child. Teamwork. Teamwork, teamwork. Finding that balance. I like to meet myself where I am and find the best way there. It’s a lot going on in one day. I get up in the morning, I drop the kid off at school, and then I go to work, and then I may have a school meeting, or I may have a basketball game to go to, or I may have an appearance to make. And so everything, it has to be interchangeable so I can make it to each and every thing. Sometimes, I’ve flown in from work and had to go straight to a game and the parents are like, “Oh wow, I love how you wear gym shoes but make it look dressy.” But that’s because right after this, I got to go to a meeting, so I got to be able to switch it and go into the next thing. So finding those interchangeable things helps me with my lifestyle and gets me through it.
Is there anything else you’d like ESSENCE readers to know about your partnership with Dawn?
I’m so passionate about my partnership with Dawn. I think what they’re doing is amazing, and I just want to continue to make people aware of it, that they can help Dawn save ducks. And I want them to help Dawn save ducks. I’m sure if they look over, they will see Dawn sitting on their kitchen counter and realize how much a part of their lives it is or how much a part of their homes it is and how traditional it is, and to know that they’re doing amazing things and can contribute to it. And that’s what it’s about. So we can help Dawn save ducks. That’s what I would like to see them continue to do, and I want to be a part of that.
For more information on her campaign with Dawn, check out dawnducks.com.