Yellowjacket bodies are insanely tough. I've seen them fly away after multiple hard smacks with a swatter that would have obliterated a fly.
I keep a couple of sturdy cardboard tubes around, for the job of dispatching one if they get in the house. Thick roll of newspaper does it too.
I've sprayed soapy water on a ton of ants to no avail. Unless the jet is strong enough to physically crush them, they just shrug it off. Not sure about the special effects of Dawn, but I'd guess it works best when they actually are drowned in the nest flood.