Uses Of Soap – A Growing List Of Practical Uses
Did you know that there are quite a few other uses of soap?
(Add more of your own unique uses to the list)
To a chemist, soap is what you get when you boil down the sodium salts of fatty acids.
To you and I, it’s just soap – known mostly for removing dirt from grimy hands or washing clothes or dishes.
Did you know that there are lots more uses of soap?
First, a tip. I have been using the following liquid soap for many years. It is absolutely the best soap for cutting grease. Dawn Ultra Platinum. I keep a big refill jug of it too. Let me know if you find anything better than this…
DAWN ULTRA PLATINUM
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List: Uses of Soap
Keep your fingernails clean: While you’re working in the garden or potting plants, scrape your fingernails over a bar of soap to collect slivers underneath them. This will prevent dirt from caking under your nails and the soap washes out easily.
Keep bugs off plants: Soap works as an insect repellent and can protect your plants from being eaten by bugs. Mix soap with water until it’s sudsy, then put the water solution in a bottle and spray the underside of plant leaves.
Relieve itchy bug bites: Rub the bites with a dampened bar of soap for instant itch relief. It also helps keep the bites clean.
Keep your clothes fresh: Place bars of soap in closets, drawers, suitcases, and bins where you store your clothing. It’ll also repel bugs and prevent musty odors.
Remove stains from fabric: Rub a damp bar of white soap over stains, then wash the clothes
Mark a hem: Instead of using store-bought marking chalk, use a sliver of bar soap to draw a line for a hem. It washes out more easily than chalk.
Garden bug repellent: Place a bar of soap in your garden to keep pests away.
Household bug repellent: Mix soap and water and place in a spray bottle and spray around your home to rid your house of spiders and bugs.
Spray ant trails: Use Dr. Bonner’s Pure Castile Peppermint Soap and dilute with water to spray.
Wasp spray: You can mix almost any amount of liquid soap with water in a spray bottle. A good solid long squirt in the bottle, then fill with water. Swoosh it around to mix it up. Spray on wasps/nests.
Rid your house of fleas: Place some liquid soap in a bowl mixed with water under a light and it will attract fleas and they will drown.
Zippers: Loosen stuck or rusty zippers by sliding some bar soap up & down the zipper.
Detect gas leaks: Mix a solution of water and soap and rub along pipes, if it bubbles, you found your leak.
Find leaks in tires, tubes: Don’t forget to use it around and on the valve stem, too.
Soot prevention: If you’re planning a cook out using a cast iron pot, rub a bar of soap over the bottom of the pot before you set it over the open flame. The soap will make for easy cleanup, as the soap will prevent the soot from accumulating.
Halt squeaks in floorboards: work a little moist soap into the cracks between the boards.
Loosen a tight ring: Rub soap over the finger. The ring will slide off when the hand is washed.
Loosen a stiff door lock: Lubricate the key by rubbing it with soap.
Keep eyeglasses from steaming in cold weather: Rub both sides of each lens with soapy fingers, and then polish.
Deer and Rabbit Repellent: Irish Spring Soap works as ‘deer repellent’. Cut the bar soap into pieces / shavings, and place them in nylon stockings to hang in strategic areas.
[ Read: How To Keep Deer Away ]
Smelly sneakers, boots or shoes: Simply place a wrapped bar of the soap in your shoes, sneaker or boots and leave overnight. They will be fresh smelling by morning.
Make your own hydrating shave lotion: Mix together a solution of one part hot water and one part grated bar soap.
Make sliding glass doors slide easier: Rub soap on the bottom track of sliding glass doors.
Helps a sewing needle go through fabric easier: Stick needle into soap.
Disperse gas/oil sheen on water: Got a boat? Use Lemon Joy to squirt on an oil spill or gasoline spill to disperse the sheen.
Restless leg syndrome: Place 3 bars of ivory soap in a net laundry bag and place it under between the sheets at your feet.
Quiets squeaky belts on cars: Apply to belts.
Oil spots on garage floor: Make a 50:50 solution of Dawn Dish washing Soap, apply to oil spots. Wait a few hours and wash with water.
Mouse trap bait: They apparently love it…
Temporarily stop a small gasoline leak: Rub bar over leak while using pressure to fill hole/crack.
Get worms out of the ground for fishing: Make a solution of soap and water and pour on the ground. Wait for the worms…
Poison Ivy Cleaner: Use Fels Naptha bar soap to wash poison ivy. Best within 1 hour of exposure. Use cool water.
Make your own laundry detergent: Use Fels Naptha, Borax powder, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.
[ Read: How To Make Laundry Detergent ]
Clean up a potty mouth: How many of you have had your mouth washed out with soap when you were young?
Lather up before greasy work: Prior to working with greasy/oily machinery, lather up with soap, wipe off excess, but don’t rinse. Makes for easier cleanup afterwards.
Soap on wood screws: Rub on wood screws and they will go into with about half the effort compared to dry screws.
Stuck Drawers: Rub soap on the slides of old stuck drawers for easier open and close.
Faster skis, sleds, toboggans: Rub soap on the bottom or runners for a faster ride down the hill!
Soft hands like Madge: Blast from the past: PALMOLIVE “Palmolive softens hands while you do the dishes” “You’re soaking in it!”
[ Read: How To Make Your Own Liquid Dish Soap ]
Have your own tips and uses of soap?
