Castile soap is a delightful, multi-use product whosehistory stretches back thousands of years to the Castile region of Spain (hence the name).
The story goes that, after millennia of use in Syria, Crusaders encountered caravans of the stuff being transported along the Silk Road. The Crusadersthen promptly took some back with them to Europe, where they recreated the formula for manufacturing at home.
There’s a reason we are still using Castile soap today: the soapmade from pure, high quality oils like olive oil andlaurel oilis as effective as it is gentle, and its uses are abundant.
Plus, Castile soap is vegan! Most traditional soaps are made from animal oils and fats; this one is veggie oil only. If you haven’t tried Castile soap yet, you really must!
Ready to dive in? Let me show you what liquid Castile soap can do.
20 Creative Uses for Liquid Castile Soap
Beauty & Hygiene
1) Wash your face.
Use a couple of drops of Castile soap as a face wash! The product will not strip your face of its natural oils, but will remove any dirt and grime sitting there. Add essential oils if you’d like to customize.
2) Use as shaving cream.
Lather a few drops of Castile soap on your legs then shave as you normally do. No nasty chemicals here; just pure, vegetable goodness.
3) Wash your young children’s hair.
When kids are young, their bodies don’t produce enough oil to really need conventional shampoo. Just lather a drop or two of unscented, Castile soap with water to remove daily grime and rinse as usual. Transition to shampoo as they get older.
4)Make a soothing foot scrub.
Mix together 1 Tablespoon liquid Castile soap (peppermint or unscented) with 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, 3-5 drops Tablespoon peppermint extract, and 1 cup of white sugar. Combine well, then transfer to an airtight container. Scrub feet, rinse and pat dry, then pop on some socks to keep the moisture in!
5)Cleanse as a body wash.
Mix 4 Tablespoons of liquid Castile soap with 4 Tablespoons of Raw honey. Add 2 Tablespoons of another oil (I recommend olive oil), and 10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice. Carefully mix together without creating bubbles, then add into your body wash container.
In the Kitchen
6) Rinse the skins of fruits and veggies.
Swish around a few drops of liquid Castile soap into a bowl full of lukewarm water. Let the produce soak in the mixture for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse them off.
7) Cleanse the countertops.
Homemade all-purpose cleaners are a breeze to make when you have Castile soap on hand. Just fill your spray bottle a quarter of the way full with white distilled vinegar, add water to the top, then add a squirt of Castile soap. Add essential oils if you like.
8) Mop hard floors.
Add 1 Tablespoon of liquid Castile soap to a gallon of hot water. Mop with this and your floors will come out squeaky clean and shiny! Add a few drops of orange essential oil for added shine.
9) Scrub the sink.
Sinks, tubs, faucets, you name it! This little mixture is all you need.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of baking soda with 1/2 cup liquid Castile soap, then add a few drops of essential oil (I recommend grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil) for a paste that behaves like your traditional Soft Scrub. Just add a little dollop to a clean, damp rag, and clean away.
10)Make homemade dishwasher soap.
Around the House
11) Wash your dog’sfur.
Get your dog wet, then massagea couple of squirts of peppermint Castile soap into the fur until it is lathered. Rinse with warm water and be careful not to get it in their eyes and ears!
12) Scrub the toilet.
For a quick toilet bowl touch-up, just toss in a few drops and scrub as you normally would.
13) Make foaming hand soap.
Have an empty foaming hand soap dispenser? Just fill it with three parts boiled water and one part liquid Castile soap. Shake gently. Add essential oils if you like!
14) Wash the dishes.
While it will not lather like normal dish soap, the product works just as well and will get your dishes clean.
15) Hand wash your laundry.
If you have delicates that require specialcare or handwashing, try using a few drops of Castile. This is also a great solution if you’re traveling at a hostel, bed and breakfast, or guest house that does not have laundering services. Wash in the sink or shower, then hang to dry near a heater or fan.
Other Ideas
16)Kill pesky ants.
Mix together a spray of Castile soap, water and vinegar, then spray at anypoints where ants are entering your home.
17) Shine the windows.
Mix one cup of white distilled vinegar with four teaspoons of Castile soap, and four cups of distilled warm water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, gently shake, then spray on your windows for a streak-free clean.
18) Make reusable cleaning cloths.
Have an old t-shirt that is well past wearable? Cut them up into rag-size cloths, then add to a jar filled with a liquid solution of 1 cup warm water, 1 ounce (or 1/8 cup) of liquid castile soap, and 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Nice and easy!
19) Get carpet stains out of your rugs.
Mix one TablespoonCastile soap with 2-3 Tablespoonshydrogen peroxide. Pour or spray onto your carpet stain, scrub like you mean it, then soak up the wetness with a clean dry rag, or carpet cleaner.
20) Shine old pans.
Add a few drops to an old, oven stained pan, then scrub away! The residue will come off in a jiffy. Still struggling? Add a little bit of baking soda.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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