I have been using castile soap around my home for about 10 years now. I loved it then and I love it now. I use it straight up for all kinds of cleaning and I also use it as a base for several of my favorite green cleaner recipes. I like that the same product I use to scrub my toilet and wipe down my walls is the same product I use to clean my carpets and wash the dishes. I also use it in the bath, on my hair, in the garden, and on my food even. How is that for simple and easy?! The best part though is that a single bottle lasts and lasts making it a great value for the money. Here are some of my favorite ways that I have used castile soap in my home.
Ways You Can Use Castile Soap
Laundry – Use 1/4 cup for top-loading machines or an 1/8 cup for front loaders.
Dishes – Great for hand washing dishes and for dishwashers.
Homemade Fruit and Veggie Wash – Add a teaspoon to a spray bottle full of water and spray as needed. No need to buy veggie wash products in the store.
All Purpose Cleaner – Add water and perhaps some essential oils and you have a great all purpose cleaner to clean just about any surface in the house.
Soft Scrub – Add to baking soda and you have a great abrasive paste with which to scrub sinks, toilets, and tubs.
Carpet Cleaner – Add a tablespoon or two to the water container of your carpet cleaner and skip the conventional carpet cleaning detergents. Castile soap works just as well and it makes your whole home smell divine if you use a scented variety like peppermint. I also have a natural carpet cleaner recipe if you want to give that a try.
Hardwood floors – castile soap and water added to a spray mop makes for fast floor cleaning!
Washing wool – Use castile soap to wash and lanolize wool diaper covers and longies for cloth diapers.
Garden Pest Control – Mix 1 tablespoon of peppermint castile soap with a 1/2 gallon of water. Spray the solution on plants being eaten by insects.
Shampoo – Use a small amount of the liquid and let it lather in your hands. Apply to your hair as you would regular shampoo.
Body Wash – Add a small amount to a loofah or bath sponge and scrub a dub. Also great for a baby’s bath water!
Shaving Lubricant – Mix with a bit of water and rub onto your legs/arms/face and shave as usual. Makes your skin all slippery so that shaving is a cinch.
Dental Care – Okay, so I have not personally used castile soap for this as I have an aversion to any kind of soap in my mouth but I have heard others swear by it. A drop of Peppermint, tea-tree, or citrus on the toothbrush or a drop or two inside a rinse cup for a rinse is usually how I hear it recommended.
How do you use castile soap??
Yes! I use it for all the things you mentioned. After trying other expensive natural cleaners, I keep coming back to it. It is SO economical. I can use a half teaspoon in a large spray bottle of water for an all purpose cleaner. Even less for windows (like a drop). Awesome soft scrub and dish soap. Great for delicate laundry (although I can’t use it on my towels or diapers, it inhibits absorbency).
Peppermint Bronners FTW.
Also, it’s more effective than vinegar and other homemade cleaners. I don’t need to take time to concoct homemade recipes.
I love the stuff! I just started using it in the garden, mixing it with some oil and water to make oil soap. Saved my strawberries from these awful red mites and ants. I use it the same ways that you do although for detergent I mix it with borax and washing soda. For household cleaner, I mix it with vinegar, water, and baking soda. I wash all my floors with it, changing scents as my mood dictates. My bottles last for months. Do you use it straight in the dishwasher. I’ve always been curious, but afraid that I’d ruin the machine.
Just soap in the dishwasher and vinegar for the rinse.
LOVE Castile soap! I use it for everything!
This is fantastic! Thanks for all the great tips :)
What a great resource! I love that you can buy one giant bottle and use it for so many different things. I didn’t know it could lanolize wool! I will have to try it with baking soda for a simple soft scrub. I wonder if you can use it to make bubble solution (instead of dish soap)… have you ever tried?
I also use it to make a homemade baby wipe solution concentrate. I mix the soap 50/50 with olive oil, then add a few drops to a cup full of warm water. Works geat with cloth wipes!
Another great use!
Does anyone else think this soap smells badly? This stuff always seems to smell bad to me :( I don’t know if I’d had bad luck and gotten “old” soap or something, but I can’t deal with the smell. It doesn’t seem to stink right away, but after a while. Thoughts?
I have never had this problem. I used the same bottle of peppermint soap for about 3 years once. It smelled wonderful.
I’ve been making a moisturizing shampoo/body wash with the Dr. B.’s- take 1/4 c. castile soap, 1/3 c. coconut milk (NOT coconut water!), and about 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice, and shake ’em up together in a bottle. Cleans well, and is a little gentler on hair than using it straight from the bottle. I mix up double batches, because I have my kids using it, too, but be warned- use it up quickly, because the coconut milk goes “off” relatively quickly- it’s only got a shelf-life of about a month, tops.
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Great info Tiffany, I’ll have to try it in my laundry soap!
do NOT put tea tree oil in your mouth.