How to Use Liquid Castile Soap

Replace all of these with one bottle of liquid castile soap.

Liquid castile soap is soap as it once was, back before synthetic detergents became the cleaning norm. It is 100-percent vegetable based. Traditionally, that meant that it was olive-oil-based, but today there are lots of variations on the same theme, and modern castile soaps are likely to contain other vegetable-based oils, such as coconut, hemp or jojoba, according to GreenYour.com. Liquid castile soap is biodegradable, doesn't contain phosphates and one bottle can be used for pretty much anything you can think to clean, including your teeth.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring cups
• Water
• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda

Instructions

1. Use liquid castile soap in the place of any detergent or cleaning agent you have under the sink the next time you need to clean the countertops, floors or the car. Depending on the brand of soap, you'll have to experiment to get the ratio just right, but Dr. Bronner's recommends combining one part soap to 40 parts water. If you find it's too sudsy for certain surfaces or items, cut it with more water and add less water and more soap for a sudsier mix, such as when you're cleaning the car. Add ¼-cup distilled white vinegar to the water bucket to cut grease.

2. Clean everything in the bathroom, including the toilet. "Real Simple" magazine recommends mixing 1 tbsp. of concentrated soap with 1/3 cup of baking soda for a homemade soft scrub to get the grime off the tub. Pour a few drops of soap in the toilet and scrub away, confident that the water you flush contains zero phosphates, and won't harm any aquatic life.

3. Replace your laundry detergent with liquid castile soap. This is an especially economic way to use the soap, as the number of uses there are for a gallon of castile soap far exceeds the number of uses for that pricey all-natural laundry detergent. Dr. Bronner's recommends 1/4 to 1/3 cup of castile soap for a regular load of laundry.

4. Wash your hair, your body and your teeth with liquid castile soap. The foaming potential for liquid castile soap increases with the amount of soap you use, so just a couple tiny drops will leave teeth feeling clean without too much foam. Liquid castile soap can be used in the place of shampoo, body wash or soap.

Tips & Warnings

• It may not be possible to substitute liquid castile soap for high-efficiency laundry detergent as high-efficiency detergents are made specifically for high-efficiency washing machines. Check with your machine's manufacturer before making the switch or you could have a foamy mess on your hands.

References

• Green Your; Use Castile Soap; Creative Commons
• "Real Simple"; Liquid Castile Soap; Time, Inc.; 2011
• Dr. Bronner's Magic "All-One"; FAQs; 2009
• Oregon Soap Company; Many Uses of Castile Soap; Oregon Soap Company; 2011