27 other uses for handmade soap

By: Patricia Mills, The Soap Guru

All natural handmade soap is not just great for washing your body. Here are 27 other uses for your wonderful bar. I have tried many myself, but not all. Feel free to share other uses you have come across.

1. Prevent soot build-up on your cast iron camping pots/pans. Rub a bar of soap over the bottom before cooking over open fire.

2. Use as a fabric marker when sewing. It will wash right out.

3. Deodorize your car, luggage and drawers. Just put pieces of soap in a mesh bag and store/hang to keep things smelling fresh.

4. Get stuck zippers moving again. Rub a bar of soap over the offending zipper to lubricate it.

5. Detect leaks. Make a spray be melting 1 cup shredded soap into 1 cup of water. Spray the solution onto gas pipes, tires, air beds, etc…if you see bubbles form, you found your leak.

6. Remove a broken light bulb. Shove the corner of your soap into the base and twist.

7. As a plant spray to get rid of or ward off insects: 1 cup shredded soap melted into 2 cups of water. Spray all over and let dry.

8. To remove wall paper and/or it’s glue make a solution soap 1 cup shredded soap in 1 cup water. Sponge over the area.

9. To get old drawers moving, rub over the metal runners.

10. To make metal move through wood easier, lubricate screws by driving them into a bar of soap first, or rub a saw blade with soap.

11. Easy pun cushion. Cover a bar of soap in fabric. The pins will be lubricated by the soap as well, preventing snags.

12. Clean dirty window sills by running the wet edge of a bar along them and wipe with damp cloth.

13. Snap siding into place easier by lubricating the zip tool with soap solution.

14. Repell rabbits and deer from garden. Make sachets with strong smelling soap: like peppermint, place around garden.

15. Pre-treat stains. Wet area and rub soap into it before laundering.

16. Keep your finger nails clean when gardening. Scrape your nails over a bar of soap before digging in the dirt. It will keep the dirt out and make washing up after easier.

17. Relieve the itch of a bug bite. Rub a wet bar of soap over the bite and let dry.

18. Use as a shave lotion. Make a solution of 1 part grated soap melted into 1 part water.

19. Rid your house of fleas. Put a solution of 2 parts shredded soap melted into 1 part water into a dish. Place the dish under a lamp over night. The light will attract the fleas and they will drown in the soap.

20. Make your own foaming sponges. Shove soap slivers into the holes.

21. Use as a hand wash for your delicates.

22. Make a great all natural pet shampoo. Melt 1 cup shredded soap into 1 cup of water.

23. Make your own fruit and veggie wash. Melt 1/4 cup shredded soap into 2 cups water and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Wash and rinse well.

24. For a great window cleaner use the above solution in a spray bottle.

25. Clean your jewelry by soaking in a solution of 1/2 cup shredded soap melted into 1 cup water. Gently scrub with an old tooth brush and rinse.

26. As a mild antiseptic wash: wash scrapes with soap. As an antiseptic paste, make a gel by soaking 1/4 cup shredded soap in 1 tablespoon water until gel-like. Add enough white sugar to make a paste. Put a little on a splinter or boil, cover with gauze.

27. To ward off poison ivy rash make a solution of 1 cup shredded soap in 1/2 cup water. Apply over exposed skin that may come into contact with the plants. It will act as a barrier to the rash causing oils.

Patricia Mills is a natural handmade soapmaker using centuries old techniques, with the finest ingredients available. She uses a unique blend of vegetable oils to create a superior bar with a fluffy, long lasting, rich lather that provides many benefits to your skin. Read more by Patrica Mills on her Blog: The Soap Guru http://thesoapguru.com/