Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Who doesn’t love discovering multipurpose household items? If you love saving money, getting innovative around the house, and being an overall hero, then you’re going to love these tips and tricks on how to use bar soap and dish soap in out-of-the-ordinary ways.
With great power comes great responsibility. Prepare to be known as the go-to problem solver once your family and friends learn how handy you are with unsuspecting everyday items to tackle icy driveways, holes in the walls, stuffy smells, and more.
Unusual Uses for Bar Soap
1. Soothe Bug Bites – Nature lovers know all too well the pain of a big bite–especially those nagging ones around your ankles. If you haven’t tried this DIY bug bite relief trick yet, now is the time!
- Use a cheese grater or a zester to shave off some dry soap shavings.
- Massage into your bug bites.
- Don’t scratch!
The dry soap sticks to your pores and absorbs some of that itchy pain–and also keeps your bites clean. Anti-bacterial soap is fine, high fragrant soap is okay but not favorable, and odorless soap like CeraVe is ideal.
2. Deer Repellent – Got pesky deer that are always eating your berries or nibbling at your ferns? Put out a treat that will leave a bad taste in their mouth and push them to move along.
- Unwrap your bar of soap.
- Secure with a piece of twine, leaving enough length at the end to tie to a branch or fence post.
- Hang bars of soap sporadically around your garden or areas where the deer like to graze.
At first, the deer are drawn to taste the soap–and their reaction is priceless.
3. Oil Up Stuck Zippers, Drawers, and Doors – Got a stuck zipper or sliding door that just won’t budge? Don’t force it, otherwise you might end up breaking or tearing what you’re working with. Instead, try this quick DIY solution to loosen things up.
- Rub the bar of soap generously on the stuck area.
- Zip it or slide it a few times to distribute the soap.
- Use a dry rag to wipe away any residue.
You don’t have to worry about the soap compromising metals, wood, or staining your fabric!
4. Freshen your Drawers and Cabinets – Did you go to Costco and buy way more soap than you could possibly use? While these bars sit around waiting for their turn to be used, put them to good use and add a bit of fragrance to those stuffy areas in your home.
- Unwrap the bars from their plastic.
- Wrap them in a scrap of fabric or tissue paper & tie with a bow or twine.
- Stick your wrapped bar of soap in with your socks or in your closet for a fresh scent.
5. Use as a Spackle Alternative for Holes in the Wall – After you’ve gone crazy watching the HGTV channel that has left tons of small holes in your wall from nails and tacks, don’t panic. There is a quick solution to hide where those nails have left a mark.
- Get a bar of soap that matches your paint (white for white walls is easy).
- Use a cheese grater to collect some soap shavings.
- Press the soap shavings into the wall and viola!
Holes? What holes?
6. Keep Your Nails Clean – Before you start working in the garden, dig your long nails into a bar of soap. The soap will act as a barrier between you and dirt. Soap will easily dislodge once you wash your hands, whereas dirt takes some digging and scrubbing to remove!
- You can figure this one out.
7. Prep your House Before Painting – About to undertake a big painting project in the house? Instead of meticulously covering your doorknobs, windowsills, and vents with plastic or tape, we’ve got a better solution.
- Microwave a bar of soap for 15 seconds.
- Take the bar of soap and rub it on any surface that is in the paint splatter zone.
- After you’ve finished painting, take a damp rag and wipe away the soap and paint splatter.
Creative Crossovers with Dish Soap
8. Get the Perfect Manicure
Did you know that soaking your fingers in dish soap is the best way to prep your cuticles for the best manicure of your life?! This is a beauty game changer that softens your cuticles and removes natural oils that get in the way of flawless nails.
- Choose a ramekin or bowl that is deep enough and wide enough to fit your fingers.
- Cover the base with dish soap.
- Soak for 1-2 minutes on both hands.
- Rinse and get to trimming or pushing back those cuticles.
You can thank me later…
9. Repel Bugs from your Plants – The biggest struggle anyone with a garden or house plants faces is the invasion of unwanted pests! Get rid of spiders, caterpillars, ants, and any other insect that nibbles on your plants with this dish soap trick.
- Step 1: Get a spray bottle.
- Add 1 teaspoon of dish soap.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
- Modestly spray on the leaves and base of your plant.
Your plants are still safe to eat–but only for humans!
10. De-ice your Sidewalks and Driveway – Winters can be harsh. Slippery walkways are an accident waiting to happen, and if your driveway is steep, driving becomes a real challenge. Dish soap is actually a fantastic way to keep your driveways ice-free!
Follow this Dish Soap De-Icing Recipe
- 1 teaspoon Dish Soap.
- 1 tablespoon Rubbing Alcohol.
- ½ gallon Hot or Warm Water.
- Get your hands on a deep bucket with an easy-pour lip
- Mix your anti ice recipe together in the bucket.
- Pour the de-ice mixture on surfaces with ice or that are prone to ice.
The mixture will melt the ice and prevent it from collecting ice for days to come!
11. Remove Sticky Substances from your Hair – Gum, glue, Vaseline, nail polish–if you have kids, then the odds are you’ve had a battle with one of these getting stuck in their hair. An alternative to wasting your yummy peanut butter or cutting the mess out is to use dish soap!
- Pour a tablespoon of dish soap into the palm of your hand.
- Gently massage it into the tangled sticky hair.
- Let the dish soap sit in the hair for about 5 minutes.
- Rinse with water and follow with a typical shampoo-conditioner process.
Bonus – Remove Fleas from your Dog or Cat
Watch this video to see how dish soap can be used as an alternative to flea treatments, which are so harsh and irritating on your pet’s skin!
There isn’t an issue you can’t fix with a little creativity and ingenuity. Consider buying soap in bulk that way you can save a few dollars and always have some soapy solutions on hand around the house. Soap doesn’t spoil, rot, or get stale; you’ve got nothing to lose.
The soap used to scent drawers or closets will dry out, and when used, will actually last longer in the bath or shower. The softer unwrapped soap will disappear much faster. So rotate your soap, first to the drawers and closets, then into the bath or shower.
good tip, thanks!
#8 soaking your hands in dish soap
Ha? I actually remember an old tv ad for Palmolive dish soap that featured just that…Madge the Manicurist!
Interesting article, and some good tips.
Ps…I do wish there was an edit button. Ha? was supposed to be Ha!😉….oh well….
Often there will be a verticle … on the right side of your comment. Clicking that should bring up the ” Edit Delete” box. I hope that helps.
I grow figs and deer love figs almost as much as I do. I have to say, I’ve been using the hanging bars of soap for years because it works so well. The deer eat the hosta and leave the figs.