Traditionally made from olive oil, “Castile” is the name given to any soap made from purely vegetable-based lipids instead of animal-based tallow. Castile soap is both gentle on skin and bio-degradable. It is a “true soap” and not simply a chemical detergent. Castile soap is incredibly versatile and can be used as a major ingredient to make all kinds of products from natural beauty items to natural cleaning supplies.
Here are the top ways in which you can replace household products with castile soap:
- SHAMPOO:
Use castile soap as a stand-in for a harsh detergent-based shampoo. Give your head a break! Just mix castile soap with water at a ratio of 1:3.
- FLOOR CLEANER
Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of castile soap in a full bucket of water, and mop mop mop your floors to a sparkly new lustre.
- DISH SOAP:
Simply replace your regular store bought dish soap with a squirt of Castile soap. It works better than any store bought alternative and it’s all natural!
- LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
Replace your laundry detergent with Castile. Dissolve the baking soda and salt in the two cups of warm water. Pour into a gallon container, add the liquid Castile soap and fill to the top with water. Use 1/4 of a cup per load so this recipe is good for about 64 loads!
- BODY WASH:
You can use castile soap as a gentle yet efficient bath soap/body wash. Dilute it in water to 2:1 ratio and use.
- VEGETABLE AND FRUIT CLEANER:
Make a simple veggie wash for cleansing all your produce. Add 1 tablespoon castile soap to 2 cups of water, and keep the mixture in a squirt bottle near the kitchen sink.
- DISHWSHER SOAP:
Want to make your very own dishwasher soap? Mix 8 oz of Citrus Castile Soap with one cup of water and two teaspoons of lemon juice and shake gently. To use add one tablespoon of the above mixture into the open compartment of your dishwasher and add a cup of white vinegar to the closed compartment. Add more vinegar if your water is hard.
- TUB SCRUB:
You can also make a homemade tub scrub. Fill a spray bottle with one third Castile soap and two thirds water. Spread baking soda liberally around the bath and spray the Castile soap mixture on. Scrub with a scouring pad or scrub brush.
- HOMEMADE FACE WASH:
To make a homemade face wash- In a foaming dispenser, add one quarter cup of liquid Castile soap, fill to the top with distilled water (approx one cup) and add five drops of tea tree oil. The tea tree oil is a great antibacterial and is particularly useful for acne prone skin.
- DOG SHAMPOO:
Why use chemicals on your pets when you don’t use it on yourselves? Make dog shampoo using castile soap! Make sure your dog is wet and then squeeze a couple of squirts of Peppermint Castile Soap and rub into your dog’s fur until you have a nice lather. Then simply rinse off with warm water. Be sure to keep the soap out of their eyes and water out of their ears. You can add peppermint essential oil to the regular castile soap.
- SOAP TOOTHPASTE
You can actually use castile soap in place of your toothpaste, and pure soap is much better for your teeth than the nasty chemicals they put in most commercial pastes. Just add a few drops directly to your wet brush. It works wonders, although the flavour can take some getting used to!
The possibilities of using castile soap are endless and it’s oh-so fun to experiment!