Simplifying your life? One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to get back to basics is by using castile soap.
If you're not familiar with castile soap, it's made of plant oils mixed with alkali. Ours features olive oil, jojoba oil, and a fatty acid from coconuts. Like our other products, castile soaps are free of harsh chemicals, vegan and never tested on animals.
But what makes castile soap ideal for cleaning everything and everyone under your roof AND in your driveway is the fact that it's unscented and concentrated. It's just pure cleaning power with nothing extra added. Keep a liter of our new castile soap in your bathroom and another one in your kitchen (in your lovely Beast Bottles, natch), and you can:
- Wash your hands. Use 1 part castile soap to 3 parts water. (Remember, soap is even more effective at killing viruses than hand sanitizer. Here's why.)
- Wash your face. Use 1 part castile soap to 3 parts water.
- Wash your body. Use 1 part castile soap to 3 parts water.
- Wash your hair. (Skip this one if you have color-treated hair, as castile soap may strip some of the color.) Add 1/2 tablespoon castile soap to 1/2 cup of water. Or just squirt 1/2 tablespoon into your hand and work into your hair with lots of water.
- Shave your face. Rub 10 drops of castile soap between your palms and apply to your face.
- Shave your legs and tidbits. Work 1/2 teaspoon of castile soap into a lather on a washcloth and rub on legs. Use about 3 drops on armpits and similarly sized areas.
- Brush your teeth (we won't promise this tastes good, but you could do it in a pinch). Squirt a single drop onto your toothbrush and hope for the best.
- Make your own baby wipe solution. Add 3 drops of castile soap to a squirt bottle and fill it with water.
- Wash your dog. The amount depends on the size and dirtiness of your dog—start with a tablespoon of castile soap and add it to your wet dog, massaging into fur and skin. Add more as needed and rinse.
- Use as an all-purpose house cleaning solution. Mix 1 tablespoon castile soap with 1 cup water. Add 10 drops of eucalyptus or tea tree essential oil if you want and pour into a spray bottle.
- Clean your toilet. Add one part castile soap to 4 parts water in a squirt bottle. Add 1/4 teaspoon tea tree oil. Squirt solution around the inside of the toilet bowl. Sprinkle baking soda on toilet brush and scrub. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then flush.
- Scour your tub and sink. Mix 1/2 cup castile soap with 1-2/3 cups baking soda and 1/2 cup water.
- Mop your floors. Add 1/2 cup of castile soap to 3 gallons of hot water.
- Wash your windows. Add a teaspoon of castile soap to a quart of water, mix, and pour into a spray bottle. Rinse with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water.
- Wash your laundry. Dissolve 1 cup castile soap, 1 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup coarse salt into 7 liters of hot water. Use about 1/2 cup of this mixture per load of laundry.
- Clean your walls. Add 1/4 cup castile soap to a bucket of hot water. Use a microfiber cloth to remove grease, grime and fingerprints.
- Clean your makeup brushes. Wet the bristles on your brush while keeping the metal part dry. Squirt a couple of drops of castile soap in your hand and swish wet brush in your palm until the makeup starts to come off. Rinse in clean water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Remove your makeup. Combine equal parts castile soap, witch hazel and jojoba or coconut oil.
- Rinse your fruits and veggies. Add 1/4 teaspoon of castile soap to a bowl of water. Swish fruit in bowl and then rinse.
- Spray it on your plants to get rid of bugs. Add 1 tablespoon castile soap to a quart of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or cinnamon and spray on indoor plant leaves.
- Wash your car. Add a big squirt of castile soap to a bucket of water and then go to town on that sweet ride.
- Do your dishes. Add 1 part castile soap to 10 parts water to a squirt bottle. Squirt on sponge or scrub brush before scrubbing dishes.
- Make your own deodorant? Add 1/2 teaspoon castile soap and 1 teaspoon sea salt to a small spray bottle and fill the rest with water. (Warning: Do not try this for the first time before a job interview or first date. Results may vary.)
Whew. If there's anything in your life that still needs cleaning, we're going to take a leap and just say: Put some castile soap on it.
