What are the 18-in-1 uses for Pure-Castile Magic Soap?Updated 38 minutes ago

Our Pure-Castile Magic Soaps are castile soaps made from pure organic plant oils without any synthetic detergents. Our Magic Soap is extremely versatile and gentle enough to wash your face and body, but also effective enough to clean your laundry, dishes, floors, pets, countertops, etc. Dr. Bronner coined the phrase "18-in-1" to show how versatile our soap can be; however, there are actually many more than 18 uses for our Magic Soaps.

Here are some ways to use our soap for your body and around your home. Keep in mind that these recommendations are simply guidelines and not meant to be exact amounts for every situation. Meaning, if what you're cleaning is quite dirty or you have really hard water, then you may want to use more than the specified amount. However, these dilutions should get you started.

For some applications, we advise pre-diluting your soap by combining it with water in a separate container, and in others, the soap is diluted by the water present in the situation. This is mostly a matter of personal preference, but if you do predilute your soap, you're also diluting the preservation system (tocopherols – vitamin E), reducing the shelf life. Use up dilutions with tap or filtered water within 1 month and with distilled water within 6 months.

Uses for the body 

• Face: Lather 2-3 drops in wet hands. Keep your eyes closed and begin to rub it onto your face in gentle, circular motions, taking extra time on any problematic areas or makeup. While you can use a washcloth or scrubbie for this, it's not necessary, and some may even irritate your skin. Follow up by rinsing your face with warm water, then blot it dry with a towel.
  
  
• Body: Start with one small squirt (~a dime-size) of soap on wet hands or a washcloth, lather it up, and apply it to a wet body. You can add more soap as needed; however, one squirt should be sufficient for most bodies.
  
  
• Babies: We recommend our Baby Unscented Soap, which contains no essential oils and has almost twice the olive oil, making it perfect for young children. 
  
  Lather a few drops (~2–3) of soap onto a damp washcloth to maintain control. Since our soap isn't tear-free, it's very important to keep it out of your kiddo's eyes. Using a washcloth will help prevent it from getting in their eyes. In fact, we recommend avoiding soaps on their face and simply gently wiping it with a wet washcloth.
  
  
• Hands - Foaming Pump Dispenser: Mix a dilution with a ratio of 1 part soap to 3 parts water. Add water to your foaming dispenser first, then follow with the soap to avoid overflowing with bubbles! Examples of this ratio would be 2 oz. soap and 6 oz. water in a 8 oz. bottle, or 3 oz. soap and 9 oz. water in a 12 oz. bottle. 
  • Note: We don't recommend traditional pump dispensers, as they will clog regardless of the dilution ratio. More info HERE!
    
    
• Wipe-Off Castile Body Wash Spray: Use this when running water isn’t an option due to illness, a large cast or bandage, or when hiking, camping, etc. Combine 1 ½ tsp. (7.5 mL) of soap and 1 c. (240 mL) of room temperature water in a spray bottle. Lightly spray the body wash on skin, then wipe off with a wet (not dripping) cloth. After that, simply dry skin as needed.
  
  
• Makeup Removal: Wet your face and lather several drops of soap between your hands. Massage the soap into your skin, paying special attention not to get any in your eyes, then rinse. 
  
  
• Hair: Start with a couple of drops of soap for close-cropped hair or up to ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) for long hair. Work it into wet hair until it lathers, being mindful to rub it into your scalp and avoiding your eyes. Then rinse and repeat if needed, usually for thicker or longer hair. Hair can feel a bit tangly after washing due to the alkalinity of our soap. After washing, follow up with a lightly acidic conditioning rinse, like our Organic Hair Rinse, to leave hair silky smooth! Don't have our Organic Hair Rinse? Use diluted vinegar (apple cider or white) or lemon juice.
  
  
• Bath: This depends entirely on the amount of water, but add approximately 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of soap to warm running water should work for an average-sized tub. While this won't bubble up like a traditional bubble bath, it still cleans very well! 
  
  
• Shaving: Use roughly 10 drops for the face, 3 drops for underarms, and ½ tsp (2.5 mL) for legs. Work the soap into a lather with wet hands, and apply it to the area.
  
  
• Teeth: Use just 1 drop on a toothbrush and brush per usual, being careful not to swallow any soap. (Yes, it tastes like soap.)
  
  
• Foot Bath: Add ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) of soap into a small tub of hot water.
  
  

Uses for the home:

• Dishes (Handwashing): Pre-dilute our soap with water at a 1:10 ratio. Squirt onto a scrub brush, sponge, or cloth. Alternatively, add 1-2 Tbsp. (15-30 mL) of soap in a large sink of water, or simply use a small squirt of soap for one pot, adding more if needed. You can also dilute 2 oz. of soap into 8oz of water in a foaming dispenser, but never use our soap in a dishwasher. To avoid water spots in hard water conditions, dry dishes by hand.
  
  
• Laundry: Use 2–4 Tbsp. (30–60 mL) of soap for a large load in an HE (high efficiency) washer. Add ½ c. (120 mL) vinegar to the rinse cycle or fabric softener compartment. Optional: For whitening/deodorizing, add ¼ c. (60 mL) baking soda to the wash cycle. Double these amounts for standard (non-HE) washers.
  
  
• Handwashing Delicates: Dilute 1 capful (1 Tbsp. or 15 mL) of soap in about 1 gallon (4 L) of cold water. Gently swish your delicates in the mixture, then let them soak for 10 minutes. Swish again and rinse with clean water. Gently press out any excess water with a towel, then hang the clothing or lay it flat to dry per your garment's wash instructions. 
  
  
• All-Purpose Cleaning Spray: Combine 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of soap in 16 oz. (500 mL) of water in a spray bottle, adding the water first. Spray and wipe with a damp cloth on any surface that is safe for water contact. Optional: For extra antimicrobial punch, add ¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) tea tree essential oil. Use on stone countertops & tile, wood, plastic, stainless steel, sinks & toilets, and more!
  • Countertops & Tile: Spray and wipe with a damp cloth.
  • Wood: Painted or Sealed (not waxed)—Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
    
    
• Mopping (Wood, Laminate, Vinyl, Stone & Tile Flooring): Combine 2 ½ Tbsp (38 mL) of soap in 1 gallon (4 L) of hot water. Dunk mop (microfiber, preferably) and wring thoroughly. On wood and laminate, avoid excess water and mop up wet areas. For smaller areas, utilize our All-Purpose Cleaning Spray mentioned above.
  
  
• Windows: Combine ½ Tbsp. (7.5 mL) of soap and 16 oz. (500 mL) of water in a spray bottle. Spray onto the glass and squeegee it away. Follow with a spray of pure club soda or a half-vinegar/half-water solution, then squeegee for a streak-free result.
  
  
• Toilet: Spray bowl thoroughly with our All-Purpose Spray mentioned above, or sprinkle 2-3 drops directly onto a toilet brush. Sprinkle baking soda onto a brush and scrub bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then flush
  
  
• Fruit & Veggie Wash: Add 1 dash (approx. ¼ tsp.) to a bowl of water. Dunk your produce and swish to remove any dirt or debris. Then rinse in clear water.
  
  
• Dog Washing: Thoroughly wet your dog's fur. Massage enough soap into their fur to create a good lather, starting with a dime-size in your palm. Once the soap is worked in, rinse it all out, making sure no residue is left. As with people, be careful not to get any soap in their eyes and water in their ears. We also do not recommend using our Tea Tree soap, as it can be toxic to your pup.
  
  
• Cleaning Makeup Brushes: Wet your makeup brushes with water. Add 1-2 drops of soap to the bristles and gently massage it in for 10+ seconds. Rinse and repeat as needed until the water runs clear.
  
  
• Oral Appliances: Removable retainers, nightguards, dentures, etc and rinse them off with water. Add 1-2 drops of soap to a soft brush, gently brush any surfaces, and rinse. For CPAP masks, tubing, and headgear: Submerge them in warm water with a small squirt of soap (~1 tsp.). Let them soak for 30 minutes, then wash, rinse, and dry with a towel. Allow any components to air dry thoroughly before reassembling.
  
  
• Plant Spray for Bugs: Mix 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) of soap in a quart (1 L) of water. Optional: Add ½ tsp. (1.25 mL) of cayenne pepper or cinnamon. Spray plants twice daily in the cool of the day until the infestation clears.
  
  
• Ant Spray (Not on plants): Combine ¼ c. (60 mL) of our Tea Tree Soap with 1 qt. (1 L) of water, then spray along ant trails or in areas prone to ants. (This concentration will burn plants.)

We also encourage checking out our Castile Soap 101 page for articles on our Magic Soap and its many uses, particularly our What Is Castile Soap? What Are Its Uses and Benefits? - which is packed with information about our soap and how it can benefit us all!

For extensive guides on recipes and usage, we highly recommend downloading or printing Lisa Bronner's incredibly handy dilution cheat sheets found HERE!