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We’ve been trying to do some tidying up around here……and we’ve come to a conclusion. There are entirely too many bottles of STUFF. There are bottles EVERYWHERE. Yes, most of those bottles were less than $1, but still – I like space. When we open a door it’s like “The attack of the bottles!” You know by now that I have really simplified cleaning around here by using white vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide. I wanted to take it a step further and see if there was just one thing I could use for tons of stuff around the house. Vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide are working great, but I wanted something in the soap area too so I did some research and came across liquid castile soap.It will do everything…….everything. Let me just stop right here and tell you, it’s not $1 per bottle. I sent Barry to the health food store to get this for me when he was out of town (that’s where it is usually carried) and he found me several bottles on sale for $7.99…..yes, they did have coupons attached. 🙂 I couldn’t believe I was paying $8 for a bottle of soap (I thought for that price it should get up and clean my house by itself), but after I started using it I was quite pleased……and when I run out, I’ll be going back to buy more. This is the wide selection available, in tons of different scents. If you’re ready to simplify your cleaning life a little further, then castile soap might be right for you – but if you’re more concerned with getting your cleaning tools cheap, you might not like castile soap. |
Here are the soaps I am using right now – Dr. Bronners and Kiss My Face. They both smell amazing! I don’t know about you, but I like it when my body smells fruity. What is castile soap? It’s a soap made from vegetable oil, so it’s all natural. Not tons of chemicals like most soaps on the market. When Annie was born, I really started paying attention to all the chemical things that were in our house – yikes! Really, don’t think about it too hard or you’ll start sleeping on the porch. Did you know that most shampoos have formaldehyde in them? That’s just in case you want to preserve your hair for all eternity I guess. Castile isn’t a new kind of soap – been around for ages…..I guess those old people really knew what they were doing. |
What all does this stuff do? It’s great for washing your body! I made my foam hand soap from it and it smells divine. Now, take note that it’s not going to foam up like your other regular soaps. You’ll be using a little less because it’s so thin…..so the bottle lasts forever. If you’re expecting it to foam up like normal, you’ll be weirded out when it foams just a little – there are fewer additives. When you’re done washing with it, your skin will feel squeaky clean! I love it!!!! It’s very safe for babies because it’s so gentle. I’ve used it to wash my hair, my body, and it’s even great for shaving. Just lather up, shave, and knick as usual. I like washing my face with it because it smells so pretty. I’ve been using it for everything and my bottle is still 2/3 full. I guess because, like I said, it’s thinner than normal soap so you use less. One bottle – does everything. |
You can wash dishes with it too. It will take about 3 tablespoons for a full sink…..and you won’t have as many bubbles, but your dishes will still get clean. The almond scent is super yummy. I found a great recipe for homemade dishwashing detergent that gets great reviews! Ingredients: ½ cup liquid castile soap, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 3 drops tea tree oil, ½ cup white vinegar. Mix together and store in a squirt bottle. Shake before each use. Use 2 tablespoons per load. Voila!I’ve used it to wash Annie’s cloth diapers and our regular laundry as well, just as a test. If it can get poop out, it’s a winner in my book. |
It can clean your house too! I’ve been using it to clean the kitchen and bathroom, and I like it a lot. To make a good, natural cleaning solution you only need white vinegar, castile soap, water, and tea tree oil. That’s it. |
Fill your spray bottle up ¼ full with white vinegar. Miss the hole and splash it all over yourself and the kitchen. Thank you. *You can substitute rubbing alcohol for the white vinegar if you desire. You’ll get the same disinfectant effect.* |
Fill the rest of the bottle up with water. Okay, so not the rest of the way because we need to add a little soap……key word being little. |
Put in about 3-4 squirts of liquid castile soap. Scent doesn’t matter here because of the white vinegar. Oh well……white vinegar smell goes away once it dries. |
Add a couple drops of tea tree oil for the disinfectant properties. A little bottle of tea tree oil goes a looooooooooooooooooooooong way. |
You can use this solution to clean anything in your house. Just spray it on and wipe it away. This bottle is from Sally Beauty Supply because I hate buying cheap spray bottles that don’t work. *Pet peeve* Make sure you label it. I’ve got three of these bottles, so I don’t want to confuse my peroxide with this, since I like using the peroxide to clean up after meat. |
If you’re only going to use this to clean your body, you might want to get a bar of Kirk’s Castile. It’s the same thing, but in bar form. I found this at our local grocery store for less than $1.50. Pretty good, huh?So, think you might try it? I’m loving it…..it’s a definite keeper in this house. All Purpose Cleaner**I make 24 ounces of this at a time** 3-4 Tablespoons of white vinegar OR rubbing alcohol 3-4 Tablespoons of liquid castile soap 25-30 drops of essential oil (I like tea tree, orange, lemon, and peppermint – I alternate between them.) 2 cups water |
About Stacy
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From Google: “When combined, vinegar (an acid) and castile soap (a base) cancel each other and create unsaponified soap. This reaction reduces the soap back to its original oils. If you try mixing the two ingredients you’ll immediately notice the castile soap curdles and feels very oily.”
In your video, you give the same recipe, but you add water to total 24 ounces, not 2 cups. Which should I use?
Thanks for the question, Teddi. 1 US Tablespoon = 0.5 oz. So…the recipe calls for 8 total tablespoons of vinegar/alcohol and soap, so that is 4 oz. of liquid + EO drops before the water is added. Add 16 oz. of water (2 cups) and you’re up to close to 20.5 oz. – I normally go ahead and fill to the 24 oz. line, although you don’t have to. I find the 24 oz. is strong enough, but many stick to the recipe exactly.
My daughter loves your sense of humor in the videos we have watched. (she is 6)
I use dr. Bonners Castile soap as shampoo . My hair is very dry and hard to manage . Is there any option ? Thanks for ur reply back to me .
You might try a vinegar rinse? I know vinegar is a a good softener for laundry. 🙂
I mean conditioner . After you use dr.bonner soap for ur hair for soften your hair what are kind are you using?
I don’t use conditioner.
What kind and brand name of condition you use with dr. Bonner’s soap?
Condition?
a quick question… how is it that your soap isnt curdling? With vinegar as an acid and the soap as a base typically the soap goes back to an oil when paired with vinegar…
That’s an excellent question…but I don’t know. LOL It just doesn’t.
Thank you soooo much for the wonderful tips and recipes, this is another great way for my family to be healthy and save money!
I second that!
Just wanted to share with you since you are also thrifty. 😉 I buy bars of Dr bronners, shave it on the cheese grater and melt it down with some water and get concentrated liquid soap! Each bar equals a gallon of the liquid concentrate, then turns into up to 3 gallons once diluted for cleaning, bathing, washing etc.
So bam that’s it $3.75 for 3 gallons of multi-purpose cleaners! Win win everyway!
🙂 That’s on one of my Pinterest lists to make.
We love castile soap too. We’ve used it for foaming hand soap and for body wash. It is pricey but you’re right that a little goes a long way. I did feel like the pure castile soap was a little drying for body wash so we now use the Kirks Original Coco Castile bar in the shower. The addition of coconut oil makes it more moisturizing, in my humble opinion 🙂 Ive never thought to use castile soap in an all- purpose cleaner though; Im definitely going to try your recipe!
I just love coconut oil. It makes life better.
Thanks for this post, and especially the “Cleaning Strategies No-one Talks About” – that made me smile!
I thought you may be interested in knowing that I came across a blog post at the drbronner.com site that warns specifically against mixing Castile soap with Vinegar. The acid (vinegar) and the base (soap) actually neutralize each other – the soap is “de-saponified” and no longer does its job, nor does the vinegar.
The conclusion of the article was “Yes, use vinegar and Castille to clean your whole house – just not in the same bottle!”
http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
I’ve had a ton of people tell me that, and I just smile. 🙂 I understand the science behind it all – but I also know that it still gets my laundry clean. LOL
Hi Stacy,
I just recently bought Castile Soap, Tea Tree Oil scented. I was wondering how would you would suggest I modify the recipe? Would I just add an extra tablespoon of soap since the Tea Tree Oil scent would already be there?
Thanks!
P.S. I love your website, I am learning so much!!!
The tea tree oil is in there for it’s antibacterial properties. I’d make it as is…the soap is just scented. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! Looking forward to trying it out! A dumb question… I’m so new to all of this. When you use your lemon juice, do you buy the lemon juice bottle and keep ones on hand for your cleaning purposes or do you squeeze a fresh lemon every time you make new recipes. Just curious what others are doing. Thanks!
I keep lemon juice in the fridge. They are pretty pricey otherwise. 🙂
I like to juice a whole bag of lemons, freeze into ice cubes. They will be ready to just throw a couple in when you make new cleaners, also great for lemon waters and homemade gatorades 🙂
Lemons are just so pricey around these parts!
I also see they have the kirks natural castile soap original in 3 pack of bars, less than $1.50 for each bar…plus add the extra % off (see coupon code on their site off your order 🙂
🙂 Nice!
Spray bottles from Sally’s???? Thanks for mentioning that! I hate buying spray bottles that don’t work, too. And even though I’d seen them at Sally’s, it never dawned on me to buy them for mixing my cleaners in! Thanks, thanks, thanks! I’d much rather go into Sally’s because it’s a smaller store…plus I can use my Sally’s card and get a discount! Woo hoo!
🙂 I love discounts!
I used to buy Dr. Bronner’s, but then I found Dr. Wood’s castile soap on Vitacost, and it’s about half the price. I like Dr. Wood’s Shea Vision peppermint for making foaming hand soap. I used the Dr. Wood’s Unscented Baby one for making homemade diaper wipe solution so I can add my own essential oils to it.
I haven’t heard of that brand. I’ll check it out. 🙂
Hi! I LOVE castile soap, so I HAD to check out this post and just thought I should bring to your attention that you should NOT directly mix castile soap and vinegar because they cancel each other out and you are not really getting the clean that you think you are. Here is a couple blog posts about it from some of my other favorite blogs: http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=292
http://www.liverenewed.com/2012/10/days-green-clean-common-green-cleaning-mistake.html
Also, I know you are about being cost effective, but I am trying to go as “safe” and “organic” as I possible can, which I will be the first to say is NOT easy or instant, but if this is your goal, readers should AVOID Kirk’s Castile Soap because it contains “fragrance”, which is not at all natural, and go for the more expensive Dr. Bronner’s bar soap or a locally made bar of the same. Here are some posts about dangerous ingredients to avoid for those trying to be organic:
http://www.liverenewed.com/2011/01/green-your-personal-care-products-top-10-ingredients-to-avoid.html
“Most synthetic fragrances contain phtalates, which are hormone disruptors.”
http://www.liverenewed.com/tag/removing-toxins
Readers can also use this site to look into ingredients themselves:
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
I haven’t read ALL posts, so I’m not sure if you’ve maybe covered this info or updated elsewhere on your site, but I am reading LOTS of different blogs lately and doing research of my own to validate them to make sure I’m getting the proper information and I just thought maybe you’d like to make sure your readers are also receiving proper information! 🙂 Thank you for all that you do!
****Here ARE a couple posts…..
Oops. The grammar Nazi in me just HAD to correct that… :p
I’ve had several people mention this, and I really do understand what you’re saying…but, I also know that it does get my laundry clean and it works for others too. LOL
Re: Kirk’s
As I understand it, whatever fragrance they use is naturally sourced. And even if it isn’t, they have a fragrance free version available, though I can only ever manage to find it online.
I made the detergent just as given in the above-mentioned recipe. The mixture clabbered and separated–I guess it’s supposed to do that? Thanks for your help. Oh, and I am loving your site! You definitely speak my language! 🙂
The texture will vary based on how much water you add. I left mine really thick, so I almost had to stir it each time. If it’s separated, you’ll have to shake it each time before use. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words!
I really like CAstile soap a lot. It’s not cheap to buy a bottle…BUT it has so many uses, and the soap is so concentrated…that it makes up for the cost, in my humble opinion 🙂 ): I even use the bar form of castile soap when I’m making my homemade laundry powder 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of CAlifornia, Heather 🙂
I feel like the price isn’t that bad because you’re able to make a bottle go sooooooooooooo far. 🙂
I made the homemade dishwasher detergent and after my first load, I’m not so sure–it seemed to have left a greasy film on the dishes. Suggestions?
Did you try the white vinegar or the citric acid?
I absolutely love Castile Soap. I have been using Dr. Bronner’s for over a year, but mostly just in the shower, to bathe pets, and to get stains out. I have been investigating homemade dish detergent, and as soon as we finish up what we have, we will be switching over. The same goes for homemade cleaners! Thanks for your recipes!
I LOVE my castile soap cleaner! It’s my go-to cleaner for everything. I never thought to give Dottie a bath with it though! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
You can also make body wash by melting a grated bar of Kirk’s Castile in one gallon of water and add 2 tablespoons of glycerin, let sit overnight..mix it with a hand mixer the next morning and add a little more water if needed. That’s a cheap gallon of good body wash!
I’ve seen this recipe all over the place too. 🙂 Here’s the funny part – I tried it myself. All I could get was a big gallon of liquid blubber. LOL That stuff was so thick I couldn’t stir it with a spoon. And I kept adding water and it kept getting thicker. I thought it was going to take over the house…..but I didn’t add glycerin. Maybe that was my problem? 😉
We have Kiss my Face soap, too! 🙂 It was on sale at Earth Fare, so I snatched it up. =D I like how you use it in your cleaner.
I like Dr. Bronner’s…..but I think Kiss My Face smells better. 🙂
My husband cleans a school that uses Dr Bronner’s soap and sometimes I help him clean- I find that Dr. Bronner’s makes my skin REALLY dry and my husband agrees
🙁
Wow Loni, thanks for the comment. I’ve never noticed that. I’ll have to pay closer attention. 🙂
I’m very intrigued about the homemade dishwasher detergent recipe you listed. I make a powdered version that doesn’t work very well…I’m definitely going to try this one. Thanks!
It gets mixed reviews. I don’t have a dishwasher, so I can’t give it a review. 🙂 Make sure to take note of the comments about lemon! Keep me posted on how it goes.
Hi there, If you put a little liquid soap on a netted sponge in the shower and then wet it, it will make lots of foam to clean your body. Dr. Bronner’s peppermint is wonderful!
Ok, I’ve had a bottle of this stuff for years and was afraid to use it, guess I’ll give it a try. Does it clean tub rings?
I’m not sure. For that, I use baking soda. 🙂 I think you’ll enjoy your castile soap! We do.
Hi Stacy,
Wanted you to know that I just shared/linked to this post over here:
http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2011/08/22/our-new-shower-and-my-homemade-shower-products/comment-page-1/#comment-17368
I like reading Andrea’s posts, too. She’s getting ready to have her first child so she’ll be a new mama pretty soon. Her blog is somewhat similar to yours, but a different approach. 🙂 Dianne
Thanks Dianne! 🙂
Love that you used Castile Soap to make your foaming soap. What a great idea. I am right on board with you using the same ingredients to clean my house, and body.
It’s the only way to go. 🙂
They have Dr. Bronner’s soap in both liquid and bar form at Target now. It’s in the Beauty aisle (go figure) next to Burt’s Bees. I love the lavendar and peppermint scents!
Thanks for the heads up!