Have you ever looked at a bar of soap and wondered if there are ways to use it beyond washing your hands? No, me neither! Thankfully, some other clever people have come up with 11 unexpected uses for soap, so we don’t have to ponder!
Because of coronavirus, we all know soap has cleaning and germ-busting superpowers. And here’s my guide to my favourite sustainable soaps. But illustrator Yumi Sakugawa’s series of illustrations for the website WonderHowTo takes soap to the next level.
This illustration of 11 unexpected uses for a bar of soap is particularly brilliant, and I had to share it. There are so many uses for soap that I wasn’t aware of. From stopping squeaky floorboards to avoid getting dirt under your fingernails whilst gardening! And ones like using soap to help your saw cut straight and to make your screw go in straight, are just pure witchcraft!
Clever Household Uses for Soap
To make this guide on clever uses for soap accessible to all I’ve transcribed it below. What will you learn?!
Use Soap to Make A Pincushion
Wrap a bar of soap in a cloth and stick your pins on top. The soap will lubricate the pins for easier insertion.
Marking A Hemline on Cloth
Continuing on the sewing theme, did you know you can mark a hemline on cloth with a sliver of soap? Yes, and even better, it’s much easier to wash off than chalk.
Stop Your Glasses From Fogging Up
During cold weather, you can stop your glasses from fogging up by rubbing soapy water over them, and then wiping it off. This technique can also stop your glasses steaming up when you wear a face mask. This is the knowledge we need in 2022!
Check For Gas Leaks
Think you can smell gas? Try smearing wet soap on your gas pipes if you suspect a gas leak. If soap bubbles appear, then you have a leak. Obviously, call a gas engineer if in any doubt.
Always Cut Straight When Sawing
Rubbing a little soap on your saw’s blade will help ensure your hand saw cuts straight. I don’t know how this works, but it does.
Use Soap to Create A Dirt Barrier
Put a little soap under your fingernails before gardening. This helps to avoid getting dirt under your fingernails, so you can say goodbye to vigorous scrubbing after gardening.
Natural Deer Repellent
Hang slivers of soap inside some old tights, and hang from trees to act as a natural deer repeller.
Efficient Screwing
Rub your nail or screw with soap before hammering or screwing for more efficiency.
Natural Lubricant
Ditch the WD40. Instead, you can use soap to unstick zips, lubricate squeaky door hinges and unstick drawers. Clever!
Use Soap To Tackle Squeaky Floorboards
Similar to the above, you can put a little soapy water in between floorboards to get rid of floorboard squeaks.
Shaving Cream Substitute
Use soap as a shaving cream or shampoo substitute in a pinch, or if you’ve been caught out whilst travelling.
What wild uses for soap! Did you learn anything new?!
I’ve shared some of Yumi’s great illustrations before – here are 21 amazing uses for coconut oil and 13 unexpected uses for vinegar.
I found out about using it for pattern marking on fabric late last year. Never looked back!