Castile soap is a great natural cleaning product, often used in green cleaning. It is an incredibly versatile cleaning product and can actually replace a lot of the products you use at home. Like many natural cleaning products that you may want to use at home, you should learn how to best use castile soap in the most efficient way possible. In this article, we will talk about just that – what is castile soap, what are its uses, how to use it, and where.
What is Castile soap?
Castile soap is an eco-friendly plant-based soap. It is made with no artificial products or animal fats. It was originally made in Spain, using olive oil. Nowadays, it can be found pretty much everywhere in solid or liquid form. If you are going to use Castile soap for cleaning at home, it is best to use the liquid form, since it is more versatile and can be used easier. However, if you want to reduce plastic waste, you can easily get a soap bar and melt it down to a liquid.
As we already mentioned, the original Castile soap was made using olive oil. Its modern versions use coconut, hemp, avocado, castor, almond, or walnut oil. No matter which one it is made from, these rich oils give it the amazing cleaning properties it has.
What can you use Castile soap for?
Castile soap has a large variety of different uses. From naturally cleaning at home, to washing your clothes and body. You only need a small drop- it is usually used highly diluted so a bottle of Castile soap will go a long way.
You can use it to make a house cleaning spray solution. All you have to do is add 2 teaspoons of liquid Castile soap to 500ml of water and 10 drops of your favourite essential oil. This spray will help you clean multiple surfaces around your house, and remove grease, dirt, and stains in a safe and eco-friendly way. You can also make a makeup brush cleaning solution. Again, you only need 1 teaspoon of Castile soap and 50ml of water. Castile soap is widely used in green cleaning and DIY house cleaning products. You can use it for laundry cleaners, laundry detergents, and hand washes recipes.
If you look into some brands that offer Castile soap present multiple uses for their products. From washing your face, body, and hair, through washing clothes and your home to cleaning fruits, floors, toilets, and even windows.
Is it a disinfectant?
Shortly – no. Castile soap is a great cleaning agent and helps with cleaning grease and dirt from surfaces, removing germs and bacteria. However, it is not a disinfectant and does not kill bacteria and germs, they just help you wipe them away. When mixed with water, the grease-gripping properties of Castile soap grab onto dirt and make it easy to remove. As you probably know, soap and water are a great cleaning combination that helps us get rid of germs and dirt from our hands, as well as our homes.
On the other hand, you should keep in mind that antibacterial agents and disinfectants are not cleaning products. They kill germs but do not actually remove them. They are also not able to rid you of grease, dirt, and stains. For best results, you can wash surfaces with soap and water to clean them and combine this with an antibacterial disinfectant.
What Castile soap combinations should you avoid?Castile soap is alkaline. That is why it should not be mixed with vinegar, citric acid, or other acidic products. As you probably know, mixing alkaline and acidic chemicals will cause a reaction and most likely leave you with a neutral solution that will not be very efficient in cleaning.
If you mix Castile soap with an acid, you will notice that it curdles. It will also become very oily. If you use it after such a reaction, it will end up leaving a white residue that is very difficult to remove. This is also called unsaponified fat, caused by the reaction between the soap and the vinegar(for example). That means that your Castile soap will be broken down to its raw ingredients.
Castile soap can be found in liquid or solid form, as well as scented or neutral. It is best to pick a neutral liquid for your homemade natural cleaning products. You will be mixing the soap with water or other ingredients and you can always scent the solution with the essential oil of your choice. If however, you find a scented Castile soap that you really like, feel free to get it and use it instead. It is a great non-toxic, vegan, biodegradable, and eco-friendly product that will help you bring your home cleaning game to the next level.