Completely Brilliant DIY Hacks For Old Bars Of Soap

Closed-off spaces like drawers and closets can get musty over time, as the confined space doesn't allow for a ton of fresh air to circulate. Combat the odors with a bar of soap! Hanging a pleasantly scented soap in your closet or tucking it into your drawer can make a big difference. It can also keep your clothes smelling nice and fresh.

Bug bites are an unfortunate consequence of warmer weather. If you find yourself falling victim to itchy bites after being outside, wet a bar of soap and rub it on the affected areas. The soap coats the area and can reduce irritation and itchiness. Perhaps non-scented soap is best for this hack!

Sometimes we carry more than we can handle. Dropped dishes lead to broken glass and tiny shards that can't be seen until they're lodged in your foot a week later. Wet a bar of soap and glide it over the area to pick up all the glass. This way, you can protect your feet and clean your floor at the same time.

Pests in your garden can put your plants at risk. Sprinkle a strongly scented soap like Irish Spring near your plants to deter unwanted eaters, like rabbits or deer. The strong citrusy smell is thought to repel some critters, and it helps mask the scent of fresh plants.

You probably wear your favorite pair of shoes all the time, causing them to smell less than fresh. So, when you take them off for the day, put a bar of scented soap in them. Next time you don your kicks, they'll be fresh as a daisy! Plus, everyone else in your home will thank you for literally clearing the air.

If your car tires keep losing air pressure, there's a good chance you could have a leak. Soap can help show where the source is. Just apply soap to your tire and check for air bubbles. Where there's air, there are bubbles, and where there are bubbles, there are leaks. And where there are leaks, there's an expensive repair cost — one you just avoided by discovering the issue before your tire blew up.

Making leather shoes wearable is a task for only the toughest of individuals. Weirdly, a bar of soap can apparently save you from unnecessary blisters. Rubbing the interior of new shoes with a bar of soap can soften the material and make them a breeze to break in. Goodbye, uncomfortable blisters!

Puppies are cute and all, but they can have some very bad habits. If you find yourself with a four-legged friend who loves to chew on furniture, rub your most chewable items with soap to make them less appetizing. After all, soap may smell good, but the taste is a much different story! Just ask Ralphie from A Christmas Story...

If you have a tough time getting screws into wood, soap can be a useful addition to your tool belt. Rub the screw down a bar of soap to lubricate the threads. Now, the screw should go into the wood without any issues. You may want to try this hack with wax-based soap as opposed to glycerin-based soap, however; apparently, glycerin can do too good a job at lubricating the screws and cause premature rusting.

A flea infestation is a nightmare of epic proportions. Luckily, you can help cut the infestation off at the pass by using soap to make homemade flea traps! Lay out a bowl of sudsy water, and the liquid will attract — and subsequently drown — those horrible bugs. Using only a bar of soap and some water, you just saved yourself thousands in extermination costs.

Painting your home normally results in some stray splatter. Often, glass window panes are the prime target. Next time, wipe down your windows with a bar of soap to protect them from rogue paint. The glycerin-based substance should catch any splatter. Apparently, vaseline also works!

Keeping dirt from getting under your nails is tough when outside working in the garden. Even if you wear gardening gloves, you're bound to find some soil underneath your nails at the end of the day, especially if your nails are long. Apply some soap and prevent grime from ruining your manicure. Plus, your hands will smell good!

Speaking of sewing, any seamstress worth her salt has to have a good pin cushion. Encase your favorite scented bar of soap with cute fabric, and the block becomes a reliable pin cushion! It will not only keep the pins sharp and lubricated, but it'll keep the garment smelling fresh and clean.

While hanging up pictures, it's difficult to get every step right the first time, and a lack of precision usually leads to unwanted holes in your walls. Soap can be used to fill those blemishes on a temporary basis until you can paint or spackle. We could all probably stand to fill up a few unsightly dings in the wall...

Using soap to mark fabric is an easy way to make sure your sewing project turns out exactly as you imagined. When you're all done with it, the soap just washes out, as if it was never there. Nobody will ever know that you used soap to mark up the fabric... can you say the same about fabric pens?

Stuck zippers are the bane of everyone's existence. They're basically impossible to fix... unless you have soap! Rub a bar along the edge of a broken zipper, and the lubrication will have the head gliding along in no time. What a relief: the last thing anyone wants is to walk around in the cold with a jacket that won't zip up!

Getting a stain on your favorite shirt is the absolute worst. But before tossing the stained top into the laundry, pre-treat the dirty spot with soap. This may sound too simple — using bleach or some kind of expensive stain treatment is tempting — but don't underestimate the power of soap. Once a cleaning agent, always a cleaning agent, after all.

Even if you wear the same ring every day, your fingers can change size based on a number of factors, including hydration and weather. If you find your ring is stuck on your finger, use a bar of soap to loosen it up. The days of tugging on the ring until your finger is black and blue are over!

Squeaky door hinges are a major inconvenience, and you don't always have WD-40 on hand. However, you probably have soap. If you apply a bar to any hinges, that annoying squeak vanishes. You should really stock up on WD-40, though; it'll probably fix the issue permanently as opposed to temporarily, as soap would.

If you don't use bars of soap as often as you'd like because you prefer liquid soap, then we have a hack for you! You can actually make liquid soap from a bar of soap. All you have to do is mix the bar with boiling water and allow it to cool. And there you have it: homemade liquid soap that'll keep things clean and fresh.

Stiff drawers can test the patience of even the most mild-mannered person. But don’t fret, as the issue can be solved with some quick thinking. By applying soap to the sliders, you should be able to simply and easily loosen up the problematic drawer. Dish and bar varieties of soap should both work, too.

There are few more taxing jobs around the house than wiping down the bathtub — especially if you have back problems. Luckily, you can scrub the dirty area with a broomstick and get the same results. Just douse the surface with dish soap beforehand. The grime doesn’t stand a chance.

Yes, you can fix clogged toilets without the aid of a plunger. Just douse the bowl with dish soap and then wait for around half an hour. After that, add a bit of warm water to the mix. This blend should grease up the blockage and clear the pipes.

If you're trying to repurpose an old bottle, then you may want to remove its original label in order to avoid confusion. To do so, put the bottle in a container with soap and water or leave it in the freezer for a few minutes. The label should come right off!

If you’ve got children who are fans of bubbles, you could create your own mixture with a bit of dish soap. As Jill Nystul explained on the One Good Thing website, you need a half cup of dish soap, a single tablespoon of glycerin, and a half-gallon of hot water. After combining them and disposing of the excess foam, the mix will be good to go.

As any vehicle owner will attest, oil marks can be incredibly difficult to remove from the driveway. However, according to the Remove & Replace website, dish soap could solve the issue. To pull it off, you just need to apply a significant helping of the product over the pesky mark, before rubbing it with a “bristle brush.” From there, the blotches should begin to disappear.

If you’re struggling to clear the grease from your car tools, dish soap could be the answer. As per the DIY & Crafts website, the latter’s already well known for wiping out the former during the washing-up process. And the same can be said here, as a quarter-hour dip in some hot water and soap should give your instruments a nice sheen.

As any gardener will tell you, weeds can cause havoc in your yard if left unchecked. But before you purchase a specialized weed killer from the store, you could create a mixture yourself instead. Indeed, DIY & Crafts claimed that a spray bottle containing dish soap, vinegar, and salt is just as potent — and probably much less costly.

To explain this next hack, Nystul shared some advice on One Good Thing. She wrote, “Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. [So] dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn dish soap and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.”

Unsurprisingly, brushes and combs can accumulate a lot of gunk following regular use. To get rid of that oily build-up, The Make Your Own Zone website outlined an interesting tip. As it turns out, a mixture of dish soap, borax, and hot water should do the trick. You just need to leave the implements in that liquid for no more than three-quarters of an hour.

If you’re in desperate need of a manicure, Nystul offered up a suggestion via One Good Thing. “Soak your fingers in a dish of Dawn dish soap,” she said. “It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere better.”

After long-term use, your makeup utensils can become quite dirty. However, instead of opting to buy some new equipment, DIY & Crafts shared an intriguing idea that you might want to consider. The website claimed that a frozen solution composed of dish soap and coconut oil would clear off any mucky residue.

For those of you who want to shield your indoor flowers from harm, Nystul came up with an idea. Writing for One Good Thing, she claimed, “This is a safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants. Put a drop of Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.”

Dyeing your own hair isn’t the easiest of tasks, as one wrong move can leave your locks in a bit of a mess. According to Home Hacks, though, dish soap could fix issues of that nature. The website noted that the product’s properties would “lightly strip” the dye and return your follicles to a more pleasing tone if you use it rather than shampoo.

As many people will no doubt attest, acne is a problematic condition that can put a real strain on your wallet. But as per DIY & Crafts, you could save quite a bit by utilizing dish soap as an alternative treatment. You see, while it can rid your plates of grease, the contents will also serve a similar function for your pores.

Traditional fireplaces can accumulate lots of dirt thanks to the ash and soot. However, if you’re struggling to clear the marks away, Home Hacks shared an intriguing idea. By combining Morton salt, dish soap, and water, you can create a thick substance to slather across the fireplace. Once it’s settled, you’ll then be able to scrub the stains off.

Poison ivy rashes can be incredibly uncomfortable, as they irritate the affected area of the skin. As per DIY & Crafts, the plant contains a chemical known as urushiol that causes the rash. So with this in mind, the website noted that dish soap could be a worthwhile treatment due to its anti-grease properties.

Insects can be the bane of a gardener’s existence, as they munch on flowers across the yard. But instead of employing toxic materials to get rid of them, DIY & Crafts offered up a far less dangerous solution. As it turns out, dish soap is lethal for critters such as spider mites.

If you own a swimming pool that’s started to become a little grubby, you might want to hear this piece of advice from Jill Nystul. Writing for One Good Thing, she stated, “Squirt [some] Dawn soap down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges for an easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.”

When discussing the other uses for dish soap, One Good Thing’s Jill Nystul stated, “Dawn soap combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands [and] then rub it over the affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint - yet [they] leave [your] skin soft.”

Grout is a tricky thing to clean at the best of times, but Home Hacks offered up an idea. To begin with, you need to warm up some vinegar – a microwave is ideal for this – before pouring it into a spray container. From there, you should squirt a bit of dish soap into the mix and then apply the liquid to the grout. The website noted that it’d clear off any residing gunk.

Ice packs are very useful tools to help soothe muscle and joint injuries, but they aren’t particularly durable. On that note, you can create a unique pack yourself in your kitchen. As per Home Hacks, all you need is a re-sealable bag, a bit of water, and some dish soap. Thanks to the latter’s ingredients, the liquid won’t turn into a block of ice in your freezer.

To explain this next hack, Vanessa Beaty from DIY & Crafts gave a detailed outline. She wrote, “[Dish soap] is harsh on grease, but it’s really gentle on jewelry. It makes a wonderful no-soak jewelry cleaner. You just mix seven parts hot water with one part Mr. Clean and just a small squirt of dish soap. [Then] dip an old toothbrush in this mixture and gently scrub your jewelry.”

For those of you who like to wash your own cars, here’s something to consider going forward. As per Home Hacks, a combination of water and dish soap will leave your vehicles looking as clean as a whistle. But you might have to add some wax to the paintwork afterward, as the kitchen product is classed as an “abrasive soap.”

It’s not always easy to work with cables and conduits, especially when you need to thread the former into the latter. But the job could be made much simpler. According to Home Hacks, if you spray a covered wire with dish soap and water, it’ll add some helpful lubrication to the surface.

Over time, marks and fingerprints will start to accumulate on your walls at home. If you’re wondering how to remove them, Home Hacks reported that dish soap could be the answer. By mixing it with some hot water, ammonia, and borax, you’ll have a fluid that’s powerful enough to cleanse the mucky surfaces.

As most of you will already know, certain shampoos can be incredibly expensive at the supermarket. So if you’re trying to tighten the purse strings, you might want to consider an interesting alternative. Indeed, Home Hacks reported that dish soap could stand in for specialized hair products, as its properties will help fight greasy locks.

If you wear a pair of glasses, you need to keep the lenses clean on a consistent basis. According to DIY & Crafts, though, dish soap might be the ideal product to maintain their sheen. After combining it with rubbing alcohol and water, you can cleanse your spectacles and even stop them from clouding over.

If you own any fruit trees in your garden, Nystul revealed how you can protect them from aphids. Writing for One Good Thing, she advised, “Mix two tablespoons of Dawn soap to a gallon of water and put it in a sprayer. Try to spray both sides of the leaves, branches, and tree trunks. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!”

Unsurprisingly, the base of a shower can become pretty grubby after a while, but Nystul shared a solution via One Good Thing. The blogger wrote, “[You can] cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn soap. Let [it] sit overnight, [then] scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.”

During the winter months, icy driveways can become very problematic. However, thanks to dish soap, you can stop the ice from forming more than once. To pull that off, Home Hacks claimed that you need to create a liquid made from the aforementioned product, hot water, and rubbing alcohol. You then have to tip it across the affected spot.

While out on the road, your car’s tires will slowly develop a greasy coating known as brake dust. If you’re looking to get rid of it, you might want to consider utilizing a bit of dish soap. As per Home Hacks, it’ll clear away the nasty residue if blended with some water, leaving them in an excellent state.

While talking about cloth diapers in One Good Thing, Nystul wrote, “Add a tiny squirt of Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash. Then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps to strip cloth diapers by removing oily residue. [So] be sure to rinse [them] until the water runs clear!”

When ants find a way into your home, you might not know how to get rid of them. If that’s the case, you should probably take DIY & Crafts’ advice on board. The website suggested that a combination of dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and mouthwash would repel the critters from your hard surfaces. The liquid’s residue also puts off other ants from exploring the house, too.

It could be argued that carpet stains are the worst marks to deal with at home, as those blemishes can potentially ruin the look of a whole room. However, you could create your own solution by blending dish soap with hydrogen peroxide. Home Hacks noted that the resulting liquid should be applied to the spot before a douse of water washes away the troublesome mark.

At first glance, a barbecue grill might seem like an absolute nightmare to wash, but Vanessa Beaty wasn’t so sure. She informed DIY & Crafts, “Just fill a bucket with hot water and a bit of dish soap, and then soak the racks from your grill for about ten minutes or so. You can also use it to clean the inside and outside of your grill.”

Cleaning all the windows in your house isn’t the easiest task, but a creative approach could lead to some excellent results. DIY & Crafts reported that dish soap and hot water will give the glass a pleasing shine. And that simple mixture should also wipe out any residing grime as well.

To help rid your dog of fleas, you could create your own treatment in the bathroom. As reported by Home Hacks, you need to draw up a bath of hot water and throw in a single cupful of dish soap. From there, sit your pooch down in the tub for a few minutes, before washing its body. Then, once they’ve dried off, you can brush the insects out.