Everybody has a bar of soap or two in their house! Even people who prefer liquid soap and body wash still usually keep a bar or two on hand.
Anyone who doesn't keep soap in the house might want to start now; the stuff is darn useful! We aren't just talking about cleaning, either. Just like chapstick, soap has tons and tons of "off-label" uses that have nothing to do with cleaning.
It's good for everything from pest control to minor home repairs, which is why we're thinking we might just have to stop at Costco and pick up a case or two to stick in the garage.
People have been using soap for thousands and thousands of years, so it's not too surprising that we've figured out a few innovative ways to use it.
The only real surprise is that it's taken me this long to learn just how useful plain old bar soap really is!
Bar Soap 101
A bar of soap is one of the most ordinary items in any house. It would be more weird not to have bar soap.
Because it's such an everyday item, we sometimes forget just how incredible a plain old bar of Pears or Ivory is.
People have been making soap since some of the earliest civilizations rose up in ancient Babylon, and for good reason.
Not only does soap keep you clean and sanitary, and has a whole host of other genius uses we should all start taking advantage of!
Use #1: Stop Foot Cramps
Soap can stop your late-night foot cramps!
You've probably heard this old wives' tale, but you may never have believed it could ever really stop a Charlie horse or spasming foot in its tracks.
Admittedly, there's no good scientific explanation for why this works, but tons of people swear up and down that putting a bar of ordinary soap under their fitted sheet, right at the bottom of the bed, has permanently cured their foot cramps.
Nobody knows why it does the trick for so many people, but hey, it can't hurt!
Use #2: Scent Your Drawers
If you stock up on big value-size packs of soap, you can turn them into air fresheners and get a little extra mileage out of each bar before you start using it to wash up!
Just wrap some pretty fabric around a bar of soap (or leave it in the paper it came in) and stick it in the back of your sock drawer or down at the bottom of your laundry hamper.
Pretty soon all of those sweaty gym socks will smell fresh as a daisy, even if they haven't been through the wash yet!
Use #3: Repel Deer
Fact: nobody likes the taste of soap. Fortunately for green-thumbed gardeners out there, that includes deer!
If you live in a place with a big deer population and find that they just love eating all the flowers and fresh veggies out of your garden, hang bars of soap along your fence and on sturdy branches.
Deer will react the same way a kid does when he cusses and gets his mouth washed out in exchange: they won't try it again for a long while.
Use #4: Pincushion
A bar of soap makes for the cutest pin cushion ever and it will save you a heap of time while you're sewing too!
Just take a little bit of scrap fabric, and wrap it around the soap like you're wrapping a present, then use a pin or two to hold it in place.
Flip it over and stick the top half full of straight pins for all your sewing projects.
As an added bonus, the soap will slick the metal of the pin, so it will slide easily through fabric without catching!
Use #5: Keep Bathroom Mirror Fog-Free
Before you hop in the shower, take your soap and rub it thoroughly across the mirror, then buff the soap scum off dry with a clean cloth.
Now, when the hot water starts to steam up the bathroom, it won't be able to stick to the surface of the mirror.
When you get out, you'll be ready to style your hair and whatnot, without waiting for the fog to clear.
Use #6: Fill A Nail Hole
You can use a bar of soap to fill any small holes in a white wall — just make sure the soap you're using is white too!
Just scuff the bar of soap against the hole you're filling until it becomes packed full of tiny soap shavings, then pat into place with your finger.
This is great for covering up minor holes from hanging pictures or putting up Christmas stockings, and is an awesome tip for when you're moving out and want to make sure every little hole is filled in.
Use #7: Prevent Dirty Nails
Dig your fingernails into a bar of soap before starting a messy project, and they'll stay squeaky clean!
Making sure you get a little sliver of soap stuck under each nails is great for gardening and other messy jobs, because it keeps grime from working it's why into the little nooks and crannies under your nails.
And, if you do happen to get crud under your nails, don't worry — we hear soap is good for that too!
Use #8: Stop Squeaky Floorboards
Rub a bar of soap up and down creaky floorboards in your house to get rid of all those squeaks and squawks!
Creaking is caused by floor boards loosening over time, and rubbing against each other when you put wait on them.
If you rub some soap into the cracks, it will smooth things over and make sure that your floorboards barely whisper.
How many of these soap tricks have you tried before? Tell us if we missed any in the comments and don't forget to SHARE for friends!
