Handy Hacks for Soap

Soap, glorious soap! Aside from the obvious, a bar of soap has so many uses in and around the house, so here are our favourite hacks for putting your bars to good use.

Zip it up

If you have a zip that is stuck or stiff, rubbing a little soap down the length of it should loosen things off. No need to add water, rub it on and let it work its magic.

Remove those rings

If you wear rings, we are sure you have felt the panic! Stay calm as a cucumber, and rub a bar of wet soap around the ring and finger where it is stuck. It will be sliding off in no time.

Get your paintbrush out

Whether you’re completely redecorating or touching up some details, paint splatters seem to make their way everywhere. So, rather than scrubbing at them for hours, rub some soap on the areas you’re likely to get in a mess before you start painting.

Wave goodbye to foot cramps

This one does sound like an old wives’ tale, but you will have to try it to find out! If you suffer from foot cramps, putting a bar of soap under the sheet at the foot of the bed is said to stop cramping. Happy sleeping!

Banish squeaky floors

If you have one squeaky floorboard that makes it impossible to be quiet on a Sunday morning, a little soap rubbed on the crack of the boards will soften the sound right up! If you have more than one area that is squeaking loud and proud, you can use soap on all of them; just be careful that it doesn’t get a little slippery.

Get crafty with liquid soap

Make your own liquid soap by grating your leftovers (this is the fun bit!), and then add them to boiling water in a pan. Wait for the soap to melt, remove it from the heat, and let it stand for between 12 and 24 hours. Then, give it a stir to make sure it is all combined, and transfer it into containers ready for use.

For fresh feet

Pop a bar of soap into your shoes (when you’re not wearing them!) to leave your shoes smelling fresh rather than funky.

Cover up those nail holes

This is for all the white walls out there, and the renters looking for a quick fix. If you have nail holes in your wall, rub a bar of soap over the area for a quick and easy decoration job that will see the holes disappear before your eyes — the wonders of soap.

Loosen up a lock

Should we be telling you this one? We trust you. You can loosen up a stiff lock with some trusty soap, too. Lubricate the lock with the soap, and it will be a whole lot easier to get that key turning.

Make another soap!

The ultimate soap hack and the one we probably don’t need to tell you about, but we’re going to, anyway: make another soap! If yours is running low or looking a little worse for wear, wet the soap and stick it to a new one, and voila, you have a super soap.

As you can see from these hacks, the humble bar of soap can offer so much more, beyond the bathroom.