If there was any magical kitchen staple, dishwashing liquid would be it.…
Many kitchen staples lend themselves to other uses, but few can be repurposed as much as dish soap. Sure, it cleans your dishes, but read on to find out its practical uses outside of the kitchen sink …
1. Remove Bathroom Soap Scum
Dishwashing liquid wastes no time cutting through the grease from last night’s lasagna. The same goes for the week’s worth of soap scum that’s accumulated in your bathtub. FabulouslyFrugal.com‘s scum remover recipe calls for two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, one tablespoon of cornstarch and one cup of white vinegar. Pour the mixture on any bathtub or shower scum and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing it off. You’ll find a clean, sparkling shower with no damage to its finish.
2. Kill Carpet Fleas & Other Pests
No worries if your lovable furry companion, Buffy the cat or Tycho the dog brought in a few pesky friends from the backyard. To kill fleas in carpet, add one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to two cups of water and use a spray bottle to spray your carpet, upholstery and floors. According toStackExchange.com, detergent destroys the fleas’ exoskeletons and breaks down their cell membranes. This also applies to ants, wasps, and cockroaches.
3. Remove Soot from Fireplace Bricking
Heads up — this will take some serious scrubbing. If you can’t get rid of the soot stains on your fireplace’s external bricking, try mixing equal parts dishwashing liquid and salt, recommends HowtoCleanStuff.net. Add a small amount of water to soap-salt mixture to achieve a scrub or paste consistency, then spread the mixture on the soot stain, and let it dry for 10-15 minutes. Use a brush to scrub away the soot then wash the area clean with water. Voilá, your fireplace looks like new!
4. Clean Food & Grease Stains from Clothing
This is best for tough fabrics like cotton and denim. Mix equal parts of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar with two quarts of water. Dip the piece of stained fabric into this solution and lightly scrub the area with a soft brush. Rinse out the soap then launder the clothes as usual and they should be back to normal. [Frugal Living]
5. Make Your Own Ice Pack
Double bag a ziplock sandwich bag and add your dish soap to the innermost bag, sealing both tightly. According to LifeHacker, the dish soap turns into gel consistency when frozen and is able to contour to the body where needed.
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6. Wash Windows (Streak-free!)
According to madefrompinterest.com, this “magic way to clean your windows” just involves 2-3 tablepoons of dish soap, one tablespoon of liquid Jet Dry, and 1/2 gallon of water. Use a clean cloth to wash the windows and let air dry.
7. Concoct a Bubble Solution
This one is great for the grandkids! There are plenty of recipes for homemade bubbles, but the most popular one calls for 1 cup dish soap, 3/4 tablespoon glycerin, and 12 cups water. According to exploratorium.edu, this solution gets better with age so you can definitely save any leftovers for another day of outdoor fun!
