10 Household Uses for Castile Soap

You know you’ve really gone DIY—and eco-friendly—when you find yourself buying those giant bottles of castile soap. (And you know you’re really eco-friendly when you start buying it in bulk!)

Castile is a plant-based, biodegradable, natural soap that can be used as a base for DIY beauty and household products, as well as on its own as a powerful cleaner. While Dr. Bronner’s is probably the most popular brand, there are others out there. You can buy it plain, or scented with essential oils—I’m a big fan of Rose and Eucalyptus.

10 Ways to Use Castile Soap at Home

There’s a reason those giant bottles of Dr. Bronner’s say “magic soap” on them: Castile truly is a godsend. I also love it because it’s cheap, especially when you consider it’s so concentrated that you hardly need any of it.

Grab a ginormous bottle and start using it everywhere in the house! Here are 10 Castile soap uses to get you started:

1. Household All Purpose Cleaner

Just add hot water to Castile soap and you’re good to go to fight grime on tile, counters and other non-porous surfaces.

Try this: DIY Natural Granite Cleaner or DIY Bathtub Scrub 

2. Hand Soap

So easy: Just add a squirt of castile soap to a pump and fill the rest with water. Add a dozen drops of naturally antibacterial essential oils like cinnamon, clove, lavender, lemon, oregano, rosemary, sweet orange, tea tree or thyme if you like.

Try this: Green Tea, Lemongrass + Ginger Liquid Hand Soap or DIY Foaming Soap or Magical Whipped Soap

3. Dish Soap

Mix Castile soap with water 1:1. If you find you need more grease-fighting power, try adding super washing soda to the mix. 

Try this: Lavender Dish Soap or Sal Suds Dish Soap or Herb-Infused Dish Soap

4. Body Wash

You can wash with diluted castile soap (3 parts water to 1 part soap), or whip up a luxurious body wash with Castile, coconut oil, raw honey and essential oils.

Try this: Skin Clearing Body Wash or DIY Coconut + Honey Body Wash or Moisturizing Citrus Body Wash

5. Laundry detergent

Mix Castile soap with a few simple ingredients for a homemade laundry detergent with big stain-fighting power.

Try this: Liquid Laundry Detergent or Powder Laundry Detergent

6. Shaving cream

Combine Castile with coconut oil to create a moisturizing homemade shaving cream that will banish unsightly bumps and razor burn.

Try this: Moisturizing Homemade Shaving Cream

7. Floor Cleaner

Add 2-3 tablespoons Castile soap to your mop bucket for sparkling floors. Just a few drops of orange essential oil will provide a lovely citrus smell.

Try this: DIY Carpet Cleaner

8. Oven Cleaner

Mix with baking soda and salt for a tried-and-true non-toxic oven cleaner.

Try this: Natural Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner

9. Facial Cleanser

Combine your favorite castile soap with distilled water in a 1:4 ratio in a foaming soap bottle to make this gentle cleanser. While you’re at it, you can also clean your makeup brushes! 

Try this: Homemade Honey Face Wash or Homemade Foam Face Wash or Aloe Vera Face Wash

10. Stain Remover 

Remove stains from clothing with a combination of Castile soap, Borax and washing soda, all in a convenient stick.

Try this: DIY Stain Stick or Stain Remover Spray

How do you use Castile soap at home?