My New Friend

I'd like to introduce you to the new-to-me product I alluded to last week. Drum roll please... Castile Soap! (pronounced cast-eel) What the heck is castile soap? Castile soap is a special type of soap made from olive oil. It contains no synthetic chemicals, artificial colorings, or animal products. The best feature of this stuff is its ability to clean your dog, car, self, laundry, floors, greasy oven, and woodwork. It is gentle enough for use on sensitive skin, yet cuts grease and grime like nobody's business! I'm also saving money because a little goes a long way. One of my favorite features is not breathing chemicals and inhaling lemongrass instead! Here are some tips for cleaning with castile soap.

•  Shampoo: Mix 1 part Castile soap, 1 part water, and essential oils for fragrance. (I haven't tried this yet but plan on it.)
• Floors: You can mop almost any type of floor with a solution of ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket.
• Leather upholstery: Add 2 drops liquid Castile soap to 1 quart warm water. Apply to the leather with a barely moist sponge.
• Marble countertops: Stir 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap into 1 quart warm water. Dampen a cloth with the solution and wipe surface. Rinse, then dry with a clean cloth.
• Car: Mix ¼ cup liquid Castile soap with hot water in a bucket (fill almost to the top). Rub a generous amount of the solution on your car’s exterior, windshield, hubcaps, and tires with a large sponge, then thoroughly hose it off.
• Sinks, showers, tubs, and ceramic tile: Create a homemade soft scrubber by combining 1 tablespoon liquid Castile soap and 1/3 cup baking soda.
• Stovetop and vent hood: Add a few squirts of liquid Castile soap to 2 cups hot water. Apply to the stovetop, the burners, and the vent hood to cut through accumulated grease.

 *Castile soap can be found at health food stores and is available scented or unscented. I chose unscented and add essential oils to match my mood. As mentioned above, I'm currently on a lemongrass kick!