soapWhen you think of a bar of soap you typically think of just that: a bar of soap. Most of the time the image that comes to mind is of your own preferred bar – maybe it’s white, or cream colored, or mint-green, or red. Perhaps it’s infused with barley, or honey, or aloe vera. You may even imagine a bar from your childhood. The bar may be squared off at the edges, but it might also be well rounded.

Regardless of what the bar looks like, most of us simply see it for its most basic function: to wash our hands and bodies.

However, the buck doesn’t stop there.

In addition to its use as a daily skin cleaner, bar soap has a plethora of other uses. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a list of household uses, and the Modern Survival Blog has also curated a pretty comprehensive – and innovative – list of other uses for the waxy substance.

Top Unusual Uses For Soap

We’ve pulled together a few of our favorites:

1. Odor Control: simply place a wrapped bar of soap inside your favorite pair of shoes or boots – you’ll notice a difference by the morning
2. Paint Control: when painting your bedroom or bathroom, cover your windowpanes, fixture plates, and doorknobs with soap suds – splattered paint will cling to the suds, which makes for easy cleanup
3. Increased Speed: rub your children’s sled runners with a bar of soap – sure, they may not go as fast as Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation, but that’s a good thing, right?
4. Shaving Lotion: with an easy to remember 1:1 ratio of hot water and grated soap, it’s a simple task to make up a batch. It might not replace your usual product, but in a pinch it’s better than nothing
5. Steam Prevention: rub both sides of your eye glasses lenses with soapy fingers, then polish – now walk outside in the dead of winter and see what happens
6. Bug Management: mix some soap and water together, place the mixture in a spray bottle, and spray around your home (windows, doorways, basement, etc.) for some easy – and harmless – insect repellent

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