HOME: Ivory soap, Fels Naptha soap, and cleaning up

A few quick things you can do with Ivory Soap...

• After you clean the mirror in your bathroom...take a bar of  Ivory soap and scribble it on the mirror--using a soft cloth or paper towel, rub it 'til the soap is "gone" and a clear image can be seen.  This might take a little elbow grease.  What you get in return is a mirror that won't fog up when you take a shower. Give it a try!

• Keep a bar of  Ivory soap by the laundry items...it is useful for getting blood stains out of garments...especially if used right away.  (Startled cat in arms resulting in unintended cat scratches = blood stains)

  Fels Naptha Soap:

• If you haven't tried this little golden bar of soap...which is for LAUNDRY stains...but is sometimes sold in the bath bar soap section (????)... you should, since it runs between $1-$2 a bar.  Handy for working stains out of garments.  Wet the fabric, then apply the soap.  Rub well. Launder as usual or rinse well.

• Claims are made that this soap is especially good at cleaning clothing that was exposed to poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak.  Claims are made that regular detergents will not remove the resin that causes the rash from your clothing. (I cannot attest to this personally, but thought I would pass this along!)  It is also suggested that one wash their hands and parts exposed to the poison with the Fels Naptha, but it can be a skin irritant, so be careful.

• Fels Naptha is supposed to help you keep your shower clean...I will have to try that...though they state the first time through, you will probably have to use a bit of elbow grease to get results.

• There are even claims that a solution of Fels Naptha soap will tan deer hides!  Haven't had the opportunity to try that, but I have used the salt-cured method--but it wasn't very efficient, so it would be worth a try.

• There are several recipes using Fels Naptha soap for insecticides...especially aphids.

• I would suggest keeping Fels Naptha soap in with camping, fishing and hunting equipment, as well as, for emergency situations.  It is so low in price you can afford to use it, and use if often.  Because it doesn't make a bunch of suds...it is easily rinsed...therefore saving water.  For laundering during emergency situations, it is small in size so easily fits into your "grab and go" bag.  While under those conditions you probably aren't worried about how fashionable you are, but you will still want to  have CLEAN clothes.  This is a good inexpensive way to go.
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5042489_information-fels-naptha-soap.html 

Baking soda:

• This works well as a substitute for "scouring powders".  The trick is to use a slightly dampened cloth.  If there is too much water, it will dissolve and lose the scrubbing ability.  It works especially well on tea and coffee stains on cups and pans and carafes, sinks and counters, refrigerators, etc.  It can scrub painted walls, and greasy stove tops.  It is essential for removing crayon scribbles that can withstand the bit of moisture and the scrubbing.  (I once easily cleaned purple and black crayon from my freezer and the floor and walls...even removed some black Magic marker using this process, too!  My (then) almost three year old son had decided to decorate.)

Corn Starch:

• If you need to get an oil based stain from something...try covering the greasy spot...perhaps a gravy stain...with corn starch.  This doesn't always work, but if you can do it right away, it seems to work better.  Allow the corn starch to fully soak up the grease, and then treat with Fels Naptha and launder.

•  For cleaning something delicate like bisque or other types of pottery, or even painted chalkware, you might try making a paste (just thin enough to use a paintbrush to "paint" on the piece).  Allow to dry.  The corn starch should dry and as it does draw the dirt and dust with it.  After it is completely dry, use a clean dry medium bristle brush to whisk the dirt-laden corn starch away.  Warning--if the pottery or object will absorb water...as in unpainted or unglazed...and unfired...the water may ruin the piece...so experiment a bit before you try this method. 

Liquid Dish Soap: 

• When camping--the soot that collects on the bottom of the coffee pot or pans can be irritating to get clean.  To avoid this problem, try rubbing a bit of liquid dish soap on the outside of the pot or pan.  Make it a very thin coat...not looking for gobs here.  This should help the soot wash away fairly easily.