Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (2025)

  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • At Home

Jennifer Magid

Jennifer Magid is a freelance writer and editor covering shopping, deals, and pets. She has written for Walmart and Neiman Marcus as well as numerous other websites and publications. She's based in Connecticut with her family and her beloved standard poodle, Moby.

Pat Shrader
Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (1)

Cheapism / iStock

Cheapism is editorially independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (2)

Slick Ideas

With all the fabulously scented, bubbly body washes and liquid hand soaps out there, a basic bar of soap might feel old-school or passé. But there are good reasons to grab a bar like your grandma used.

Bar soap has purposes that go way beyond washing up. In fact, there are a myriad of ways it can be used around the house. Read on for surprising and incredibly useful ways to use a bar of soap.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (3)

1. Stuck Drawers and Doors

Have an annoying door that keeps getting stuck, or a drawer that requires yanking? Try rubbing a bar of soap along the edges or the tracks. You’ll be shocked at how it fixes the problem.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (4)

2. Squeaky Hinges

From floorboards to door hinges, a dry soap bar can stop the squeaks. Just rub the soap on the squeaky areas and repeat if necessary.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (5)

3. Foggy Mirrors

If you have places to be and don’t have time for a foggy mirror after showering, try this trick. Before you bathe, rub a bar of soap all over the dry glass. Use a dry cloth to wipe away streaks. Magically, the mirror will remain fog-free!

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (6)

4. Chewed Up Furniture

Don’t waste money on a bad-tasting pet deterrent for your puppy. Instead, protect wood furnitureby swiping the legs with a bar of soap, which will make them much less tasty.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (7)

5. Stuck Zipper Teeth

Rub a bar of soap over the zipper teeth to help it glide better. Make sure the soap is dry so you don’t get anything on the clothing.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (8)

6. Itchy Bug Bites

A bar of soap can work just as well on a fresh bug bite as an itch cream like hydrocortisone. Try rubbing the dry bar all over the bite for quick relief.

Trending on Cheapism

10 Reasons You Should Reconsider Donating to Goodwill
Sorry, but These 32 Collectibles Are Now Worthless
Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (11)

7. Stuck Rings

Lather up a bar of soap and warm water and scrub it around the offending ring. It should help make things slippery enough that the ring slides right off.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (12)

8. Fabric Stains

Stop wasting money on stain removers that are supposed to target one type of stain — you can use a bar of soap to scrub out most types of mishaps. From food stains to grease stains on fabric, wetting the material and then rubbing a bar of soap over the stain can help erase it.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (13)

9. Garden Pests

Gardeners know the secret to keeping deer, rabbits, and squirrels from munching on plants: a bar of Irish Spring soap. Really, any type of deodorant soap that has a strong scent will work. Put the soap in an old pair of tights or a plastic bag with holes, and place it at the base of the plant.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (14)

10. Selling Your Car

Listing a car for sale? Write the information with soap on the windows. Soap art is also a fun, albeit possibly annoying, activity for kids to decorate your car for a special occasion.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (15)

11. Wall Holes From Pictures

Soap is the perfect solution for leftover holes from artwork. Try this hack before spending money on a specialty repair product. Rub the soap over the wall hole back and forth until a seal forms. Wipe up any soap residue left on the wall.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (16)

12. Sewing Pincushion

Attention all sewing enthusiasts: Keeping your needles in a bar of soap can help keep them nice and sharp. Wrap the soap in fabric if you want to get extra crafty.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (17)

13. Broken Glass

Next time you shatter something in the kitchen, reach for a bar of soap after you sweep. Run the wet bar of soap over the area where the glass shards are — it will pick up all the little bits.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (18)

14. Hidden Leaks

A bar of soap can be used to find a leak in anything from an inflatable pool to a bike tire, to a gas leak. A wet bar of soap will form bubbles when there’s air movement, magically finding the leak.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (19)

15. Freshening Up Stinky Shoes

Soap is the perfect solution to unsavory-smelling athletic shoes or any other shoes your feet have been sweating in. Just drop a bar of soap in each shoe overnight and in the morning, your shoes will smell fresh and clean.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (20)

16. Clean Fingernails

Whether you’re in the garden, working on your car, or doing any sort of project that leads to filthy fingernails, soap is the solution to dirt-caked tips. Just scrape your nails across the bar so that slivers of soap stay underneath the tips, then rinse your nails when done with your project.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (21)

17. Stuck Sliding Glass Doors

Rub a bar of soap along the bottom track for a fast trick when your slider is stuck. The soap will create lubrication to help the door run more smoothly.

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (22)

18. Homemade Shaving Cream

There’s no need to spend money on pricey specialty shave creams when you can easily create your own from soap. Mix up one part of hot water and one part of grated soap shavings to create a foamy concoction.

For more clever household tips,sign up for our free newsletters.

"; adSidebar.innerHTML = adUnit; adPlace.append(adSidebar) stickySidebar.append(adPlace) }) ()

Smart Uses for Bars of Soap (2025)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Rob Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 5975

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rob Wisoky

Birthday: 1994-09-30

Address: 5789 Michel Vista, West Domenic, OR 80464-9452

Phone: +97313824072371

Job: Education Orchestrator

Hobby: Lockpicking, Crocheting, Baton twirling, Video gaming, Jogging, Whittling, Model building

Introduction: My name is Rob Wisoky, I am a smiling, helpful, encouraging, zealous, energetic, faithful, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.