My 18 uses for Dr. Bronner's Soap

Many people wonder what the 18 uses are that are mentioned on the Dr. Bronner's liquid soap label. I don't know all of the uses that the doctor had in mind, but here are mine.

1. Hand Soap. Dilute with water and fill a foaming hand soap dispenser (thanks, joyce).
2. Counter Top Spray. Dilute in spray bottle, clean the kitchen as you go!
3. Floor Spot cleaner. I don't clean the whole floor with it, but it works great for little messes in between cleanings.
4. Face wash. I like the Tea Tree for my face. Beware: if you don't have oily skin, you may find it too drying.
5. Body Wash. I like the foaming dispenser in the shower too, but a wash cloth works well.
6. Body Scrub. I love this so much, you can read why here.
7. Baby Wipe Solution. I use a jar that holds about 25 ounces. Put in 1 Tbsp. aloe vera gel and 1 Tbsp. olive oil, fill with hot water and shake until gel is dissolved. Top off with water and 1Tbsp. Dr. Bronner's and swirl around to mix. Pour it over your cloth baby wipes. I use the baby mild soap for this. Don't shake to mix the soap because it will get too foamy.
8. Baby Wash. Don't get it in your baby's eyes. I got it in my eyes once and it doesn't feel good.
9. Hand-wash Wool Soakers. Wool soakers are covers for cloth diapers, for those of you who are wondering.
10. Laundry Stain Remover. Works great, but I did have to treat twice on marinara sauce.

The following are uses I haven't tried yet but am planning to:

1. Dog Wash.
2. Car Wash.
3. Face Scrub.
4. Make-up Brush Cleaner.

A few uses that are a good idea but don't work for me:

1. Shampoo.
2. Laundry Soap.
3. Toothpaste.
4. Dish Soap.

How many more can you come up with?

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minty body scrub and homemade alternative

I recently splurged on the most wonderful body scrub! Bigelow Mentha Smoothing Body Buffer feels cool and smells refreshingly minty. It's a great wake up after a late night with my little teether. I also love that I can smell it on my husband from across the room for a little while after showering. With two people using it daily it will definitely go fast. The thing is, I am now addicted but don't want to buy a new tube every couple of weeks. The cost and all the plastic tubes going in the trash are both turn-offs. Today I mixed a little sugar and some Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to try making my own version. It worked great! I don't want to make too much at a time because I don't know how it will last, but I think I'll start with a week's worth and see how it goes. Will the soap dissolve the sugar if I make a big batch and let it sit? For my test batch I just used as much sugar as I thought it would take for one shower and stirred in a little soap at a time until I got the consistency I was looking for. The bonus is that the store-bought one says to follow with body wash and the homemade version has the soap right in it, so one less step in the morning. I highly recommend the body lotion from Bigelow to keep the peppermint tingle going a little longer!

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