8 Surprising Uses for a Bar of Soap Around Your Home

Even if you're a fan of liquid soap, don't give up on the old-fashioned bar of soap, because it can be used to do some amazing things in your home. You can even make your own liquid soap! Just pick your favorite brand and scent, or take home free bars of soap from hotels. Here are our top 8 reasons to keep a bar of soap handy.

1. Fix sticky drawers and sliding doors
If drawers or sliding doors don't open smoothly, rub the bar of soap on the edges of the drawers or in the door tracks to help everything slide easily.

2. Freshen up drawers, cabinets, trunks and cars
Before using bars of soap, store scented bars of soap in drawers, closets, suitcases and car interiors for added freshness. Remove the outer wrapper, wrap the bars of soap in a piece of cloth (an old washcloth works well) and stow them away. This also works well in smelly shoes and boots.

3. Make it easier to assemble furniture
Whether you're a master woodworker or just want to assemble an IKEA bookcase, driving screws into wood can be tricky. Make your job easier by coating the screw's threads with a bar of soft soap. In the workshop, use a bar of soap to make an easy-to-remove mark as a cutting guide. Then use the piece of soap to coat the teeth of a hand saw so it'll slide through the wood better.

4. Hide a mistake
If there are a few small nail holes in the wall after moving pictures, choose a bar of soap that matches your wall color. Rub it over the hole to fill it until it's time to spackle and repaint.

5. Avoid paint splatters
When it's time to paint the trim next to glass panels or mirrors, rub a bar of soap on the glass next to the trim. If you get some paint on the glass, it'll be easy to remove with the soap, and this method is much faster than taping off the windows.

6. Loosen a sluggish lock
If a door lock is sluggish, drag the key across a dry bar of soap to coat the surface. Insert the coated key into the lock and operate it a few times. The lock should then be easier to operate.

7. Preventing fogged mirrors and glasses
If you hate a fogged mirror after a hot shower, a bar of soap can solve the problem. When the mirror is completely dry, rub a bar of soap over the glass. Don't add water, just buff away any streaks with a dry cloth. The next time you shower, it'll be fog-free! This also works for eyeglasses and sunglasses.

8. Stop the squeaking
A bar of soap is the solution to squeaky door hinges and floorboards. Simply rub a dry bar of soap on the edges of the squeaky areas. Test the squeak and reapply as needed.