Does Grating Soap and Placing It in the Corner of Your Home Work?

18 September, 2024

Soap is an indispensable part of modern life. Apart from its primary cleaning function, soap offers a myriad of wonderful uses that many people are unaware of. Some people occasionally cut soap into small pieces and place them in corners of their homes to take advantage of an interesting effect it has.

What is the purpose of cutting soap into small pieces and placing them in the corners of the house?

The answer is to repel mosquitoes – a pest that carries many dangerous diseases.

Are you annoyed by the buzzing of mosquitoes but unable to catch them? Try repelling them with soap, specifically by cutting soap into small pieces and placing them in the corners of your house. It will act as an effective mosquito repellent.

What is the purpose of cutting soap and placing it in the corners of the house? (Photo: The Guardian)

First, prepare a bowl or container and a bar of soap. Cut a small piece of soap and place it in the bowl, then add just enough water. Use a chopstick to stir until the soap completely dissolves in the water.

Place the bowl of soapy water in mosquito-prone areas such as room or house corners. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, so they are attracted to places with water. The alkaline water will kill the mosquitoes quickly. Leave the bowl overnight, and you will find many dead mosquitoes floating on the surface.

Additionally, if mosquitoes lay their eggs in the soapy water, the eggs will not hatch. By periodically cutting soap into small pieces and placing them in the corners of your house once a month, you can ensure a mosquito-free home.

Some additional uses of soap besides cleaning

Apart from laundry, washing, and getting rid of mosquitoes by cutting soap and placing it in the corners of the house, you can also use soap for the following purposes:

Fixing stuck drawers and sliding doors

If your drawers or sliding doors are difficult to open smoothly, you can rub the edges of the drawers or the door tracks with soap to restore their smoothness. This also works for stuck locks, squeaky hinges, and other similar issues.

Additionally, if you’re having trouble screwing into wood, press the screw into a bar of soap to coat the threads with soap before screwing it in.

Freshening wardrobes, cars, and luggage

If you want your wardrobe drawers, storage cabinets, luggage, or car to smell fresh, place a fragrant bar of soap in these locations. You should peel off the outer wrapping of the soap and wrap it in a cloth before placing it in the desired location. This can also be useful for shoes and boots.

Filling small holes

If your walls have small holes, such as nail holes left after moving a painting, choose a bar of soap that matches your wall color, rub it on the holes to fill them, and then paint over it. This is a very effective method.

Preventing foggy mirrors and glasses

If you dislike your bathroom mirror fogging up after a hot shower, a bar of soap can solve this problem. When the mirror is completely dry, rub the soap on the glass. Do not add water; simply use a dry cloth to wipe away any dirt. The next time you shower, your mirror will surely remain fog-free. This also works for eyeglasses.

Finding punctures in tires or swimming pools

If you can’t locate a puncture in your car tire or a children’s swimming pool, dampen a bar of soap and rub it over the tire or pool. The soap will create bubbles as the air escapes.

Deterring pets from chewing on furniture

Simply rub soap on the legs or edges of wooden furniture to effectively deter dogs and cats from chewing on them.

Making your own bath milk

Many people use this method to make bath milk. Grate half a bar of soap, mix it with boiling water, and stir until the soap dissolves completely. Then, let it cool down completely and add coconut oil, fresh milk, etc., to the mixture. Finally, pour it into a dispenser.

Cleaning up broken glass

If you have broken glass on your floor, use a bar of soap to gently press on the affected area. The soap will effectively pick up the tiny shards of glass.

According to VTC

Frequently asked questions

Yes, grating soap and placing it in the corners of your home can be an effective pest control method. The strong scent of the soap, especially when grated, can help repel insects and rodents.

The strong scent of the soap masks the scents that pests use to navigate, effectively disorienting them and driving them away. The scent of soap can also be unpleasant to pests, further encouraging them to avoid the area.

Any strongly-scented soap will work, but natural, organic soaps tend to be the most effective. Soaps with scents like peppermint, citronella, and lavender are good options as these scents are particularly disliked by pests.

The soap will continue to work as a pest repellent until the scent fades, which can take a few weeks to a few months depending on the soap and the environment. You can extend the life of your grated soap by placing it in an area with good airflow and replacing it once the scent diminishes.

Place the grated soap in areas where pests are a problem, such as corners, cupboards, and entryways. You can also put grated soap in drawers, wardrobes, and linen closets to keep pests away from your stored items.