7 Easy Tips to Wash Your Dishes with Castile Like a Pro (have them be squeaky-clean!)

Many people (like myself) switched to Castile soap for one reason or another. Once you replace one product in your home, you can find yourself wanting to replace more items - especially if you like saving money! One challenge Castile soap users face is dishwashing. Many new users struggle with a film over their washed dishes once they dry and find it to be unsatisfactory. It doesn't have to be that way. You can use Castile, if you so choose, and I'll tell you how in 7 easy tips.

So, how do you wash your dishes with Castile soap and actually get them clean?

There's a few things you should know:

1. You can't use Castile Soap like you would store-bought dish detergent.

   
   

   Because you're opting out of a detergent (that contains chemicals and emulsifiers,) you'll need to work the castile soap into your washrag, sponge, or cleaning brush and keep it sudsy by keeping the washrag/ sponge/ brush out of water. Creating just a little friction with a splash of water creates the bubbles you may be missing with store-bought dish detergents. Although you can achieve sudsy results with castile, it doesn't mean you'll get sudsy water by adding it into your sink.

   
   

   With store-bought detergents, you can have a sink full of sudsy water, not so with Castile.

   
   

   So, could you save on water while using Castile?

   
   

   The only way I can see having a sink full of water while washing with Castile is to have a "rinsing" station.

   
   

   After scraping, rinsing and scrubbing your dish, you could dip your dish into the clean "rinsing" tub of water to finish?

   
   

   To be honest, I don't think this would work too well. Especially if you're like me and love to get your dishes super sudsy. After a few dishes, you'd be dipping your dishes into increasingly Castile-ly water and you're bound to have soap residue on the latter portion of your dishes unless you drain and refill it periodically. If saving money on your water bill is very important to you, I'd suggest purchasing a detergent like Truly Free. Truly Free is made in America and supports the war against sex-trafficking. Two major wins in my book. Also, I've heard so many good things about Truly Free's products - I may just have to try some myself! Truly Free is not affiliated with my blog and did not sponsor this post, I love what they do and love to support USA made products. If you choose to wash in Castile - like I do- It will require a bit of "re-wiring" your brain to wash your dishes differently.

   
   

   Basically it all comes down to a few simple rules

   1. Use a clean washing utensil of your choosing to work up a very nice and rich lather of Castile.

   2. Scrape and Pre-Rinse your dishes.

   3. Keep your washing utensil sudsy by keeping it out of water and periodically adding more - as needed.

   4. A little elbow grease goes a long way; If you feel like your dishes don't "shine" like they ought, try giving it another scrub or simply "polish" it off with a clean kitchen towel.

   4a. For extremely tough or greasy dishes, remember that soaking is your friend. You can even put Castile soap in the water to help soften hard-to-clean dishes.

   
   

2. Using a washcloth made from natural fibers (or having a spongey characteristic) makes washing your dish much easier.

   
   

   You're probably aware of castile soap's natural ingredients, but did you know that Castile Soap works best with natural fibers? I prefer a handmade, 100% cotton, crocheted washrag from my great aunt (or myself.) Using store-bought rags (even if it's not 100% natural) or even an synthetic sponge will still work as long as you can achieve a nice lather with the Castile soap. If you use a bristle brush (which I definitely recommend for things like Mason Jars and Water Bottles,) you'll need to hold the bristle part in one hand, put a small amount of Castile in the hand holding the brush and spin the bristles in the same hand. Be careful to look away (or at least keep the brush a good distance from your face) in this process; Castile soap in the eyes is not pleasant - especially with essential oils! Ask me how I know. . .

   
   

3. Pre-rinse and scrape your dish before washing it with Castile.

Part of keeping your wash rag/ sponge/ brush clean enough to use for multiple dishes is taking the bulk of the mess out of the way before the cleaning utensil hits the dish. Doing this allows you to use the same rag for most (if not all) your dishes because your wash rag will be clean enough to scrub every dish without depositing food or debris back onto the dish. Also, another tip that saves me a LOT of headache as primary dish-washer is rinsing any dish that I have to put in the sink for later clean up. We've all been there, the kids just ate and they need put to bed yesterday. Just give the dish a quick rinse and you'll have a much easier time getting them clean later.

4. Do the easiest/ less dirty dishes first, then move on to the dirtier ones. This simple cleaning trick works for all things, including your dishes. Washing from least to most dirty will help keep your wash rag clean and save you more Castile soap.

5. Have some designated scraper tools/ rough brushes you're comfortable with using for dirtier dishes and cleaning out bottles/ mason jars. I absolutely love my designated "dirty brush" and my other brush tools that I actually clean my dishes with. My "dirty brush" (or primary scrub brush) is used for caked on, burnt messes that I don't want sticking to my primary wash rag or sponge. I use it to rough up the hard to clean places on my dish, rinse off the debris that have been scratched up, and repeat until I believe it's "clean" enough to be washed with my sudsy castile rag.

   
   

   I also have a Bottle Brush for Mason Jars, Water Bottles, or hard to reach places and a Hose Cleaning/ Straw Brush that has been the primary source of cleanliness in my toddlers' sippy cups. Without my trusty straw cleaner - that we received with a milking machine - my kids bottles would be toast by now, lol.
   

6. Remember that soaking (and baking soda) can be your best friend.
   

   For the most difficult dishes in your life, try soaking in hot Castile soap-water overnight. Proceed to scrub the dish with a scrubbing agent such as a designated "dirty brush" like I use OR simply pour a decent amount of Baking Soda onto your dish and scrub away! Only do this if scrubbing is allowed on your dish, make sure scrubbing will not ruin it.
   

7. You may have to double (or triple) wash extra dirty dishes or to get the film off your dish. Many people have complained about a "film" they see on their dishes washed with Castile soap. I have personally seen this happen only a handful of times during my usage of Castile - and I've been washing with Castile for about two years now. My guess as to why this could happen is improper cleaning or rinsing. By following the steps in this article, you'll likely not have to worry about a nasty look on your dishes and can enjoy looking into a sparkling, clean glass. Giving your dish a nice rub with a clean rag is never a bad idea either, I usually just give my dish a quick scrub again and the problem is solved.

I hope these tips help you on your Castile soap journey, I know it's made a huge difference in mine! If you were blessed by this content, please like this post, consider subscribing to the blog and find me on YouTube! I'd love to see your lovely faces there interacting with other likeminded homemakers/ natural-living enthusiasts.

God bless! <3

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and if you have any concerns, you need to discuss them with a trusted physician. Do not hesitate to go to the hospital if you feel it's necessary. I am not giving medical advice, speak with your doctor first before trying any new foods or routines that are food related. This content is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users are advised to always seek the advice of their physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions they may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. The website or platform is not liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information provided. Using the website does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. In case of a medical emergency, users are advised to call their doctor or 911 immediately.