Liquid Black Soap - the power of Natural Cleaning

It's not often you are pleased to find that the dog has been sick all over your rug but that's how I felt this morning (yay!). But why I can hear you cry? Because I have been testing out one of our new products in difficult household cleaning scenarios and "dog sick on the rug" is not one I have ticked off my list yet! Cleaning projects that have been tackled so far with great success are as follows:

- cleaning the hob (probably the most hated job in our house)

- cleaning stainless steel sinks

- cleaning the shower, including limestone surround and the rest of the bathroom

- mopping floors (not varnished wood mind you)

I have used Black Soap from France for years, buying it in tubes or tubs and bringing it home to cherish (and use!). It has become a staple in our cleaning cupboard and is the only thing my husband swears by for cleaning the hob and the cooker (this is his special job and he is very good at it). 

What is Black Soap and how do I use it?

It is a concentrated liquid Olive oil soap made in the Marseille region and is a stalwart of the Marseille soap family. It is a natural product made in a tradtional way for over a 100 years and is free from preservatives, colourings, parabens, surficants, sulphates, ammonias. It is completely biodegradable. 

It's a very strong product so for most jobs it is best to use diluted. Use half a bucket of warm water and about 1- 2 tablespoons of black soap liquid (or a dollop) depending on the job being tackled. Mopping floors - use more diluted. For cleaning our cast iron hob we use undiluted on a wet cloth and it is excellent for tackling greasy sticky burnt on stains. It is also really effective at cleaning the BBQ grill (use undiluted). There are loads of uses for this product. If you want to eliminate the use of chemicals in your home give this product a try. You can also use it in your garden - for cleaning paths and as a natural pesticide for greenfly and whitefly. More to come on this topic soon.

The only thing I would be very careful of is polished, varnished and gilded surfaces (such as varnished wood floors, gilded mirrors and picture frames). Oh, and we also have an option made with Almond and Linseed oils, this doesn't have the strong intense Olive fragrance of the original but is just as effective for your home cleaning, we actually love it for floors!

Let us know how you get on!