Castile soap

low hazard

Also: olive-oil soap, liquid castile

HygieneCleaningFirst aid

Real soap. Body, hair, dishes, laundry, and the first step of wound care: wash dirt out with soap and clean water before anything fancy.

Shelf life: Indefinite (bars last longest)
Container: Original bottle or wrapped bars
Grade: True soap (saponified oils), not detergent blends if you can help it

What it does

▸Hand and body wash
▸Dishes and laundry (needs a rinse; hard water takes more)
▸Cleaning dirt from minor skin wounds before a dressing

Store

▸Bars in a dry box. Liquid is fine above freezing.

Hazards

▸Eye irritant. Not a disinfectant by itself.

Never mix

Household bleach Calcium hypochlorite

In the field

Wound logic: soap + clean water to remove debris, then a clean dressing. Skip bleach, skip peroxide soaks, skip iodine baths on healthy tissue unless a clinician told you otherwise.

Source

Dr. Bronner’s-style unscented, or any true bar soap. Fragrance-free for wound and baby use.