Reforming Soap Scraps

Many people buy bar soap in bulk, but the money you save often gets tossed when you stop using the scraps. Everyone does it. I got sick of throwing money in the trash and decided to start saving the scraps of bar soap. I melt them down once a quarter or so in a small saucepan and form a few new bars of 'mystery soap' that I then use just like normal soap. Beats ending up in a landfill. Here's how I did it.

Step 1: Collect the Soap

Save the soap scraps. I toss them into a drawer in my bathroom and wait until I have about 20 slivers of soap scraps. Personally, I use Ivory and Irish Spring, but you'll also find some Lava scraps in there too. Your preferences may vary, and you may want to separate them out if you're looking for consistency in the bars you make. Me, I don't really care.

Comments

[tonygoffe]

...NOW...if someone could just do an Instructable on "How to make a Soap Mold/Press" ..we'd be in Heaven !!!!!!! (with a Family Crest, of course !!!!! )

[heathbar64]

I've often wondered if you could remold soap. I was thinking of molding it in a mold with a custom family crest or something.
If you just want to avoid wasting the soap, why not just put a few pieces in a cloth bag and use it to wash with?

[dchall8]

I use a microfine grater (zester) to make soap dust. Then all you have to do is add a slight amount of water to the dust, stir it up, and put it into the mold. No heating involved.

[mguer133]

You could add olive oil, honey, condensed milk and double the amount of soap.

[Treasure Tabby]

Yup a great idea. I've done that before.
I just placed in a styrofoam cup with the slivers and some water , place it in to the microwave and then when the whole mess cooled I ended up with a nice round usable soap. But lately I've been lazy and I just throw them in to the toilet and let them dissolve in there.

[mofoya]

when I open a new bar I just get it and the old sliver wet while I'm in the shower and squeeze the sliver onto the new bar... after a couple of showers they fuse together permanently. No heating, no mess, no waste... I can see using this method if you have a lot of waste pieces though; or want to mix scents or something.

[slothman]

I do the same thing with the new bar of soap and the old sliver. This was a great instructable how to fuse bars of soap though.

[jessyratfink]

This is a great idea. I have a ton of soap scraps in a knitted bag, I might try this out!