6 Ways to Recycle Soap Slivers
By DIY Maven
While I let my soap slivers dissolve at the foot of my shower, Alan Hayes is saving his. Why? Maybe he’s trying to save the planet one soap sliver at a time. Maybe he’s just thrifty. Either way, the herbologist has some very clever ways to make the most out of those little pieces of soap.
1. To make soap on a rope, sew up a drawstring bag, say, out of an old washcloth, and deposit your soap bits inside. Next, throw in a couple of tablespoons of dried herbs, like chamomile and lavender plus a couple of tablespoons of medium ground oatmeal to act as a skin softener. Hang the bag from your showerhead and it’s ready to use.
2. To recycle your soap scraps into new bar soap, place 2 cups of grated soap scraps in a saucepan and cover them with water. Let them soak for 24 hours, giving them a stir every now and then. Next, bring the pan to a boil, remove it from heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil for each cupful of soap soup. Pour the mixture into molds–milk cartons work great. After they’ve hardened, you can cut them into smaller bars, but let them cure for two weeks before you use them.
3. To make gel hand/body soap, put the soap bits in a jar of hot water and add some lemon juice and glycerine. Shake well, and you’re done.
4. To make a cleaning gel, place 2 cups of grated soap bits in a saucepan, covering them with water. Wait 24 hours, stirring the soap soup now and then. After 24 hours, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and then whisk or mash the mixture to completely dissolve the soap. Remove from heat and allow to cool. For each cup of soap gel in the pan, add two cups of talcum powder and two tablespoons of mineral turpentine. Mix the concoction well and store in a wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid. This super-soap can be used as a general purpose household cleaner as well as a laundry aid.
5. To make an all-purpose stain remover, put 4 cups of finely grated soap bits in an enamel or stainless steel saucepan along with 3 tablespoons of eucalyptus oil, one cup of methylated spirits and one cup of boiling water. Alan then says to, “Stand the saucepan in a larger pan of hot water over a medium heat, stirring the mixture until it turns clear.” After that, you’re to poor the soap into molds–again, empty milk cartons work best–and let them cool. You can cut them into small bars later, but you should wait 4 weeks for them to fully harden. When it’s time to remove a stain, moisten the bar and rub on the offending spot and then launder as usual. Probably because of the methylated spirits, this recipe is particulary good for removing grease stains.
6. If you feel a bit more decadent, you can turn your soap leftovers into yummy honey and oatmeal soap. To do so, place 2 cups of grated soap scraps into a saucepan, cover with cold water and let stand 24 hours. Then, add 2 tablespoons of honey and simmer, stirring occasionally until the soap melts. Remove the pan from the stove and then stir in 1 cup of medium ground oatmeal and 2 tablespoons of glycerine. Mix well and then pour into molds. After they have cooled, you can cut them into smaller bars, but let them cure about 6 weeks before you use them.
For more information about Alan and to visit his website, go to itssonatural.com. Via.
'Goldsworthy' soap scrap sculpture courtesy of juicyrai on flickr.
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Abscondio
I use them up in a much simpler way: two sets of those exfoliate-y, scrubby "shower gloves". Two gloves per hand, slip the soap slivers between them and go to town.
runawayoctober
Great ideas, I really like the soap on a rope.
My husband usually just sticks the sliver to the top of the new soap bar.
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