tiny step #14 – reusing soap chips

• put all the soap chips in the foot of an old stocking, hang it near a faucet outside to wash  hands

• break up the last remains of the soap bar, put in a pump bottle, add some water, shake and you have liquid soap

• make a soapy scrubber. place small bits of leftover soap into a square of nylon netting, fold the netting so there are several layers around the soap, then tuck in all the edges with heavy thread. use for scrubbing collar stains or cleaning hands after gardening or painting.

• 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.
• 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.

• 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.

for ways to turn soap chips and slivers into new soap visit:

oatmeal soap

turn soap scraps into soap bars

nylon soap balls

making handmilled soap

for products to help you save soap visit:

sponge soap saver

soap saver bags

owl wash cloth & soap sack

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