That may sound like a small thing, but I'd already worked out my budget, so even the few dollars to buy more right now would have pinched. I do have a stash of bar soap I hardly ever use... I really hate the way it goops up, hate how it feels as the bar starts to get old.
But - that made this not a crisis, but an irritation. It wasn't like we were doomed to a life without the ability to wash our hands.
I thought about it a bit, and realized that the quality I dislike (the way it melts into a gross mess when it gets wet) should allow me to turn it into liquid soap. And hey... if it didn't work, I wasn't any worse off than I was.
I looked over my stash of bar soap... plenty of Ivory soap, and various mini facial soaps from hotels. I had no idea how much I might need to fill my now-empty pump bottle of Soft Soap, but I guessed, and took one bar of Ivory, and 2 travel facial soaps. I took out a mixing bowl, tossed the smaller bars into the bowl, and started to shave the bar of Ivory into the bowl with the small bars.
And then I got bored, and just dumped the rest of the bar of Ivory into the bowl without breaking it up. (don't do that unless you've got lots of time). I added hot water to cover the soap, and left the bowl be for about a day, stirring and mashing with a whisk whenever I came into the kitchen.
After 24 hours, I had a large amount of creamy liquid soap with some large chunks from the bars still hanging out, so I got a strainer and poured the liquid through the strainer - the resulting soap feels like silk. I used a rolled up silicon hot pad to create a funnel, and poured the strained soap into the bottle - about a cup of soap was left over, so back into the bowl with the soap chunks it went.
I covered the remaining chunks again with hot water to cover, and then put that into a leftover spaghetti sauce jar to finish melting - when I use up the soap in my dispenser, I'll use this to replace it, straining again if need be. After three days, I can still see some Ivory floating at the top, and shake up the jar whenever it occurs to me.
This was a frugal SCORE - cost was nothing, it gets rid of soap bars that just take up space, recycles two containers that would otherwise be trash, and will allow me not to have to add soft soap to my budget for...well, forever.
Go me!
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I am all about saving some cash! I think this is a great idea because I too hate bar soap. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteOk! This is wonderful - I hate the bars when they get small and since The Bard needs to use Dove unscented, it gets small very quickly. I will begin saving these!!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! We use a glycerine based soap and I wonder if it would work the same?? I'm here from Java's Friday Follow and would love it if you stopped by and followed back!
ReplyDeleteOne other tip: If you have any leftover "foaming soap" dispensers, you don't need to buy the much more expensive foaming soap refills. All you need to do is put 1/4 regular liquid soap (any brand) and 3/4 room temp water into the dispenser and shake slowly until the two are combined. It saves a ton of money on the pricey foaming refills and actually lasts longer (at least in our house) than the regular liquid soaps!
Blessings,
Martha from http://a-real-upstate-ny-wife.blogspot.com/
I am following you from Friendly Friday. It isn't the first time I've been on your site, but I did just GFC.
ReplyDeleteLove the creativeness with the soap! I don't think I'd have the willpower to try a creation instead of just buying some soap! Good for you.
Daria
good idea! I used to make my own laundry soap, but due to those I am living with now frowning on it, I don't anymore.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we too, have lots of bar soap in the cupboard, so I will have to give this a try.
I'm in to follow you with U Follow Me I Follow U Friday.
Have a great day!
This is a great idea, and one i might try, cos i hate bar soap, never use it, but instead of buying liquid soap i could do this.
ReplyDeleteI came her cos you're no 7 on Follow me follow u Friday, so will join up as a follower, and hope you can pop over to me too!
thanks for sharing your experiment...I keep the bars around, but don't care for these so use my liquid soap instead....now I have a way to use it all up!!
ReplyDeleteNice one, I never would have thought of using bar soap! Thanks for the green tip, off to look for my stash of bar soaps! Deb
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. A few years ago my cousin gave me a soap saver. I use Dove soap in the bath and shower because our water is hard. The little mesh bag allows you to put the ends of your bar soap inside it. It works like a scrubby and and you use all of the soap bar. Now I can use my bar bits to make liquid soap as well. Thank you.
ReplyDeletekim-lettersfromtheshore@blogspot.com
Thank you for sharing a wonderful idea! I make my own laundry soap so I always have plenty of bar soap on hand.
ReplyDeleteNeat idea! Bar soap grosses me out, so I'll have to try your technique with the gifts I have tucked away and gathering dust.
ReplyDeleteBtw, thanks for joining my Autumn Hop!! :D