How to Make Soap From Old Soap

Press moist soap scraps into a mold to make rustic hand-molded soap.

Tiny scraps of soap are unattractive and annoying to use. Save your scraps of soap to make decorative soap balls for the guest bathroom. You can also press the scraps into a mold to make new soap bars. Buy soap molds at hobby supply stores, or if you wish to recycle while you recycle your soap, use empty mint tins for your soap molds. Hand-molded or shaped soap has an attractive rustic appearance.

Things You'll Need

• Dry scraps of soap
• Large bowl
• Grater
• 1 tbsp. water
• Large spoon
• Soap molds (optional)

Instructions

1. Grate dry soap scraps into a large bowl.

2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of warm water over the scraps. Stir the water into the soap to moisten all the scraps. Add more water if necessary.

3. Allow the soap to sit until it softens, about 10 minutes. Grab a handful of the soap and squeeze it into a ball. Squeeze until the ball feels solid. If you leave any air pockets, the ball will fall apart when it is used. As an alternative method, you may press the softened soap firmly into a mold instead of squeezing it by hand. Again, try to press out any air pockets. Press or shake the soap out of the mold. You may remove the soap from the mold immediately.

4. Place the soaps in a well-ventilated place and allow them to dry for two weeks. Squeeze the soap balls every few days as they dry to keep them round. Soap shaped in a mold will not have to be squeezed, but it should rest on its largest side as it dries.

Tips & Warnings

• Save your soap scraps in an open bowl or box in your linen closet--they will add a fresh scent to your linen.

• Choose a mold with straight or tapered sides so the soap will slip from the mold easily.

References

• "The Complete Soapmaker"; Norma Coney; 1996
• How Can I Recycle This?: How Can I Reuse or Recycle...Bits of Old Soap