Melted soap can be used for a myriad of projects! This is a great way to save money on liquid hand soaps or other personal hygiene items. By melting bits of soap that would otherwise be thrown away, you can make cheap hand or body soaps. Just follow a few, simple steps to melt the soap and use it in any project you have in mind.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Melt the Soap Fragments on the Fire
Step 1. Collect the fragments of all the old bars of soap you can find
In total, you should get roughly 115g of fragments, which is the weight of an average bar of soap. If you want, you can also use a whole stick of soap. Any bar of soap will do, whether whole, chopped or in fragments.
Step 2. Chop the bar of soap with a cheese grater
A regular four-sided metal grater will work just fine, but a smaller hand grater should also give you the same result. Your goal should be to cut the larger pieces into smaller pieces so that you can dissolve them more easily.
If you don't have a cheese grater handy, you could also use a citrus grater or peeler
Step 3. Heat the soap bits in a pot along with eight or nine cups (about two liters) of water
Heat the pieces of soap in a large saucepan until they melt, setting the heat to medium-low. If you're going to make a creamy shower gel instead of liquid hand soap, use less water. The more water you use, the more diluted the final product will be.
If you are worried about the idea of reusing the saucepan for cooking, risking to contaminate the food with the soap ingredients, it is better to use an old pot and reserve it exclusively for this purpose. Alternatively, buy a cheap one, perhaps second-hand
Step 4. Remove the soap from the heat
Let it rest covered for 12-24 hours. The soap will thicken overnight. If it doesn't reach the desired consistency, you can reheat it and make any necessary adjustments.
If you continue to have doubts about the consistency of the soap, mix it further with a whisk or blender
Method 2 of 3: Soften the Soap in the Microwave Oven
Step 1. Cut the soap base into cubes and place them in a glass bowl
Glass is preferable to plastic, as the latter can absorb the scented oils found in the soap.
- If you are going to make soap bars, weigh the amount of soap you have available in advance so that it will be good for the type of mold you will be using.
- If in doubt about the capacity of the mold, fill it with water and then pour it into a measuring jug.
- It is better to use 15-30g of soap more than the capacity of the mold.
Step 2. Cover the glass bowl with a sheet of cling film and place it in the microwave
Covering the container helps keep the moisture inside. Heat the soap every 30 seconds.
It is important to avoid heating the base too much, otherwise you risk ruining the integrity of the soap
Step 3. Stir the soap to make sure it has melted completely
Look for lumps. If you find any, cover the bowl with soap again and heat it for another 30 seconds in the microwave.
Method 3 of 3: Melt the Soap in a Water Bath
Step 1. Chop the soap with a cheese grater
You can also use a peeler. Reducing the size of the larger pieces of soap will help you melt them more easily.
Alternatively, if you have soap sticks, you can cut them into cubes
Step 2. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil
If you have a saucepan for cooking in a double boiler, it will be fine for this procedure, otherwise you can use a medium-sized saucepan.
Step 3. Put the grated or diced soap in a glass bowl
Place the bowl in the double boiler or saucepan. The heat of the boiling water will begin to gradually melt the soap.
If you are using goat's milk soap, adding a tablespoon of water to two cups of soap will help bind the bits or pieces of product together
Step 4. Stir the soap every two minutes or so
Stir the pieces frequently until they begin to dissolve and join together. In any case, stirring too frequently or too much energy could cause bubbles to form. The best thing to do is to simply stir the soap every couple of minutes.
If the bits or pieces of soap don't melt, add one teaspoon of water at a time (up to a maximum of three teaspoons)
Step 5. Remove the soap from the heat once it is almost entirely smooth and homogeneous
Consider that it is difficult for it to become perfectly and completely smooth. It is normal for it to be slightly grainy.
