Using up old soap

ChocClare

There was a post on here a while ago about using ends of old bars of soap to make... can't remember - either liquid soap or laudry gloop?

Could anyone give me the instructions to make either? (Have to confess I'm not actually sure what laundry gloop is...)

Thanks in advance!

Lillibet_2

I tend to use my old soap as.........soap! Why don't people use the last little slivers? My Hubby complains that I won't issue a new bar until the very last little bit is used up but I grew up with my Grandad who had a war time hang-over from soap rationing & was taught to use it wisely. (Was it actually rationed or just very scarce? ) I'm also fanatical abotu unwrapping & drying out the bars before using them to make them last longer, drying them off after use & making sure they rest in an airy position & not in a puddle of water:eek: Thinking about it, I may be slightly obsessional.........:rolleyes:

However, I have been know to dissolve/grate the slivers in boiling water & decant into a pump dispenser for liquid soap when feeling partically rash:D

mah_jong

I just get the new bar of soap and stick the sliver to it with water .... after a coule of uses it has welded itsself to the new bar.

Magentasue

mah_jong wrote:

I just get the new bar of soap and stick the sliver to it with water .... after a coule of uses it has welded itsself to the new bar.

That's what I do but I have started making washing powder. Half a bag of soda crytals (50p ish from Asda) and a bar of cheap soap (21p for three bars) grated and mixed together.I'm on my second batch and this time ran it through my blender which mixes it perfectly, so I chucked in the end of a soap bar. I use two tablespoons for a normal wash, three is there's anything
muddy whatever.

The washing powder works very well on a 40 degree wash for everyday clothes but I'm using Asda detergent for my weekly wash of whites.

squeaky

Recipes for Laundry Gloop, shower gloop, and HM laundry powder can be found in the Home Made Products section of our Zillions Sticky

Austin_Allegro

Like Mah-Jong I just 'graft' the old sliver onto the new bar - just roughen both edges with a nailbrush to give a good grip. If you always use the same type of soap you don't even notice the join after a few washes.

catznine

I used to have a "soap sam" I think it was called from betterware. You grated up all the leftover soap added a few drops of water and popped it into the soap sam. Put on the lid and leave for a while and some time later 1 new multi coloured bar of soap! The kids used to play with it and I still have numerous multi coloured bars of soap around the house!

Bogof_Babe

I rotate soap round the house - the new bar always goes for the bath, then when it is getting a bit smaller it is transferred to the hand basin. When it gets smaller still it comes downstairs to the kitchen, and by the time it is just a sliver the next one is coming along to stick to it!

I start new soaps for the downstairs cloakroom if anyone is visiting, and keep whatever is left from the old one to supplement the kitchen "bits" if ever I don't recycle the upstairs stuff quickly enough. If we go a long time between visitors, I bring out a bottle of liquid handwash to eke the soap dregs out a bit longer. However I sometimes put a nice liquid handwash dispenser out for visitors as well as the bar of soap, if I've seen a good offer on it.

Is everything in life this complicated?

Ticklemouse

I'm with Lillibet on this one. I use it to the very last little bit when it disappears into nothing as you use it - although I always make sure my guests have a proper bar. I also buy soap in advance and keep it stored in the airing cupboard. my mum and Grandma used to say that if it's old and really dry, then it lasts longer. Don't know if that's actually true, but it's a habit I've got into anyway. Currently only have 15+ bars in the airing cupboard

ChocClare

Thanks for all the ideas, chaps!

I also operate on the old and dry principle - I have soap in my cupboard which I know has been there at least seven years! I also have a bag of bits, which I used to stick together a la catznine idea to make new soap, but I wanted to try something different. My husband is French and buys soap whenever he goes to France as he thinks it vastly superior to English stuff: as he operates on a siege mentality there's always loads of it! Hence my reason for doing something else with the ends. Squeaky's post was the one I was thinking of but many thanks for all the other ideas - Magenta Sue's sounds interesting too - experiment time coming up!

cardtart_2

can anyone tell me what to do with thease little bits of left over soap, Ive tried sticking them together but they come apart and block the plughole up,or crumble into little pieces. So I end up thorwing them away which must add up to a few pounds over the long run