Using up old soap

LameWolf

In any event, keep the stash in your underwear drawer - particularly the lovely verbena one, it'll make the clothes smell lovely. Also, if you store the soap in this way for a while, it doesn't seem to go squishy so readily, as if aging improves it, iyswim.

We have handwash pumps by the kitchen sink and on the basin in the bathroom for convenience, but use bar soap for our baths; we don't seem to have a problem with either germs or squishiness.:o Mr LW has Imperi@l Le@ther bar soap, and I use whatever nice hand-made soap I can get at craft fairs, which is too "girly" for Mr LW.:D Although currently I have some very nice rose-scented soap, which was a pressie from Sidny,one of my regular canine guests.:rotfl:(Sorry - waffling now).:o

PipneyJane

valk_scot wrote: »

Soap doesn't breed bugs, it's the dirt from your hands that breeds the bugs. If you have really dirty hands use the soap, rinse your hands then use the soap again to get both your hands and soap properly clean. and if you use a good draining soap dish then the soap won't go squshy. Modern sinks don't have decent soap draining indents on them, that's why all you young things think soap is doomed to go squishy.

Yes, and no. Wet soap is a breading ground for bugs - it's the fat content. The water emulsifies the soap just enough that the bugs can start munching. They prefer moisturising soaps like D*ve, with their higher fat content.

(Does anyone remember the BBC documentary, The Secret Life of the Family? One of the things the documentary team did was to use different light frequencies to show bacteria distribution throughout the home. There was a chain of brightly coloured, bacteria laden hand-prints leading away from the bathroom, which were traced to the soggy wet soap beside the sink.)

I agree with you, though. If it is dry and hard, soap is not a vector for infection. Theatre nurses and surgeons are taught that if they are allergic to, or get dermatitis from, the disinfectant scrubs, they can scrub their hands just as effectively with Velvet/Lifebuoy/carbolic/other-hard-soap but must scrub for 5 minutes instead of either 2mins (a povidone-iodine wash name-escapes-me*) or 3mins (Hibiscrub). However, that's a proper wash with a fresh nail brush, etc, in a sink that allows you to rinse from your finger tips down to your elbows without touching anything.

My late 1970's bathroom doesn't have proper soap draining spots, either. It does have an avocado green suite, though, and textured tiles on the walls. Horrible, horrible things. Somehow, it's survived the 9 years we've lived there. It was the first thing on the "to be redecorated" list and it'll be the last thing that gets done, behind the kitchen. (Kitchen roof is next.)




*Is it Biogram? I can see it. I can smell it. I can even taste it (they did a sore throat gargle, too). I just can't remember its name.

PipneyJane

rachbc wrote: »

The L'occitaine soap doesn't go soft - its fantstic stuff.

I've grated soap and turned it into hand wash before

I saw this post in the Making Liquid Soap thread that Zip mentioned earlier. Is that the recipe/technique you follow? Any hints or tips? What did you use as a preservative? I've seen comments about it separating - has that happened to you?

(Sorry for bombarding you with questions but that'd be my first choice.)

rachbc

Yes - just soap and hot water - if it seprates you can warm it back up and shake/ stir back together

bitterpill

*Is it Biogram? I can see it. I can smell it. I can even taste it (they did a sore throat gargle, too). I just can't remember its name.[/QUOTE]

are you thinking of betadine?

SailorSam

[QUOTE=PipneyJane;55339823

As well as the hotel freebees my husband has acquired, [/QUOTE]

Jane tell your hubby to stop pinching it from hotels on his travels and at least you'll have less of it.

DanJames_2

Hey, been here for a while without posting but I just stumbled across this thread.


Been interesting reading through, I use the soap saver as others have mentioned (ebay joesoap), works really well for my left over bits of soap.


However I got mine from one of their soap saving sets, it also has a mould which I use for my left over soap to make a new bar.


Dan

handymanni

A while ago while I was looking on this site I saw a post about making your own shower gel, shampoo and stuff from normal simple soap bars.

Been hunting around and cant find it anywhere.

Can someone direct me to this post or have a recipe?

Linda32

Sorry but I have to ask, why not just use the soap as soap. Its got to be easier and cheaper.

Would you need to buy further items to make the soap into showergel, that does not add up, unless I am missing something.

Tommelise

Plenty of options here:


http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=diy%20liquid%20handsoap&rs=ac&len=8