Can you melt down a bar of soap?

mumoftwo

I recently aquired lots of Johnsons baby soap (through the Tesco loophole on this site)

I would like to make little heart shaped soaps. Would it be possible to melt the soap and re-pour into moulds. If so, how (in the microwave, over water, like chocolate) do I have to add anything to it

I am trying to be moneysaving an re-use things I have for presents

mumoftwo

oh well, if no one knows I should just try it and see!!

Ishtar

Hiya
I got a method for doing this off t'internet (I'll have a look and see if I've still got it bookmarked). If I recall correctly, you grate it and melt like chocolate over a pan of water, but you have to keep stirring until it goes really stringy...can take a while, but once it gets this far you can remould.

There might be an easier way of doing it, though.....

I'll have a look for the link...

D.

This wasn't the method I used but follows a similar method...click here

moanymoany

Yes. Do a trial run. Grate one bar and melt it either on defrost in the microwave, or in a bowl over boiling water.

If you look at Martha Stewart website there are soap ideas there. I'm sure that's where I saw the grating thing.

WARNING - don't be tempted to add milk. Mine all went nasty eugh!

moanymoany

oops - something went wrong there and the post appeared twice!

craftycrofty

Any ideas on what to do with the ends of soap that I can't bear to throw out?!

CC

Ishtar

craftycrofty wrote: »

Any ideas on what to do with the ends of soap that I can't bear to throw out?!

CC

My parents have this mould that you put ends into and when you have enough you squash it together after softening the soap in hot water. I've seen one recently, but haven't been able to find it again - I was sure it was in the Natural Collection catalogue....will continue to look.....

D

craftycrofty

Ishtar wrote: »

My parents have this mould that you put ends into and when you have enough you squash it together after softening the soap in hot water. I've seen one recently, but haven't been able to find it again - I was sure it was in the Natural Collection catalogue....will continue to look.....

D

Thanks! In my mind I had a feeling that you could get some kind of device to squash down soap but I thought I had imagined it! Nice to know I'm not going mad!

I looked on the Natural Collection Website, but didn't find anything - will keep looking too.

Anyone else heard of these or where you can get them from?

CC

Alexandra1980

Just put the whole 150mg soap into the grader,heat a small pan with 100ml of water and add the graded soap continuously mix in low heat till melted and after put to favourite mould. That's it,and you get the form as you want;)+

[Deleted User]

I remake odd ends of soap by melting grated up bits in an old jam jar in the microwave in a little bit of water ,once its gloopy enough to pour I use the top and bottom of the sort of plastic soap holder you use on holiday to carry your soap in your wash bag I think I paid ten pence for it at a boot sale, the top and bottom I lay side by side and fill with the soap mix then leave it to harden off on the top shelf of my airing cupboard for about a week until its set and dried out

Voila two bars of soap and all the end bits used up.
I have an old plastic cheese grater that I also bought at a boot sale to use specifically for grating soap with.
Don't put too much water in the jam jar or it will be too wet, just possibly enough to cover it and blast it 20 seconds at a time, and remember to use a cloth or oven glove when you take the jam jar out to give it a stir to make sure its melted to a soft gloopy slop

Not too sloppy or it will take ages to set.
I use an old knitting needle to give it a stir. Should be the consistency of a slightly sticky thick batter

Nothing ever gets wasted in my house at all I keep the odds and ends of soap in a washed out empty baked bean tin under the sink and once full remake into two bars of soap As I usually have the same soap, it just means every now and again I have two 'free' bars of Dove soap made from the ends
Hope this helps a bit

JackieO xx