Soap From Old Scraps - How Much Do You Need & Is It Worth It?

in #soap • 6 years ago

As a Prepper, I like to experiment with all kinds of things that contribute to the longevity of my gear and resources. This includes the recycling and repurposing of all that is around me. Although I have heard of re-using old scraps of soap, I had never tried it, so with some time to spare, I gave it a go, but how much do you need?

PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (2).JPG
It took me many weeks to save my little hoard of scrap and shrunken soap bars. So, with an assorted batch of 35 bars of soap, here we go.
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (3).JPG
To add some additional SPICE/FLAVOUR and enhancement to my little concoction, I added a variety of essential oils into the mix.
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (1).JPG
Wrap them up in some muslin cloth, tight woven cloth or even dishcloth (what I used).
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (4).JPG
Next, I dipped them into a bowl of very hot, but not boiling water and left them to soak for an hour. Essential oils dripped in.
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (5).JPG
After a while the soap remnants started to soften and blend together. At this point I twisted & tightened the cloth to compress the parts all together.
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (6).JPG
Remove from water and cloth. The final product - A ball shaped and multi-coloured lump of soap, infused with essential oils.
PVUKs SOAP MAKING EFFORT (8).JPG
It may not look pretty, but it provides me with another bar of soap.
I could have moulded it into a different shape, but wasn't too bothered about that (It's for personal use anyway).

Was It Worth It?

In a nutshell, YES! Without hoarding things, if it has a future known use, then it may well be worth saving. For the amount of space the scraps of soap took up, I may aswell do it again, although 35 bars of soap does take a long time to accumilate. I would guess that to make a 'full-size' bar of soap, you would need around the 50-70 bar range.

#recycling #essentialoils #homesteading #preppers
6 years ago in #soap by
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     6 years ago 

    I save my scraps and put them in a little mesh bag and use them that way. Never thought to melt them into a cohesive ball! And to add essential oils--great idea!

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     6 years ago 

    Thanks.... Better to re-use than to throw away..

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     3 years ago 

    Hello, this is very familiar to me. My mother is unbearably fond of saving money on everything. When I invite her to visit me, she collects all kinds of waste around the apartment. Empty bottles of shampoo, for example, cosmetics, soap, and various household chemicals. Although I will not say that my mother is some beggar, there is a sin behind it. After that, when I'm at her house, I discreetly throw out the trash and put new products. I bought her a lot of soft soap at Mild Soaps LLC. She was so happy. She thanked me for a few days as if I had given her a car. I hope she will not accumulate pieces of soap again to make a new piece of soap. Well, I don't think people who do this are weird, but I want my mom to use only the best. She deserves it)

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       6 years ago 

      Congratulations, your post has been selected to be included in my weekly Sustainability Curation Digest for the Minnow Support Project.

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       6 years ago 

      Thank you very much @pennsif - I appreciate it.

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       6 years ago 

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       6 years ago 

      Well done. Nice touch adding the essential oil! I'm on board. I did this once a long time ago. Takes a long time to collect enough scraps given we are just 2 people. Good to see ya posting!

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       6 years ago 

      Been busy with fit-out stuff and a quick trip.... Post coming soon

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       6 years ago 

      Howdy sir preppervetuk! Hey I've never even thought of this! That's a great idea and could be very handy to know how to do if there are shortages in the future or just to utilize them if one cares to do so. Very clever. My wife the penny pincher will love this idea!

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         3 years ago 

        Hello, this is very familiar to me. My mother is unbearably fond of saving money on everything. When I invite her to visit me, she collects all kinds of waste around the apartment. Empty bottles of shampoo, for example, cosmetics, soap, and various household chemicals. Although I will not say that my mother is some beggar, there is a sin behind it. After that, when I'm at her house, I discreetly throw out the trash and put new products. I bought her a lot of soft soap at Mild Soaps LLC. She was so happy. She thanked me for a few days as if I had given her a car. I hope she will not accumulate pieces of soap again to make a new piece of soap. Well, I don't think people who do this are weird, but I want my mom to use only the best. She deserves it)

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