Fun Things to Do with Leftover Pieces of Soap

If you are a soap bar user, you know how tricky it is to use every little last bit up. Unless you are diligent and insist on lathering that bar until it disappears, you will likely be left with a morsel that might end up in the trash.

However, if you can be a little patient and save those slivers up, you can use them for DIY projects, from making an entirely new bar of soap to whizzing it up into liquid soap.

Take a look at these fun and simple ideas for using up old bars of soap.

Make a Whole New Bar of Soap

Source: Sunny Lin/YouTube

Once you have collected a few slivers of old soap bars you need to grate them into pieces. You can use a vegetable grater or even pop the soap pieces into your food processor. Just make sure you get all the soap out before you make your next batch of hummus!

Take your grated soap and add it to a glass or metal dish. You are going to use a double boiler to melt your soap. Put a pot on your stove with some water in the bottom, bring it to a boil and then set it to simmer. Put the glass or metal bowl of soap bits on top of it. You need to add about one part water to two parts soap. Keep it to this ratio as adding too much will make it harder for your soap bar to set.

Continuously stir your mixture until all the pieces have melted and you have a foamy paste. Then, press your mixture into a cupcake mold, ice cube trays, or inside a cookie-cutter set on top of a baking tray and leave everything to harden. Once set, carefully prise them out of the molds and take them to your bathroom for their new lease of life.

One fun addition would be to add flower petals or herbs to the bottom of the molds before pouring in the mixture. You could also add some of your favorite essential oils at this point, too.

Make Liquid Soap

Source: Whole Elise/YouTube

Making liquid soap out of bar soap is a great way to have the convenience of liquid soap without having to buy soap with questionable ingredients. You can take the slivers from the bar soap that you are comfortable with and transform them into a pumpable soap.

Get hold of a pump soap bottle. You can reuse one that you have already emptied or find them for sale online or at bathroom stores.

Again, you will need to grate or process your soap slivers into tiny pieces. Next, add 500ml of water, 1/2 tablespoon of glycerine, and 1/2 cup of grated soap into a pot on a stovetop and bring it to a simmer to let the soap pieces dissolve. This is the point where you can add essential oils if your soap bars are unscented.

Pour your mixture into a bowl and allow it to cool. Use a hand blender to add air to the soap before pouring the mixture into your bottle. If you are making a large batch of liquid soap, you can add a preservative which is referenced in the video above.

Freshen Up Drawers and Closets

This is a really easy DIY that requires nothing but taking those sweet-smelling bits of soap and putting them in the bottom of underwear drawers to keep your smalls fresh. If you store your off-season clothes, you can add a few pieces of soap to your storage container to keep everything smelling nice.

Try popping a few soap slivers into a small muslin or net bag and hang it over a coathanger in your closet. That way, you will get a clean, fresh scent every time you open the door.

Make a Self-Lathering Soap Saver Bag

Source: Lipstick on a Rig/YouTube

Here is another no-frills, super easy solution for using up a bunch of soap slivers in one go. Gather up a good handful of soap bar slivers and drop them all into a sturdy mesh bag. Secure the slivers in the bag with a drawstring and use the whole thing to lather your body and exfoliate at the same time. You can buy soap saver bags online that are made from all-natural materials, or, if you are handy with a crochet hook, you can have a go at making one for yourself.

Related Content:

• Never Buy Shampoo, Laundry Detergent, or Soap Again Thanks to This All-Natural Nut
• 10 Vegan-Friendly Plastic-Free Soaps for the Flu Season
• 15 Cruelty-Free and Natural Soap Bars!
• How to Make Your Own Natural Liquid Hand Soap
• DIY Natural Liquid Hand Soap

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that are raising awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!