Soap Savers

QUESTION: In this day and age when we try to utilize every scrap, our family is saving handsoap when it gets to be the size that is difficult to handle. Now we have a collection of soap scraps, but we’re not sure if it’s safe to render them down and form new soap. Is there a safe way of doing this, and is it all right to mix brands of soap? Charlotte Mitchell, Salt Lake City, Utah

ANSWER: Place the soap scraps in a stainless steel saucepan. The pan should be large enough so the mixture may come to a boil without running over. (Aluminum pans are affected by the lye in the soap and should not be used.) Add a small amount of water and slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Stir as needed to prevent scorching. The mixture should be thick and creamy. When all the scraps are melted, pour the mixture into a mold, let it cool, and then cut into bars. A mold can be made with a small corrugated pasteboard box lined with waxed paper.

If too much water is added the soap won’t form into bars. If this happens, put the mixture into containers that can be covered and dip out a small amount of the soft gel to wash or lather the hands with. Some people prefer the soft gel soap to the harder bars, so you might experiment with a small amount of each.

Brands of soap may be safely mixed. The colors may not be as clear and distinct when blues, pinks, and yellows are added: but the cleaning quality is not affected. LaVell Turner, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Brigham Young University