Two Ways to Reuse Old Soap
If you use bars of soap, chances are that at some point you will end up with small, slimy soap remnants. If you're wondering what to do with them and can't think of anything except throwing them away, we are here to show you two methods for reusing old soap.
Time Needed: 15-20 minutes | Material Scarcity: Low | Child Safety: Possible Unsupervision
Method 1: Latherbags
A latherbag is a bag, often made of mesh, containing bits of soap. It can be used instead of soap when washing hands or taking a shower.
Materials Needed:
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A small mesh gift bag
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Soap remnants
1. Break up the soap remnants with your hands.
2. Put the soap remnants into the bag.
3. Close the bag.
To use the latherbag, run it under the faucet or showerhead and use it to scrub your hands or other parts of your body. When you're done, hang the latherbag up so that it can dry out.
Method 2: Soap Balls
Instead of or as well as latherbags, you can make these soap balls by molding soap remnants with your hands.
1. Dip the soap remnants into the water.
Materials Needed:
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Water (to soften the soap remnants and to help them bind together)
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Soap remnants
2. Use your hands to squash the soap remnants together.
3. Let the lumps of soap dry in the sun for about an hour, then use them to wash your hands.
NOTE: Soap balls are crumbly and may fall apart. When you use them, squish them together like you're making them.
More On Soap: Become a Soap Thief!
It is estimated that 5 million bars of soap are thrown away by the hotel industry every day, because hotels don't reuse soaps. To help with this, the next time you stay in a hotel, take the soap home. Shawn Seipler, who stayed in hotels a lot for his job, started a nonprofit called Clean the World, which takes used hotel soaps, makes them into new soap, and sends the soap to people who do not have access to soap and hygiene practices.
Interested for more? Visit Clean the World's website here, and listen to Seipler's interview with Zachary Crockett of Freakonomics Radio here.