 Nature's
Way
with Alan Hayes
Making the most of soap scraps
Whether it's in the bathroom or laundry, our nice new bars of soap quickly turn into little slivers of soap that end up in the bottom of the shower recess, the bathroom sink or clogging the laundry tub. It can be downright annoying, especially if the washing machine is emptying and you don't realise the plug hole has been blocked. Well, there's no need to despair! You can use your left over soap scraps and recycle them into useable new bars or other useful household soap products.
To turn them into soap bars, place the saved scraps in a saucepan, cover with water and allow them to soak for 24 hours, giving an occasional stir. Bring the mixture to the boil, lower the heat and stir or mash the soap until you have a thick liquid. Remove the soap mixture from the heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to each resultant cupful of liquid. Pour into moulds and allow to harden for two weeks before use. If you want to use your soap after 24 hours, omit the vegetable oil from the mixture.
 For a fragrant soap, add your favourite essential oil when the soap has been removed from the heat and has cooled but is still liquid. Stir the oil into the soap mixture a drop at a time until it smells sufficiently scented.
To make liquid soap, place the leftover pieces of soap in a jar of hot water, then add some lemon juice and glycerine and shake well.
Soap scraps can also be used for a pre-soaped bathroom wash bag, which is great for scrubbing the kids clean. Make a drawstring bag from old towelling and fill it with the leftovers. Add two tablespoons of dried herbs - chamomile or lavender are excellent - and two tablespoons of medium ground oatmeal to exfoliate and soften the skin. It will save on soap and is easy for small children to handle.
Left over soap scraps can also be made into a handy, general purpose cleaning gel that is ideal for household and laundry use. The cleaning gel will remove most stubborn stains and will remove grease from carpets and is excellent for washing greasy clothes. Prepare as previously for the soap bars, then remove from heat, allow to cool, and for each cup of the resultant soap-like jelly, add two cups of talcum powder and two tablespoons of mineral turpentine. Mix well and store in a large, wide-mouthed container with a tight-fitting lid.
To make an all-purpose stain remover mix together, in an enamel or stainless steel saucepan, four cups of finely grated or chopped soap scraps, three tablespoons of eucalyptus oil, one cup of methylated spirits and one cup of boiling water.
Stand the saucepan in a larger pan of hot water over a medium heat, stirring the mixture until it turns clear. Pour into moulds (empty milk cartons are ideal) and leave to cool and set. Cut into bars and leave for about four weeks to fully harden.
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