apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I seem to recall my parents doing this with a blender... Ooh, yup...

Bummer, lost the link...

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=homemade liquid soap blender&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

my mom put it in the flush tank...worked well for us

Why are you throwing it away? We use our bars of soap until they're so thin they're flexible. Then we stick them to the fresh new bar of soap and finish using them that way.

Yes, this is very, very easy.

Here is the recipe I use:
http://www.casasugar.com/1734577

Save up the extra pieces, and make a big batch. A little bit of bar soap goes a LONG way (1/2 of a 4oz bar makes nearly 1/2 gallon of liquid soap. Don't skimp on the water, or else it will be THICK). I also add green tea, olive oil, and essential oils when making the hand soap.

The extreme lazy way is to get one of those foaming hand soap dispensers. Fill it up with water, and put the slivers of soap into it. Each time you use it, give it a good swirl. The soap will slowly dissolve into he water, and the foaming dispenser is necessary, since you will have slightly watery soap.

Hm. I think my comment was lost. Grr.

Here's the recipe I use. It's super easy:
http://www.casasugar.com/1734577

This video shows how, lickedy split: http://bit.ly/tpbqj

Earlier this year, I tried to make liquid soap from bar soap, following the online instructions you (jessiepants) posted...I had found the instructions to be quite straightforward, and was completely unsuccessful with the project. I ended up with a gallon of the most disgusting slime, that was not workable in a soap dispenser. When I tried to remove it from the jar with a ladle, it basically slithered back down into the jar.

I eventually added more water, attempting to get something that would work in my soap dispenser, but that made the soap too diluted to get my hands clean. I used a Kirks castile soap bar for the soap, as that was the most unadulterated soap I could find to start with...

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I did wrong, or what would work better in the future?

They make this little hand soap dispenser (I have one!) that has beads in it, and you add soap slivers, and it turns it into liquid hand soap! I love it!

fjorlief - I had the same issue. I researched it, and from what I read, it is the hardeners in manufactured soap that makes it slimy as a liquid soap. The websites recommended that you only use handmade soaps, since these do not have this additive. I have not tried this, but I plan too.

However, I think unless you actually make it from scratch, you will never have the same texture as store bought hand soap or shower gel. For me, the savings and 'eco-friendly' factor (not buying new plastic bottles each time) helped make up for the weird snot-like texture.

Full disclosure: my boyfriend, however, could not put up with the texture, and lately we have gone back to buying hand soap in bulk from the store...

I'm with muddlizzard on sticking the remnant to a new bar of soap.

Alternatively, when the bar of soap gets to a small yet manageable size, I usually save it for little weekend trips. It eliminates the need to visit the "travel size" section at the store and open a new bar at a hotel that eventually goes to waste.

My grandmother used to take the small pieces and toss them in a mesh bag she kept under the kitchen sink. When it was time to wash the car, she would toss the mesh bag into a bucket of water, swish it around a bit, and wash her car that way. She only used Ivory, which tends to break apart long before it's really thin and used up. For me, I use Dove, and when it's gotten too small to really wash I use it to shave my legs. It still fits in the palm of my hand, and usually by the time I'm done with both legs it's small enough that I don't mind tossing it on top of the drain to finish disolving during my next shower.