3 Uses for Left Over Pieces of Soap

If you use bars of soap, you may, like us, end up with those little pieces of the bar left over. Did you know those little pieces are actually quite useful? Here are three ideas for those pieces.

1. You can make those pieces into a new bar of soap. 

Just save up the little pieces until you have enough to make a new bar. I keep a plastic bag in my bathroom drawer. When I see a little piece left on the soap dish, I move it to the bag. Once I’ve collected enough pieces, I put them in a glass microwave safe measuring cup, add a little water and microwave. I do 30 seconds at a time and check and stir. Once the soap is fairly well melted, I pour it into one of those travel snap close soap dishes and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Once it’s hardened back, I pop it out of the mold and viola! You have a usable bar of soap. I make melt and pour soaps, which are certainly much prettier than the lumpy bar of soap produced from the store bought bars of soap, but it serves its purpose.

2. You can also make liquid soap out of your left over soap pieces. 

To make liquid soap, collect enough to make about 1 whole bar of soap (if they almost fill the travel type snap closed soap dish, you have enough) and grate them using a cheese grater. Mix the grated pieces in a glass microwave safe dish or measuring cup along with 3 cups of hot water. Microwave at 30 second increments until it is completely melted. Once all the pieces are melted, let it cool and then pour into a container to store and use.

3. You can make dish detergent. 

For dish detergent, grate the pieces of soap until you have ¼ cup. Melt the pieces into 2 cups of water either in the microwave or on the stove top. Once it’s melted, allow it to cool then add one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. I have found that the detergent using lemon juice doesn’t last quite as long as when it is made with vinegar.

So before you throw out your left over pieces of soap, think about saving them for an easy weekend project.