I posted, not long ago, about Foamy Soap. A key ingredient is, of course, liquid soap. Well, guess what we’re almost out of… you got it, liquid soap. Considering we bought a gallon at Costco about 6 years ago, it’s about time we ran out! I decided to make some myself…
“But, CnC, you’re crazy! You can’t make your own soap.” Fear not dear reader, I already did!
While looking for liquid soap recipes, I found one on this great website (and I’ll be trying a lot more of their recipes!). The thing I love is that you aren’t actually making soap, you’re remaking bar soap into liquid soap. The recipe I used is for “Liquid Soap” and it’s about 1/3 of the way down on the page.
Here’s what I did differently… I used my food processor to grate the plain Dove soap. It’s just soap, and it’s going to rinse of in the dishwasher just fine!
I put 3 c of water in a saucepan and boiled it on the stove intstead of using my microwave. I also threw in an herbal tea bag… a pomegranate one, to be exact. You’ll need two or three bags to overpower the Dove’s smell which isn’t my personal favorite. Steep the tea in the boiling water for a minute or two then fish out the tea bag.
Make sure you have your venthood on and start adding the soap flakes to the boiling water (it’s got a powerful smell). Add a small amount each time and wait for it to dissolve. Once you’ve got all the soap dissolved, allow it to boil for a little while and thicken up a little. Then, you’re done.
I also added a drop of red food coloring to give it a prettier color. Be careful with food coloring in this use… you don’t want red or blue hands! I put a small amount in my foamy soap container and added water, shake shake shake – I’ve got homemade foamy handsoap now! I’m storing the leftovers in a leftover vinegar bottle (I don’t throw things away, usually).
I’m going to try it in my shower as a shower gel as well… why not!?! And, if I can find some inexpensive bottles, I might just give it as gifts.
CnC
PS… I bought my 14 pack of Dove soap at an estate sale this summer for $2. Keep your eyes peeled for deals like that!!!
