How to Store Bar Soap_Personal Care and Style_Common Sense of Life

Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Choosing a Storage Container

1 Use a covered container for unused bars of soap. If you have organic bar soap, you’ll want a container with some air circulation. This is to prevent the soap from going rancid. For non-organic bar soap, just make sure the container is dry.
- Unused shoe boxes work great for this.
- If you want to use a plastic container, try poking a few holes in it for ventilation if needed.
2 Use a slotted soap dish for whole, used bars. Any dish with holes or some kind of drainage in the bottom will work. This is a great option for storing any soap bars you’re currently using. The slots will drain any water, keeping the bar of soap fresh and dry.
3 Use a soap saver pouch for thin bars or broken pieces. While it’s possible to buy your own bag, any porous fabric or mesh material formed into a pouch will work. Possibilities include old stockings, socks, a loofah, or any sponge with a pocket.

Method 2 Method 2 of 3: Keeping Your Soap Clean

1 Rinse off the surface of the soap with water. While the germs that reside on a bar of soap do not pose health risks to most people, you may still want to avoid the germs that are on soap. Since the bacteria on a used bar of soap lives primarily on its surface, you can run the soap under a stream of water to rinse off most of the bacteria before storing it.
2 Dry the soap after using or rinsing. Rinsing with water may be the first line of defense against bacteria on soap but bacteria loves nothing more than a wet environment. You can help prevent germ growth by drying your soap with a clean cloth or by leaving it out to dry in open air.
3 Store the soap somewhere it will stay dry. Using whatever storage container you choose, make sure the soap is either dry before you store it or kept in a place where it will dry between uses. For example, try to avoid storing bar soap in the shower.
- Consider alternating any bars of soap while you’re using them. You can use one while the other dries and add more bars into the mix if you have more than a few people using them.

Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Repurposing Old Bar Soap

1 Melt old soap bars into liquid soap. Add pieces of soap bars, too small to use, and melt them in a pot or bowl with 8 cups (1,900 mL) to 9 cups (2,100 mL) of water for every 4 ounces (110 g) of soap. Heat the pot until the soap dissolves and let the mixture cool and thicken at room temperature overnight. You can then pour the mixture into a bottle or jar.
- Use less water if you want more of a body wash consistency.
- For a smoother mixture, you can use a hand mixer or a spoon to help blend the cooled soap.
- This is a great way to use liquid soap while saving money and lowering your carbon footprint.
2 Pour melted soap scraps into molds to make new bar soap. Just heat and dissolve the soap pieces in 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of water per 1 cup (240 mL) of soap, and pick any mold you want—even muffin tins or a loaf pan will work. Wait for the soap to dry out over a few days and you’ll have brand new bar soap.
- If you only have a loaf pan to use as a mold, you can always cut the soap into smaller pieces.
3 Use leftover soap fragments to mark fabric. Soap washes out of fabric easily, so you can store any remaining soap fragments in a sewing kit to mark up fabric as much as you want without worrying about stains from chalk or a marker.

How to Store Bar Soap