Looking for ways to make a bar of soap last longer? These 8 tips for stretching a bar of soap are exactly what you need to save money. Simple, practical, and they work!
When the price of something goes up, I’m always looking for ways to stretch it just a bit further.
When we switched to organic chicken, we figured out a way to make it last for seven meals.
When we couldn’t squeeze another drop out of our all-natural toothpaste, we cut off the ends of the tube to make it last three more weeks.
And then we started making our own to save another 40%.
Other toiletries, like soap, are a different matter though. Thanks to my over-obsessive couponing days, I’ve had enough soap on hand to last over two years. Back then it cost me 25-50¢ per container and I never thought twice about what was inside.
So I’m thinking outside the box and trying to come up with ways to make what I have last longer – without sacrificing quality.
I’m hoping that these eight tips for stretching a bar of soap will be helpful beyond my own bathroom and budget, perhaps inspiring you to think outside the box too so we can all enjoy – and afford – higher quality items without going broke.
8 Tips for Stretching a Bar of Soap
1. Let bar soap “cure.”
If your soap comes in a wrapper, unwrap it an allow it to sit to cure for 6-8 weeks. I know, tough you need a shower STAT, but buy an extra bar and think ahead for next time.
The extra time you give for a bar to cure means it’ll be less likely to turn to mush when it hits running water.
Note: This isn’t much of an issue if you’re using handcrafted soap (like this goat milk soap) that has already cured before you got your hands on it, but still. A little bit of patience never hurt a bar of soap and could possibly help your budget.
2. Use a washcloth, or a loofah, to lather instead of your hands
Your hands have this amazing inability to produce and retain lather. It’s the nature of the beast. So then, why do we keep trying to use them, over and over, to make lather?
- Wash smarter by using a washcloth or loofah. Get it soapy once with a couple good rubs of the bar, and then put the bar away.
- The washcloth or loofah will absorb the lather and keep it going for you, so you can keep on washing.
- All while using less soap.
That little bag in the picture above? I gave it a few good rubs of soap and it lasted me three showers worth of lather. Genius!
3. Keep your soap out of water
When you’re done smothering your washcloth or loofah, that is.
- Storing soap in the stream of water and/or steam, or on a solid ledge built into the shower, will make the soap break down quicker. Have you ever opened a bar of soap, and then mysteriously just a few weeks later it’s suddenly melted into nothing? Blame the water.
- Use something that encourages air flow like a soap dish so the water can drain off and the soap can dry. Then, keep that ledge at the opposite end of the shower so it dries faster. The key is air circulation, so skip the fancy dishes that don’t have holes. You want holes, and the more the better.
4. Let bar soap air dry, completely
If multiple people are using the same bar of soap each morning, one person right after another, the bar will always be wet and never fully dry… and therefore, continuously in the process of melting. However, if the bar is allowed to dry completely before being used again, it’ll last much longer.
Give each person their own bar of soap – and each their own ledge – allowing the bars to dry completely before using again, and your toiletry budget (what? You have one?) will thank you.
5. Cut the bar into pieces
There’s a thought that bigger bars of soap last longer. However, there is scientific evidence to the idea that a smaller surface area of soap means less soap hits the water, meaning the soap will last longer.
- My own, non-scientific explanation is this: When you start with less, there’s less to waste and less to use. That works for me.
- Take your bar of soap to the kitchen and cut it in half, or thirds if you can. Swap a smaller bar for a bigger bar and you’re done. Keep applying principles #3 and #4 above.
6. Turn soap shavings into liquid soap
Those teeny tiny pieces get annoying, but don’t let them go to waste. Don’t let any miscellaneous shavings from cutting your bar in half go to waste either. Make your own liquid soap with this simple tutorial. That method alone saves TONS of money on soap. The batch you see above is still going strong!!
7. Turn liquid soap into foaming soap
Do you know the secret to making a foamy soap? It’s the pump. Re-use an old foaming hand soap bottle and you’ll turn any liquid soap into a foaming soap. If you’re making your own liquid soap, you might have to adjust the water ratio. Just tinker with it until it’s the right consistency.
8. Buy scraps of soap to save money
So this tip doesn’t exactly stretch what you already have, but rather makes for a better deal when you’re buying it in the first place. Bulk soap scraps cost up to 65% less than the pretty bars, but they do the same thing. Plus I hear that bulk scraps are full-sized bars anyway! Reduce the price from the get go and you’re automatically off to a great start.
Brittany @ Team Crumbs
Hello Claire,
Thank you for sharing, we are so glad that you enjoyed this post!
Lora Toma
Hi Tiffany, thank you so much for this very useful article, I was putting together a ”Care and life of a soap bar” article for my customers and was looking to see what other people are doing that I might not have tried yet. loved to read your ideas but also the ideas that your readers are sharing as well. I’ve linked this page at the end of my article for customers that want to read more about this topic. Thank you again. regards, Lora
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Lora!
You’re very welcome. 🙂
Ali
Great article. Thank you!
Rebecca S
Wow! This post and all of the comments are SO helpful. Thank you!
Amanda
I’m on board with the natural soap, but not goats milk as I am vegan for ethical reasons. To utilize my scraps I just meld them to the next big bar while the scrap is wet. Easy peasy. I’d love to make my own though and will look into the tutorial.
Adrianna
Family run companies take care of their goats in an ethical way and treat them just like family, so there’s no need to worry about staying away from goat milk soap, especially since it’s literally the best soap you can use on your skin. Helps keep it naturally moisturized and has beneficial natural vitamins that keep your skin healthy. I’ve tried bend soap company but for some reason my skin just does not like their recipe for it since it dries my skin out badly, my favorite company is goat milk stuff, keeps my skin so soft and they use fragrance oils to get scents you normally can’t get but they are body safe and paraben and phthalate free which is great. Love the baby powder one they have. It’s more expensive than bend soap company but it’s worth it to me especially since the soap never expires and the older it is the better it lathers and longer it lasts. The fragrance just disappears usually after about a year, they also have plenty of essential oil soaps and they have shampoo bars that are wonderful too with several beneficial ingredients for the scalp.
Jane
I’ve heard of people putting their soap in their dresser drawers to cure so the clothes smell nice. Then switching it with the new soap as it’s used. Have to remember which drawers are older is all.
Charlotte
The collagen you recommend may be the very best but it is also very expensive — and that is without the shipping costs. Can you tell me how long a container lasts you?
Tiffany
Hi Charlotte! There are 60 scoops of collagen in one container. I use 1 scoop 5x/week, so one container lasts me 12 weeks. I also buy in bulk – you save 25% when you buy 3, or 30% when you buy 6 – this bulk deal is year round. I also wait for sales, when the percentage off is higher, or the price comes down a bit. Also shipping is free on orders $99 or more. When I do that, it’s much more affordable AND I have plenty in the pantry!
Alicia
Hi
Thank you for the post I’ll have to try all of this , some bar soaps just do not last.
Have you tried looking at Shea moisture soaps? Theirs are natural (personally I love the green tea one) and easily found in stores and online, if you’re in the USA or UK.
Their 8oz bars are about £4.99 here I don’t know how much they are in the US but I know some people have been able to get them for less than $5. A lot cheaper than the bar of soap you talk about in this post in case you were looking to save more money
Tiffany
I haven’t tried that brand soap Alicia, so I can’t personally recommend it. I’m glad you enjoy it though!
Jimmy Gould
Alicia — take a look at www. soapstandle .com — I’ve used one for over a year. Lasts through multiple bars, and the bar lasts 20-30% longer. And you won’t have soap goo to deal with on your countertop / soapdish. Good luck!
Claudia
Hi Tiffany, I LOVE YOUR BLOG❤️ How about purchasing the goat milk soap base? All you have to do is melt it, add essential oils and place it on soap molds. I am also thinking that you can use the BULK SHREDDED GOAT MILK SOAP from Bend Soap, melt it and place it on the molds. They sell it in bulks already with the essential oils( the only bad thing is that you have to get 1,2 or 4 lb of the same scent). I will send them an email asking them about it and I will have to check how many soaps can I get from the bulk to compare the price. ?
Tiffany
Hi Claudia – THANK YOU!! I’ve made soap using soap scraps before (https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2015/09/how-to-make-soap-from-soap-scraps/), and while it’s a great way to re-use the scraps, it’s not my preferred method for soap in general. The quality of the soap is slightly less in the milled version compared to the original. Personally, I like using their bars for my face/skin/hair, their shreds for laundry soap, and then I re-make bars with soap scraps for hand soaps at the sink. 🙂
Tiffany
You can! The longer it airs out, the harder it will be. 🙂
Jimmy Gould
Great ideas… and there’s a new idea (still in a prototype stage) that addresses a number of the things you mention (keep out of water, air circulate all around, eliminate friction to the soap bar, extend the life of the soap)… it’s called SoapStandle, and you can see it at www. soapstandle. com
Amanda
Hi I just wanted to know where you got your soap net from and also do you use that on your face? or do you have one for your face?
Tiffany
Hi Amanda! I got the soap net from Bend Soap Company and I use it on my face when I forget to replace the washcloth in the shower. 🙂
Kali
This was very interesting and helpful! Thanks you for sharing
Tiffany
Hi Jennifer! I’m so sorry for the belated reply!
I know the exact bags you’re talking about, and second the gross hair on the soap factor, lol. I have heard of doing this, and think it would be a great way to stretch soap too. Maybe my bag is more porous than typical bags, but my soap doesn’t dry out as fast when its inside… which is why I take it out when I’m done. However, using the bag for those small scraps isn’t a bad way to use it, especially since you’d throw those away anyway.
One way to compare is to do it one way with one bar for a week, then another way with a different bar for a second week. Then compare the bars and you’ll know for sure!
JUlie
My grandmother taught me years ago to open soap and allow it to cure. I have also been slicing my bars for a while now. I received some huge bars as a gift last year and I couldn’t hold them in my hand because of their size so I cut one into 4 pieces. I still have 3 bars in the linen closet! I also use a washcloth but, many days I don’t even use soap. I have discovered since I began eating clean that I really don’t need to use soap all that often! That’s a bonus!
Tiffany
I’ve discovered that too, but lots of people will think I’m crazy to say I don’t use soap daily, lol. I’ve got your back Julie if you have mine. 😉
Emily
I have recently started making my own goats milk soap. It is so much simpler than I thought it would be. It only costs about $1 for a large bar (4-5 oz).
Tiffany
Wow! Do you have easy access to goat milk Emily? That would be my biggest hurdle.
Emily
Our grocery stores carry it. My Walmart even has it. It is not cheap but I check the sell by dates and come back when it is close. I have been able to buy it when it is on managers special a couple times and then it only cost me $1 per quart instead of $4. Also, I read one recipe that said you could use powdered goats milk. Olive oil soap is also very moisturizing. I have found many of my recipes on Soap Queen. One of my favorites is a bacon and beer. Uses bacon grease and beer (or water). It is so creamy and has a great lather. This year I used my homemade soaps as Christmas gifts. Really helped our budget!
Kim
I second the solution about using a washcloth, but for a different reason. I find that it’s a lot easier to spread the soap that way. My husband used to have a habit of rubbing the soap directly on his body, and he used a huge amount to get it all over. He’d go through several bars of soap in the time it took me to go through one, but I felt just as satisfied with the amount I used. However, I’ve found it’s important not to use a really thick washcloth. Otherwise, it seems to absorb a lot of the soap, and I have to reapply once or twice. Thick is nice for towels, but not for the washcloth!
Tiffany
Aha! Another great tip Kim! My washcloths are thin, and haven’t tried thick, so I appreciate the tip from someone who’s tried it themselves. 🙂
Heather
I make my own soap and always end up with a ton of little soap scraps that stick to the crock pot. I’ve been hanging onto them to try to figure out what to do with them. I don’t want to waste the scraps! I think I need to get one of those loofah bags you have pictured to put them in. Thanks for the ideas!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Heather, and what a great idea to add scraps from HOMEMADE soap to a bag too! Brilliant!
Tiffany
Thanks so much Sarah! I love that you’ve passed on instructions to your kids, lol. And I agree – that one small step of taking it out of the water make a HUGE difference!!
L
I have been enjoying your posts for a couple months now, and I wanted to make a suggestion based on this one. Have you considered making your own soap? I know you’re partial to the goats’ milk soap, but it is very simple to make castile (olive oil-based) soap. I will have to do the math to determine its cost per yield, but castile soap is so versatile (see Nina’s archives at Shalom Mama) that now I use it for nearly everything except the laundry and some of the cleaning. Either way, enjoy your new soap – happier skin is always a relief!
Tiffany
Hi L! My apologies for the delayed response. I HAVE considered making my own soap, but haven’t looked too much into how to do it or what it involves. Nina is so talented, so perhaps her tutorial is worth a try. I have sensitive skin and it’s naturally oily – do you think the olive oil in the soap would effect that?
tiffany
I have looked into this, and really want to get into it.
At first I was really afraid of lye, and looked up how to make soaps without it.
But coming to conclusions, you simply cannot make soap without lye… I kinda wonder how they hide it in the Bend Soap ingredients.
I also found out, while researching, that when the lye and oil combine, a reaction forms to completely eliminate any harmful components of lye, so it is safe to use on skin (makes sense).
You should look into it, Tiffany! <3