Nature's Nurture: Small Steps to a Non-Toxic Home - RE-BLOGGED: 7 Awesome ways to use Soap Flakes (besides making Laundry Soap).

This is a Guest Blog Post written by Sarah UmmYusuf, founder of Nature's Nurture.

 

Let me guess…

You’re here because you’ve all of a sudden found yourself inundated with copious amounts of soap flakes, and you have no idea what to do with them!

Or maybe you bought a package of soap flakes to make some homemade laundry soap, but decided against it because you realized it might just cause more harm than good.

Or you’ve been hearing about soap flakes for some time now, and are wondering what they are, how to use them, and if they’re even worth trying out in your home.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

What are soap flakes?

Easy.

Soap flakes are literally just grated bars of soap. Some are then pulverized into a powder to make them easier to dissolve in water, but mostly they’re just shredded soap.

I was first introduced to the idea of soap flakes way back in the early years of my non-toxic journey. 

I was pregnant with my first child. Homemade laundry soap was my project. And I was ready with my ingredients and tools – including my trusty cheese grater to help me turn my solid bar of soap into soft, fluffy soap flakes.

Now let me tell you… 

Grating soap? Is not like grating cheese. Not by a long shot. 

Your muscles start burning, your heart rate increases, you have to take breaks and switch to the other side. 

It pretty much qualifies as an upper body workout! 

But I did it. And I did it fairly frequently because I knew it was worth the effort to know exactly what was in the products I used in my home. 

I made and used homemade laundry soap for well over 5 years before I stopped completely. By that point, I’d started buying pre-grated soap flakes to save time (and the arm workout).

But when it was all said and done?

I was stuck with a gigantic bag of soap flakes and no idea what to do with them. I ended up giving them to a friend who was still happily using homemade laundry soap, but one thought never left my mind…

What are some other uses for soap flakes? 

And you know what? There’s a whole bunch, and I’m sharing some easy recipes below to get you started.

 

But before I do that… 

I want to tell you about an amazing company called Sitti Soap.

Sitti is a social enterprise that provides fair employment to skilled refugees. Each bar of Sitti soap is made by hand with olive oil that is locally sourced from ancient olive trees in the Jordan Valley.

Sitti means “my grandma” in Arabic, and is inspired by the timeless traditions of our grandmothers. When you purchase from Sitti Soap, you’re empowering a woman to support herself, her family, and community. 

This company is so close to my heart, and I’m thrilled that they sent me samples of their beautiful soap products to try out. I loved them so much, I asked Sitti to set up an exclusive discount code just for my readers, because I want you to experience the love and beauty behind this wonderful company. 

Use code: Nature15 to get 15% off your order when you’re ready to shop!

And the awesome news? They’ve just released their latest product – pure olive oil soap flakes!

And now for some really cool ways to use soap flakes!

 

Foaming Hand Soap

• 1 cup soap flakes
• 1 gallon water (distilled water is best)

Make it: Dissolve the soap flakes in about 1 cup of boiling water first. Keep mixing until it’s clear. Then add the remaining (room temp) water, and mix well.

 Use it: Now you can use this to refill your foaming soap bottles!

Liquid Gel Soap

• 2 cups soap flakes
• 2 litres water (about 8 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons glycerin

Make it: Add all ingredients to a large pot, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until soap is dissolved. Let cool, then transfer to jars, bottles, or other containers.

 Use it: As you would any gel soap for hands, face, or body.

 

Hand-Wash Delicate Fabrics

• 1-2 Tablespoons soap flakes
• A large tub of water

Make it: Dissolve the soap flakes in some boiling water first, then add it to the tub of water. 

Use it: To hand wash your delicate fabrics like undergarments, swimsuits, workout clothes, etc.

 

All-Purpose Cleaner

• 1 Tablespoon soap flakes
• 1-liter water (distilled water is best)

 Make it: Dissolve the soap flakes in some boiling water first, then add remaining water and mix well.

 Use it: Store in a large spray bottle, and use it to clean just about any surface in your home.

Need some more cleaning power? Just sprinkle some baking soda on the surface you’re cleaning for extra scrubbing action!

 

Scrubbing Cleanser (like Soft Scrub)

• soap flakes
• water
• baking soda

 Use equal parts for ingredients, i.e. if using 1 cup of soap flakes, use 1cup of water and 1 cup baking soda as well.

Make it: Boil the water first, then dissolve soap in water. Let cool, then add the baking soda, and whip it all up to a fluffy texture.

Use it: As you would use Soft Scrub to clean especially dirty or grimy surfaces that need a good scrub.

 

Dish Soap

• 1/4 cup soap flakes
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup glycerin
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil (optional)

Make it: Combine soap flakes and water in a bowl, and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool until lukewarm, then add the glycerin and essential oil, if using. As it cools, it will form a gel consistency. Stir it up to break up the gel, then slowly pour the soap into an old dish soap bottle.

Use it: as you would regular dish soap. Note: this is a low-suds formula.

 

Wash Cloth Soap Pouch

• soap flakes
• small pouch – either an organza one like this, or just use a thin cloth and tie it up to make a pouch

Make it: Add some soap flakes to your pouch, and tie it up securely.

Use it: Wet the pouch to work up a lather, and use your soapy pouch in the bath/shower, or for washing large surfaces like walls, windows, etc. Make sure to rinse well afterward!

 

And just for good measure, I’ve also shared the original laundry soap recipes below, in case you haven’t tried them yet.

 

Powder Laundry Soap

• 1 cup soap flakes (for cleaning)
• 1 cup baking soda (for freshening)
• 1 cup washing soda (for cutting grease)
• 1 cup borax (for brightening)

Make it: Mix all ingredients together, and store in an airtight container.

Use it: Use 1 to 2 tablespoons (front loader) or 1/4 to 1/2 cup (top loader) per load, and dissolve in hot water first before adding to the wash basin.

 This is a base recipe that can be adjusted to your needs. Increase any of the ingredients if you need more power.

 

Liquid Laundry Soap

*This is a simplified version of my old recipe.

• 1 cup soap flakes
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax
• 2 litres hot (boiled) water

Make it: Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add mixture to the boiled water, and stir well to dissolve. When cooled, store in a thick plastic or glass container. 

Use it: Use 1 to 2 tablespoons (front loader) or 1/2 to 3/4 cup (top loader) per load.

 

So there you have it!

Whether you’re looking for ways to use up leftover soap flakes, or you’ve been curious about what they are and what to do with them…

I hope you got some great new ideas, and are as excited as I am to try these!

 

And don’t forget –

Sitti Soap is offering you a special discount when you shop their all-natural, ethically-sourced, pure olive oil soap products – all while empowering refugees with greater independence and freedom for their families and their communities.

Browse their products here and use code: Nature15 to get 15% off your entire order!

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This Blog Post was Reblogged from Nature's Nurture, written by Sarah UmmYusuf. The original post can be found here: 7 Ways to Use Soap Flakes.