Using leftover slivers of bar soap

[athena53]

Salvaging slivers of soap bars was a major component of our march to FI! We were able to stop earning income in our 50's and, for sure, without "sliver salvaging" we'd still be working today in our 70's. I wish I had documented this more thoroughly, it's an often overlooked aspect of the road to FIRE!

Yeah I had to laugh at those of us who are frequent contributors to the BTD discussion sharing hints on fusing soap pieces together- but I do it, too.

True financial success won't be achieved unless you also do things like: scrape the peanut butter jar with a soft spatula, dilute the last bit of ketchup in the bottle, turn your shampoo bottle upside down for a few days to get out the last bit, and -- of course -- reuse those dryer sheets.

As with ketchup and other condiments, I add water to the bottle of shampoo to make sure that less of it sticks to the sides.

 

[Purslane]

We put the dry slivers into a small plastic bag and take it with us when traveling. Thus we don’t have to open the packaged soaps in the hotel rooms, just use a sliver. Easily fits is outside suitcase pocket for easy access.

Been doing this for years.

Good for the gym bag too.

 

[Purslane]

Yeah I had to laugh at those of us who are frequent contributors to the BTD discussion sharing hints on fusing soap pieces together- but I do it, too.



As with ketchup and other condiments, I add water to the bottle of shampoo to make sure that less of it sticks to the sides.

I cut open the little lotion bottles and scoop the extra out into a 'lil-bit-o-everthing' jar. You would be surprised how much more you can get out.

 

[Purslane]

I cut open the little lotion bottles and scoop the extra out into a 'lil-bit-o-everthing' jar. You would be surprised how much more you can get out.

Of course I do this with everything....packets of ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, mayo. I could outfit a large boy scout troop with those little plasticware, salt-pepper, napkin prepacks. I save anything useful....and I use it.

 

[JoeWras]

I cut open the little lotion bottles and scoop the extra out into a 'lil-bit-o-everthing' jar. You would be surprised how much more you can get out.

Whoa, cutting it open? That's next level! Nice.

 

[audreyh1]

Whoa, cutting it open? That's next level! Nice.

I confess, DH does the same with his lotion.

 

[brett]

We do not sweat the small stuff.

Small slivers get binned. End of.

 

[Badger]

I put slivers in a small scrubbing bag I bought cheap at Amazon. Every time I or my wife stayed in a hotel we packed up the small soap. I lost count of how many small soap bars we collected but these went into the scrubbing bag too.

 

[Rianne]

Maybe we should replace the dryer sheet status with soap reattachment status and quell some of the recent complaints

Amazon has the tennis balls to replace dryer sheets solution. Works great!

 

[audreyh1]

Amazon has the tennis balls to replace dryer sheets solution. Works great!

We never did use dryer sheets - don’t need them and some don’t smell great or too strong.

But DH did end up getting wool dryer balls - mainly to solve the problem of clothes piling up at the dryer door instead of all tossing freely. It mostly solves the problem.

 

[REWahoo]

But DH did end up getting wool dryer balls...

That's really a tough break.

On a more positive note, I understand Pfizer has a vaccine for this almost at the clinical trial stage.

(Sorry, couldn't help myself! )

 

[aja8888]

Whoa, cutting it open? That's next level! Nice.

Microwave the bottles (open the top though) get the missed stuff pretty warm and makes it easier to get out.

 

[Trailwalker]

I carefully use the sliver until it falls apart in tiny pieces.

 

[Qs Laptop]

True financial success won't be achieved unless you also do things like: scrape the peanut butter jar with a soft spatula, dilute the last bit of ketchup in the bottle, turn your shampoo bottle upside down for a few days to get out the last bit, and -- of course -- reuse those dryer sheets.

Let's not forget about getting the last vestiges of toothpaste out of the tube by flattening the tube and then pulling that flattened tube against one of the sharp right angles of the bathroom vanity top to wring out the remaining toothpaste and squeeze it towards the opening of the tube.

 

[jollystomper]

True financial success won't be achieved unless you also do things like: scrape the peanut butter jar with a soft spatula, dilute the last bit of ketchup in the bottle, turn your shampoo bottle upside down for a few days to get out the last bit, and -- of course -- reuse those dryer sheets.

Let's not forget about getting the last vestiges of toothpaste out of the tube by flattening the tube and then pulling that flattened tube against one of the sharp right angles of the bathroom vanity top to wring out the remaining toothpaste and squeeze it towards the opening of the tube.

I would, for tea drinkers, reusing teabags until the hot water is barely colored by the tea .

For toothpaste, we still have one of those "tube clamp" thingees that does the job.. just keep sliding it up the tube to wring out every last bit of toothpaste.

 

[Amethyst]

I don't even use bar soap any more. My late husband used it to the end of his days, never caring for the nice liquid body washes I purchased for him. He would use the soap until he couldn't hold it in his hands, then put the scrap in the soap dish, whereupon I would throw the useless little scrap away.

My extremely frugal mother insisted on boiling soap scraps to make what she called "jelly soap" for washing clothes in the sink. While I still wash a lot of clothes in the sink, I use liquid detergent for this purpose.

 

[skipro33]

Gather your slivers of soap. Put them in a plastic bag. Stick them in the microwave for a minute or two. (The exact time depends on how much soap and how strong your microwave is, but you want the soap to be soft.) When the softened soap is cool enough, mush it together into a glob.

 

[Qs Laptop]

For toothpaste, we still have one of those "tube clamp" thingees that does the job.. just keep sliding it up the tube to wring out every last bit of toothpaste.

Remember when toothpaste tubes were metallic, not plastic? You could fold over the end of the tube tightly onto itself, repeatedly, to force the remaining paste toward the tube opening, no wind up thingee needed. But since they went to plastic tubes for toothpaste, other methods are needed.

 

[reneeh63]

I don't like the messiness of bar soap and prefer liquid soap - it's also more moisturizing.

My only use for bar soap (like Irish Spring) is to grate it or use a vegetable peeler on it so I can scatter it outside around plants I don't want the rabbits to get into.

 

[reneeh63]

Microwave the bottles (open the top though) get the missed stuff pretty warm and makes it easier to get out.

What sounds good to me about this is that using the wam lotion almost sounds like a luxury spa treatment! I might just do that when I need a little pampering...

 

[Phroig]

For other great tips of the kind we’ve been getting here, I recommend The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. Your public library will have it.

 

[old medic]

I'm waiting for Gumby to chime in with his soap making hobby!

Not sure what Gumby does, But scraps get tossed in a container and mixed into the next batch...
Do the same with candle scraps... currently have a Qt zip-lock half full of half burnt birthday candles...

 

[Koolau]

Irish Spring makes my skin itch. I've heard others say the same thing.

Never a problem for me, but YMMV.

 

[Koolau]

Salvaging slivers of soap bars was a major component of our march to FI! We were able to stop earning income in our 50's and, for sure, without "sliver salvaging" we'd still be working today in our 70's. I wish I had documented this more thoroughly, it's an often overlooked aspect of the road to FIRE!

Yeah, even more important than recycling dryer sheets. Who would have guessed it was the secret to early retirement?

 

[CaptTom]

My late husband used it to the end of his days, never caring for the nice liquid body washes I purchased for him.

I'm right there with him. I don't like those oily or perfumed soaps - liquid or solid.

In our bathrooms we have two liquid soap pumps. One "just plain soap" and one my wife buys with all those "extras."

In my defense, it's not just that I don't like perfume or oil. But also, if I have that stuff on my hands when trying to put in my contacts, it stings!