How to Melt Soap in a Double Boiler, Stove, Microwave at Home

There are several successful ways to melt soap yourself at home. This will allow you to turn soap residue into new a fragrant piece or shower gel, gentle liquid soap.

Melting technology

The simplest technology is used to melt soap.

• First, the material is properly prepared (usually simply crushed to the maximum), after which it is heated. In this way, it quickly becomes liquid and homogeneous.
• The smaller the shavings in the end, the faster the whole process will go. It is very important not to overheat the soap mass and especially not to bring it to a boil, otherwise it will be spoiled and will not be able to be used in the future. Therefore, during the process of melting the soap, it is better not to leave the stove, but carefully watch the mass and constantly stir it.
• Open fire and boiling water are not suitable for melting. Water should not get on the material. This can also spoil it and make it unsuitable for future use. Often, a water bath is used to melt the soap. A minimal amount of water should be poured into the lower container. Even with active boiling, its drops should not reach the soap mass.
• It will be necessary to choose methods that involve careful heating at a low temperature. It is also important here to avoid direct contact with water. The best methods for melting the material in this case are a water bath or a microwave oven. In the latter, heating occurs evenly, and, in addition, the power of the device is easily adjusted.
• After preparation, the soap pieces are sent to a container suitable for heating. The latter must be carefully selected. For example, you can take an old small saucepan that is no longer used for cooking. In the future, it is not recommended to cook or heat anything edible in it. But this option is only suitable for the stove.
• If you plan to melt the material in a microwave, you will need to choose special dishes designed for microwaves. In the future, it can be used to prepare cosmetics, warm masks for hair and face, mixtures for wraps. But also - not for heating food.
• Not every material is suitable for the process under discussion. Its most important characteristic is heat resistance. In addition, the material should not absorb the components of the soap. For example, glass, metal or ceramic dishes are perfect.
• No matter how high-quality the chosen container is, it will not be possible to completely wash it from the smallest soap particles. That is why after the first melting it will become unsuitable for any food products.

How to Prepare Soap for Melting

Melting soap at home correctly will only be possible after preliminary preparation of the material. If you take the product in one piece, it will take a long time and be difficult to melt. In this case, it will be difficult to make the mass homogeneous.

To make your task easier, it is worth crushing the soap. For this reason, you should not throw away the remaining small soap pieces. You can put them in a separate container, and then melt them and use them as a whole, beautiful, neat bar. This is a good saving. For example, in a year you can accumulate enough soap scraps for several full-fledged new bars.

It will work just by cutting the soap with a knife. But it is much more convenient and faster to use a grater to grind it. The latter should also be separate, not intended for food products. For example, old and no longer suitable for food. As a result, you will get neat shavings with particles of the same size.

It is difficult to use a grater with small divisions, so it is best to choose one with medium or large divisions. You can also choose a food processor. You will need to choose a suitable attachment with knives for the device. But in the future, they will need to be washed and processed with special care to remove soap residues.

Sometimes the soap is old and overdried. Such material is very brittle and difficult to rub. In this case, it is recommended to also use olive oil. Vegetable fat is added to the soap at the rate of 25-30 ml per 1 kg of solid material. It is not recommended to increase the amount of oil, trying to make the consistency of the product more delicate. Otherwise, it will turn out to be excessively greasy.

There are other options for softening soap. For example, various liquids. This could be milk, cream, herbal infusion. All of them will make the finished product even more useful and improve its structure.

The selected liquid is taken approximately 1 tbsp. per ½ kg of soap. All of it should be absorbed into the mass. To do this, the shavings with additives will need to be left for a couple of hours. After that, you can start melting the soap. The herbal infusion can be prepared taking into account your own skin type and existing problems. For example, softening or healing.

It is advisable to prepare not only the main component for the process, but also all the other necessary ones. For example, tools, accessories, additives. Usually the process is carried out in the kitchen.

Here you will need to put away all food products, dishes used for eating, and cutlery in closed containers and cabinets. Soap shavings and drops (even the smallest) of the already melted mass should not fall on all of this.

It is worth leaving nearby only those containers and accessories that will be needed for melting soap and are not intended for food. Then they will have to be stored separately.

If there are small children in the house, you will need to organize the process in such a way that they do not interfere and do not burn themselves with the hot mass. The same applies to pets. It is important to ensure that their fur does not get into the soap mass. Before starting work, you will need to open a window or a ventilator so that the room is well ventilated.

Tools, containers and devices

First of all, the main ingredient is taken for the process - a whole piece of soap that requires remelting, or soap scraps. It is advisable to take the latter in large quantities so that there is enough material for comfortable work. For example, accumulate soap scraps over a long period of time.

In addition to the main component, it is worth taking additional additives to make the soap more useful.

A detailed table will help you understand them:

Additives to soap during remelting	What are they needed for?
Essential oils	For a pleasant aroma and a health-improving effect. Great for any soap, such as citrus oils.
Base oils	Make soap healthier for the skin. You can use olive, almond, walnut, grape seed. Sea buckthorn oil makes soap especially healthy. It also slightly colors the finished piece.
Alcohol solution	It should be poured into a spray bottle. This solution is needed to remove air bubbles from the surface of the melted mass and get a perfectly smooth, beautiful piece of soap.
Dyes	For coloring the finished soap. It is best to take safe food colorings. For example, you can buy them in specialized stores for confectioners.

In addition to special additives, you need to prepare the following tools/dishes/devices:

• a grater, which is needed for grinding soap (it is best to take one in the shape of a cone);
• a melting container of a suitable size and made of safe material (e.g. glass or ceramic);
• molds for pouring the soap mass and hardening it (if it is not possible to buy special professional ones, children's ones for the sandbox or silicone ones for baking will do);
• accessories for mixing the mass.

Instead of special forms, you can even use any shallow containers for products. For example, boxes from processed cheese, sauces. It is best to use them of different sizes.

The most convenient way to mix the mass is with a wide spoon or spatula. It is recommended to choose them from durable, high-quality plastic. These accessories can also be ceramic.

How to melt in a water bath

The easiest way to melt soap at home is in a water bath. This is a great way that allows you to organize the entire process in an ordinary kitchen without special devices.

A gas or electric stove and 2 suitable pots of different sizes are enough. One container with soap will need to be placed in another with water. It is convenient to use small pots or bowls (for example, metal).

To melt the product in the manner discussed, it is necessary:

1. Fill a large pot with water (it doesn't matter whether it's hot or cold, boiled or tap water). The container should be filled with liquid approximately 1/3 of the way. Let there be enough water so that it doesn't boil away or splash during the process. You'll need to make sure that the liquid doesn't get into the smaller container, even when it's actively bubbling.
2. Place a smaller container – a saucepan or bowl – on top of a large pot of water.
3. Pour the soap shavings prepared in advance into a smaller container. They should not fill the container more than halfway. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to stir the shavings during the melting process. In this case, additional additives may not fit into the mass.
4. Place the entire resulting structure on the stove and turn on the heat. It needs to be heated at minimum heat.
5. Be sure to stir the mixture periodically during the process with the chosen accessory - a spoon/spatula.
6. If you decide to use additional ingredients, you should add them after the soap has melted. At this stage, it will turn into a translucent mass, reminiscent of jelly in consistency.

Once the oils, dyes and other additives have been added to the mixture, it is important to mix everything again. The additional ingredients should be distributed over the base as evenly as possible. The melted mass is poured into molds.

At this stage, it should be viscous and not too liquid. Be sure to tap the containers with the soap mass on the table to remove internal bubbles and compact the mixture. It remains to treat the future hard soap with alcohol on top so that the surface is as even and smooth as possible. In this form, the mass is left in the molds to harden.

In the microwave

Melting soap at home is even quicker and easier. To do this, you will need to use a microwave oven. You cannot put a saucepan in it, so you need to take another suitable dish. It should be marked as microwave-safe.

To melt pre-prepared shavings, you need to:

1. Place the grated base in a suitable plastic or glass container. It is best to take a small container and not fill it completely. It is permissible to melt the soap in portions in several approaches.
2. Place the container with shavings in the microwave and turn on for 3-3.5 minutes at medium power.
3. After the specified time has passed, remove the container with the soap mass and stir its contents with a plastic spoon/spatula.
4. Return the dish with the almost completely melted shavings back to the microwave and turn the device on again for the same amount of time.
5. Repeat the procedure described in the steps above until the mass is completely melted. It should become liquid and as homogeneous as possible. Each time, thorough mixing is required.
6. Add butter and other selected additives to the melted mass.

It remains to pour the base with additional components into prepared forms. If they are plastic, it is best to pre-grease the containers with a small amount of any vegetable oil. In such forms, the soap mass will stand until it cools completely.

Melted soap can be used to make not only new bars, but also bath foam, shower gel, liquid soap, and various aromatic detergents. Their properties are no worse than store-bought ones, but they are much cheaper.

On the stove

Melting soap at home is easy on the stove. It is best to prepare the molds in advance, into which the mass will be poured. They should be greased with any vegetable fat, so that it is easier to extract the resulting soap pieces, solidified after remelting.

Need to:

1. Cut the soap scraps into small cubes/bars. Let them be the same size so that the melting process is uniform. Another option is to process the material with a grater, turning it into shavings. The smaller it is, the faster the whole process will be.
2. Place a saucepan filled with water approximately one-third of the way on the stove at minimum heat. Wait until it heats up and place a container with crushed soap on top.
3. The product should completely dissolve and turn into a homogeneous mass without lumps. It is important to ensure that the mass does not boil during the process.
4. If desired, add dye, oils, fragrances. You can also use herbal decoctions or dairy products - cream, milk in small quantities.
5. Pour the resulting mass into prepared molds, sprinkle with alcohol and lightly tap the edges to remove excess air bubbles. Otherwise, you will not be able to get uniform, even soap pieces in the end.

All that remains is to put the filled molds in a cool place for about 2 days. The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is perfect for this – away from the freezer. When the soap has already infused well and cooled down, it’s time to remove it from the mold.

This should be done very carefully so as not to break the resulting pieces. For example, you can first run a knife between the soap and the dish, and only then remove the product.

If it is not possible to use the burners on the stove, you can even carry out the discussed procedure in the oven. However, you will need to choose the melting dish more carefully. It should be a heat-resistant container without plastic handles. For example, you can use a deep ceramic bowl, which you do not plan to use for cooking or serving food in the future.

It is more difficult to control the melting process of the crushed soap in the oven. You will have to constantly open the door, stir the mass with a special spatula and carefully monitor its consistency.

Once the liquid soap is homogeneous, you can take it out of the oven and pour it into pre-prepared molds. It is important not to overheat the mass. It is worth setting a low temperature in the oven for this.

On gas

Melting soap at home is possible even without special constructions. It happens that there is no possibility to organize a water bath on the stove. For example, there are no two containers of the appropriate size and material. Or it is a pity to spoil the pots that are used for food. Then it will be possible to melt the material simply on the gas. You will need to prepare only a small saucepan in advance.

It should be noted right away that the method discussed here is not simple.

It requires skill and accuracy:

1. First, you need to grind the soap scraps that you plan to melt. It is best to do this using a grater with the smallest divisions. Grinding will also require some effort, but the soap will definitely melt even without a water bath.
2. The crushed base is then transferred to a saucepan. The container must be brought to the gas stove and held over the fire until its contents are completely dissolved. The optimal distance at which the soap shavings should be above the gas is 4-5 cm.
3. It is necessary to constantly stir the mass during the process. This is necessary to prevent the soap base from burning. Otherwise, it will be unsuitable for further use.
4. Once the mass has dissolved and become homogeneous, you can pour in various additional components to make the soap even more beneficial for the skin. For example, a warm infusion of medicinal herbs or pharmacy glycerin.
5. After another mixing, the mass will be poured into pre-prepared forms. At the same time, it should not have time to start to harden. In this form, the soap mass is sent to cool. It should eventually become hard and be easily removed from the form.

Tips for Beginners

The following tips will help you melt soap quickly, easily and correctly:

• It is not recommended to mix multi-colored soap scraps; it is better to put each shade in a separate container (otherwise it is difficult to predict the final result);
• if the material is melted as a base for liquid soap, it will need to be mixed with herbal infusion and other additives (for example, liquid honey), and then poured into a container with a dispenser;
• all options for melting soap pieces are suitable for soap making; by the way, a special store-bought base can be melted using the same scheme (afterwards, the mass with various additives is poured into beautifully shaped forms);
• for eyebrows, it is best to melt the soap in the microwave - 10-12 seconds will be enough for the shavings, after which it can be poured into a palette and wait until it dries (afterwards it will be used instead of styling gel);
• For shaving, simply melt the soap shavings in any convenient way, mix it with chamomile herbal infusion (to minimize the possibility of irritation) and let the mixture cool to a temperature comfortable for the skin.

To melt soap at home, you don't need any special equipment or accessories. All you need is a suitable dish that is not used for food, and a device for heating the mass - a stove, microwave, oven.

Video about melting soap

How to Melt Soap in the Microwave: