Foaming hand soap is one of the more interesting products we’ve seen recently, and it’s sold nearly everywhere. Most people buy full containers of soap every time theirs runs out. It’s a great way to encourage kids to wash their hands too.
But do you want to know the secret?
It’s just liquid soap mixed with water. Yep. That’s literally all there is to it. The pump is what makes it foam up, but the soap itself is just 1 part liquid hand soap to 10 parts water (give or take). So all that money you’re wasting you can easily make it yourself, even from a simple bar of soap, and here’s how:
Step 1: Grate a bar of soap
You can use your own handmade soap, but any natural soap will work well. Grate the bar into a pan using a fine grater. Add 2-4 cups of water (more water makes thinner soap).
Step 2: Cook
Heat up the soap to medium, while stirring gently. If you stir too hard, you’ll foam it up. One the water heats up, the soap will start to dissolve. Stir gently until all the soap is dissolved, and take it off the heat. Let it cool completely.
Step 3: Use
You can use the soap in a regular pump as is, but it will be a bit thinner than commercial hand soap (which uses chemical thickeners). For foaming hand soap, fill the soap pump 1/4 of the way with the soap mixture, then fill to the top with water.
*Note: If you want a particular scent, you have to add it to the bar of soap when you make it. If you try to add an essential oil to the water mixture, it won’t mix in.
Loving the city, but longing for the farm, Melissa has made a hobby and a habit out of living sustainably, and DIYing, all while enjoying the perks of living in the big city. From Vancouver BC, she posts about making your own homestead from the smallest condo, and bringing farm living to rapid transit.
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