…EVER do it again! That’s why I started donating my soap scraps to Clean the World, right? So I would never have to rebatch. Well, the problem is that I have 45 (that’s forty-five!) pounds of soap scraps. I checked into sending them off to Clean the World, and it was going to cost me $47!!! I just couldn’t do it.

Then I saw this post by The Midlife Farmwife that caught my eye. Rebatching in the crock pot! With photos! And a recipe! And promises of soap that looks like granite in about an hour! Now there’s something I could wrap my head around.

Every other time I’ve tried to rebatch, I’ve done HUGE batches in the oven that took forever…and then by the time I got them in the mold, the soap would cool down and look horrible! Not to mention that I had to shred all the soap before I could melt it down. Ugh. Yuck! Horrible!

This soap is already shredded. It’s mostly the slivers that I cut off when I bevel the edges of the soap. There are a few larger pieces that need to be cut up, but for the most part, the hard work is already done! So I decided to get started with some peppermint soap scraps and a few other who-knows-what scraps:

About 28 ounces of soap scraps ready to melt down

These were still soft and not very old, so instead of adding a 1/2 cup of castor oil as Donna suggests, I only added 1/3 cup, plus 1/2 cup of water. It took my old crock pot a little over an hour to really melt down. The peppermint was still pretty strong, so I just added a couple squirts of green apple fragrance and mixed in about five ounces of green & red soap chunks:

Melted soap mixed with soap chunks, ready to smush into the mold

My soap never really gelled, just melted. I probably could have added more water and left it to cook a little longer, but it turned out like this:

Mint Apple Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

I had my next batch already planned, but I only have one 2 lb. mold. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long for hot-processed soap to cool down and hold its shape. I was able to take the first batch out of the mold (still in the freezer paper), re-line it, and go again about three hours later.

The soap scraps for the second batch weren’t very fragrant, so I went ahead and melted them down and added an ounce of Plumberry fragrance and some soap chunks that I believe might have been Figgy Pudding from last year as well as some strips of Cinnamon Bun coffee soap. I made sure this batch was more fluid and hot before smushing it in the mold.

Plumberry Soap by Great Cakes Soapworks

I love being able to use up soap scraps AND samples of fragrances! I may end up with a truck-load of rebatched soap by the time I’m done! Will I be financially ahead in the end? I’m not sure I can answer that, considering there is still quite a bit of time involved for the amount of soap created from each batch. However, if I am able to sell it, I can at least raise the funds to send whatever is left to Clean the World when I’m done. (I highly doubt I will soap my way through all 45 pounds!) Besides, if it’s fun and I get to be creative – who cares? I’ve already created another batch this morning!

Here are my best takeaway points:
1. Small 2 lb. recipe
2. Use soap that is already shredded and try to create a color scheme!
3. Get ‘er done fast!
4. Add water AND oil
5. Mix in more chunks near the end for added interest

Update: I’ve been discussing with another soapmaker how the extra oil may inhibit the lather of the rebatched soap. I am planning to use glycerin instead from now on. I’ve also heard that milk can be added!