It’s likely that you’ll have heard that washing your hands with soap and water is your best defence against Covid-19, more so than hand sanitisers. This is because a 20 second bubbly scrub dissolves the outer fat membrane of the virus as well as physically removing dirt and germs off your skin and washing them down the drain.
Moreover, sanitisers come in plastic so should only be used where a sink isn’t readily available. Antibacterial soaps are also a no-go because of the toxic danger they pose when rinsed into our waterways and fuel antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Bacteria and viruses are different so antibacterial agents do nothing to fight Covid-19 anyway.
I have previously written about the concern that germs can live on soap cakes being unwarranted and that you should be more worried about what is lurking on the top of liquid soap bottle pumps.
My point is that an ethical, cardboard packaged soap is best for the environment as well as your health. To be as waste free as possible you’ll want to use every last slither of your bar of soap so I wanted to share a recipe for making use of your collected soap scraps.
Once the leftover bits of soap have dried out, grate them into a saucepan with a little bit of water and melt them down on your stovetop.
Add a decent dash of olive oil or coconut oil (or both) while stirring and remove from heat.
Beat well with a whisk or fork and while still warm, pour into moulds or an oiled dish.
When the soap block is completely cold turn it out onto a board and cut into squares or remove from the moulds.
Leave for a few days to harden before use and then wage a war against those nasty bugs!
This article is from Eco-warrior and Trash Talking Mama Hayley Crawford, Hayley is passionate about reducing waste and living more sustainably. Follow her on Instagram here.
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