Thread: Why melt soap?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Just don't use your wife's good graters to grate your soap. Many women take a dim view of that.

Really? I figured since it was soap, it wouldn't be a problem.

Okay, so tonight I'm getting ready to melt two cakes of soap into glass bowls. Lacking a double-boiler, I was planning to just set the glass bowls in a simmering water bath with the soap pucks inside. Should I instead put a stainless steel bowl atop the saucepan with the simmering water and then place the bowl inside that?

Or do I need to melt the soap in another vessel over a hot water bath and then pour it into the glass bowl?

Or should I worry less and just try something?

Never mind. I found the right combination of search terms, patience and beer. I have successfully melted a Conk puck into a glass bowl by just setting the glass bowl in a hot water bath and stirring gently, periodically. It sure looks like it worked; we'll see when it hardens.