# Soap bag, bad idea?



## Bamagirl

I was thinking of making a couple of these for my homemade soap, but was wondering if my soap wouldn't last as long since it would be in a wet rag. I was thinking it would be nice to just be able to throw them in the wash. The plan would be to make the bag and put a string through one end to hang them up. Has anyone tried this? If so, what was your experience and any tips?


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## DeeAnna

I would think this would be about the same as wrapping a bar of soap in a wet washrag. Why not do a test using a wet terry washcloth and see what you think? 

IMO, I don't think you'll be happy with this type of bag. The terry pile on the pouches you show will dry fairly slowly, so I'd be worried about the soap never fully drying out and getting really mushy. A bag made out of a quicker drying material might work well -- nylon mesh perhaps or a thin microfiber cloth? I make felted soaps, but the layer of felt over the soap is perhaps 1/8" thick or even less, and the thin, flat wool drains and dries fairly fast.


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## shunt2011

I agree that it would be like leaving soap sitting in water. I use a sisal or a soap saver nylon type bag that I collect my small pieces in then leave it hang in the shower. It dries quickly and doesn't get mushy at all.


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## Susie

I make my soap saver bags from those bath poufs you can get everywhere for about $1.  Each one makes about 6 bags using doubled over mesh.  Just take them apart and use the resulting tube, double it over, put the string at the folded end, use a lighter to seal the other end.  Takes me about 5 minutes each.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MLPXX4C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## McMomWV

DeeAnna said:


> I make felted soaps, but the layer of felt over the soap is perhaps 1/8" thick or even less, and the thin, flat wool drains and dries fairly fast.


Brilliant.  One of my daughters gave me a felting kit last Christmas.  I made a few things, but now the roving and little needles are sitting in a cubby.  Felted soap would be wonderful way to use up the last of the roving.  Do you use the needles or just hot then cold water?  (sorry to camp on OP)


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## Bamagirl

DeeAnna said:


> I would think this would be about the same as wrapping a bar of soap in a wet washrag. Why not do a test using a wet terry washcloth and see what you think?
> 
> IMO, I don't think you'll be happy with this type of bag. The terry pile on the pouches you show will dry fairly slowly, so I'd be worried about the soap never fully drying out and getting really mushy. A bag made out of a quicker drying material might work well -- nylon mesh perhaps or a thin microfiber cloth? I make felted soaps, but the layer of felt over the soap is perhaps 1/8" thick or even less, and the thin, flat wool drains and dries fairly fast.



That was my biggest concern, that it would be like leaving my soap in water. The mesh idea sounds promising, but for the facial bar I might would want a thin microfiber--I have these super thin microfiber that I got that are supposed to be for glass, they are really thin, so I may have to tie a bar in one of those and see what happens.



shunt2011 said:


> I agree that it would be like leaving soap sitting in water. I use a sisal or a soap saver nylon type bag that I collect my small pieces in then leave it hang in the shower. It dries quickly and doesn't get mushy at all.



That's a good idea, I am always frustrated throwing away that last little bit. Funny, it never bothered me when I was using soap that I bought lol.



Susie said:


> I make my soap saver bags from those bath poufs you can get everywhere for about $1.  Each one makes about 6 bags using doubled over mesh.  Just take them apart and use the resulting tube, double it over, put the string at the folded end, use a lighter to seal the other end.  Takes me about 5 minutes each.



I like this idea too. I feel an experiment coming on


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## DeeAnna

Soap is best covered with a wet felting technique. Then you can needle felt to add more detail if you want. See http://classicbells.com/soap/feltingTut.html


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## artemis

Susie said:


> I make my soap saver bags from those bath poufs you can get everywhere for about $1.  Each one makes about 6 bags using doubled over mesh.  Just take them apart and use the resulting tube, double it over, put the string at the folded end, use a lighter to seal the other end.  Takes me about 5 minutes each.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MLPXX4C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



You are GENIUS. My plastic mesh bag is leftover from something I bought once. I never thought of repurposing a bath pouf!


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## MySoapyHeart

Susie said:


> I make my soap saver bags from those bath poufs you can get everywhere for about $1.  Each one makes about 6 bags using doubled over mesh.  Just take them apart and use the resulting tube, double it over, put the string at the folded end, use a lighter to seal the other end.  Takes me about 5 minutes each.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MLPXX4C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Sounds like fun, I want to try this. Could you please, if it isn`t too much of a bother, to post a picture of one you made? Just so I can get a visual image, I am not really sure I am picturing it correctly in my head: )


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## Susie

I am not the genius.  I got the idea from someone on here a couple of years ago.  I have pics of the whole process if you need them.  I did not do a very good job on this one, as I knew it was just for demonstration.  You could not see the string on mine, as it matched the mesh.


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## DeeAnna

I see you tuck the melted end to the inside of the pouch -- nice touch!


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## Susie

Yeah, it kind of hides it.  I tried everything to get that end sealed, and finally settled on that technique.  That bag gives you a ton of bubbles, and keeps all the soap pieces inside.


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## Bamagirl

Susie said:


> I am not the genius.  I got the idea from someone on here a couple of years ago.  I have pics of the whole process if you need them.  I did not do a very good job on this one, as I knew it was just for demonstration.  You could not see the string on mine, as it matched the mesh.



Would love to see the process if you don't mind.


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## RuthJoh

It is a good idea, Susie. I would like to know how you made those bags. I am going to sell my soaps in such bags thus it can attract more customers to my shop, in addition, I have read an article https://www.aspirefcu.org/blog/life...-saving-money-on-lunch-the-old-fashioned-way/ about saving money by using DIY bags for lunch. After reading this blog I planned to have DIY packages for my soap. But I think it is better to make the soap bag like the one you have posted. can you please share the tutorial for making such bags?


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## Susie

RuthJoh said:


> It is a good idea, Susie. I would like to know how you made those bags. I am going to sell my soaps in such bags thus it can attract more customers to my shop, in addition, I have read an article https://www.aspirefcu.org/blog/life...-saving-money-on-lunch-the-old-fashioned-way/ about saving money by using DIY bags for lunch. After reading this blog I planned to have DIY packages for my soap. But I think it is better to make the soap bag like the one you have posted. can you please share the tutorial for making such bags?



The pictures are missing off my camera, but I can make another one after breakfast, and post pictures of it.  

You need to NOT sell soap in these!  They make the soap last LOTS longer!  You would be decreasing your return sales.


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## Susie

OK, now that the pics are coming out, I will try to describe step-by-step.

First, I take apart a bath pouf.  I don't have one to take apart, but you just find the center and cut whatever is holding it together.  Some are string, some are rubber bands.

Then, I take a bar of soap, and measure about 3 times the length of the bar of soap in mesh, I double the mesh over with about half a bar length on top and bottom.  Cut there.

Then fold the mesh in half.  Melt the cut ends.  You simply use a lighter, and heat and mash them together.  Repeat until you have a small, neat end.  Do not allow it to burn, it will turn black (ignore the black in mine, the neighbor decided to come say hello).  

Turn the bag inside out.  Snip a small opening at the folded (not the melted) end.  Cut through only the outer layer of mesh. 

I tie a slip knot in a piece of cotton yarn and secure a safety pin through it.  Use that to thread the yarn through the mesh.  If you have lots more time than me, and a sewing machine, you can sew a channel to hold the yarn in place.  

Put the bar of soap in there, and tie a knot or a slip knot using both ends of the yarn.  

That's it.  Nothing complicated.


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## DeeAnna

If you used something smaller than a safety pin, I wonder if you would even need to cut an opening to thread the string through -- maybe just fish the string through the normal openings of the mesh. I have a "bodkin" that might do -- it looks like this:


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## Susie

That would work really well.


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## Dahila

I make this and they work well,  my daughter uses it and the soap do last like in the Susie sack


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## shunt2011

Dahila said:


> I make this and they work well, my daughter uses it and the soap do last like in the Susie sack


 
My mom made something similar but I found they didn't dry out well enough quick enough and made the soap soft.  She used 100% Cotton and tried acrylic yarns too.


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## Dahila

I use coton to but the silver one is macerated cotton, so it dries ok


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## Susie

shunt2011 said:


> My mom made something similar but I found they didn't dry out well enough quick enough and made the soap soft.  She used 100% Cotton and tried acrylic yarns too.



That's exactly why I gave up on crocheting bags.  I have some pretty bags.  They just don't let the soap dry.  I used both regular and mercerized cotton.  I did not try bamboo, as the price was prohibitive.


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## Arimara

Dahila said:


> I make this and they work well,  my daughter uses it and the soap do last like in the Susie sack



I could only use those as gift bags. They're pretty.


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## lsg

I think a net bag is a great idea.  You would get lots of suds and the soap could dry off quickly.


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## Dahila

lsg said:


> I think a net bag is a great idea.  You would get lots of suds and the soap could dry off quickly.



I agree but the soap savers are free for customers who spend over 25 at my booth and it seems to work )
Crochet is awesome to keep the fingers flexible )


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## cherrycoke216

Ok, here's some info on mesh bags for lazybones like me. But still you have to use a string to close the top opening like Susie did.


https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32466...bag-Floor-drain-kitchen-sink-strainer-prevent

Or find it in Daiso the Japanese dollar store. I guess in the US maybe you'll have a hard time finding these. As seems like every home has a kitchen sink waste " blender" type of thing to purée food waste.

In Asia these bags are also used to wrap around tiny fruits.

ETA: uh, remember to turn it inside out, so the seal won't scratch on your skin.


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## Bamagirl

Susie said:


> I make my soap saver bags from those bath poufs you can get everywhere for about $1.  Each one makes about 6 bags using doubled over mesh.  Just take them apart and use the resulting tube, double it over, put the string at the folded end, use a lighter to seal the other end.  Takes me about 5 minutes each.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MLPXX4C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Things got a little busy around here when I posted this, but I just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to making the bag from the poufs and tried one out tonight and it works great! The soap bar that I used was a batch I'm not real crazy about because it doesn't lather well (I am out of all my other soap, and waiting for new ones to cure), but using it in the bag made a huge difference, so I can't wait to try it with my normally good sudsing soap. Thanks again for the idea!


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## Zany_in_CO

A few years ago, a friend's daughter sent her soaps in net bags -- just like that -- that she bought in NYC. She gave one to me. That soap lathered like a mad dog!


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## Bamagirl

CeeMoor said:


> A few years ago, a friend's daughter sent her soaps in net bags -- just like that -- that she bought in NYC. She gave one to me. That soap lathered like a mad dog!



I was really impressed with the lather I got. This particular batch was not a good latherer at all and I would have to work with it a long time to get suds. But, once it was in the bag and I used it, it actually lathered really, really well. I was super happy with it and plan on using these from now on. They were so easy to make and only took a few minutes, not to mention they were super cheap to make!


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## TBandCW

McMomWV said:


> Brilliant.  One of my daughters gave me a felting kit last Christmas.  I made a few things, but now the roving and little needles are sitting in a cubby.  Felted soap would be wonderful way to use up the last of the roving.  Do you use the needles or just hot then cold water?  (sorry to camp on OP)



No needles needed!  I just put the rovings over the soap and dip in hot water and rub it all over!  We raised alpacas at the time and their fleece was awesome!


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