The microwave oven is a favorite "shell" of home-grown experimenters. What they didn’t put into it: telephones, light bulbs, packets with chips and CDs. Soap did not escape this fate. In the microwave, as it turned out, it can behave quite worthily. You only need to know how to direct the energy of electromagnetic waves in the right direction.
What happens to soap in a microwave?
Food in the microwave is heated due to the action of electromagnetic waves on water molecules, which are found in almost all products. There is moisture in the soap, which means that when it is placed in the oven, something must happen. Indeed, numerous videos from the vastness of the Internet teach us that if you put soap in the microwave in a whole piece and set high power, a lush foam cloud will soon form inside the oven. This is because the water that is present in the soap in a liquid state boils and turns into steam. The steam tends to free itself, and the solid structure of the soap is broken.
I must say, the foam cloud looks spectacular. But you need to understand that the experiment can be fatal for the furnace if moisture gets into the holes on its inner walls.
Soap in the microwave: is it possible to make something useful out of it?
In general, placing bar soap in the oven can lead to sad consequences, especially if it contains additives of unknown origin: who can know how they will respond to electromagnetic waves?
But the microwave, as it turned out, is ideal for melting remnants in order to turn them into designer soap. True, in order to create something worthwhile, you have to work out a little.
In addition to remnants, you will need: a heat-resistant bowl for a microwave oven, a film or a silicone lid, a little water or milk, a knife or grater and additives, if desired.
Melting technology
Consider in detail how to melt the soap in the microwave without serious consequences.
First, rub the remnants on a grater or chop them (the finer the more evenly and quickly they melt). Shake them out in a heat-resistant container, pour in some hot water or milk and cover the chips with a silicone lid or foil to prevent evaporation of moisture. Put the dishes inside the microwave, set high power (600-800 W) and turn on the oven for 30-45 seconds. During this time, the mass will not melt completely. Stir it and put it back into the oven, but this time for 15 seconds. Why so much accuracy? The fact is that the soap should not overheat. The optimum temperature for it is 60-65 ° C.
Repeat the procedure until the mix is viscous and uniform. Then, additives (essences, glycerin, dyes, oils, etc.) can be poured into it and placed in the oven for another 15 seconds. Done! Soapy mass can be poured into molds previously lubricated with olive oil.
What to look for
If you have never melted soap in the microwave, read this section carefully.
1. Your mix should not have pieces of laundry soap, as it smells. When heated, the "aroma" is enhanced, and the microwave oven well "preserves" it. The same applies to other “odorous” foundations.
2. It is very important to maintain the desired melting point. This can be done with a thermometer for liquids. Make sure that no bubbles form on the surface of the mass indicating boiling. Overheated soap dries quickly and loses its ability to foam.
3. Add all additives (they will be discussed below) at the last stage of melting (to avoid odor). Recall: you are cooking soap in the microwave from remnants, that is, individual pieces, each of which has its own color and smell. If the use of additives is not planned, all components should be well combined with each other in these parameters.
Soap in the microwave: how to make an original product
Using your creative thought, you can make more interesting and attractive products than simple bars of soap, which have an exclusively utilitarian function.
So, to create a multi-layer soap, you need to sort the pieces by color, place in different containers and melt them (or melt the whole mass, and later divide it into several parts and paint each one separately). Pouring the basics of different colors into molds will need to be sequentially so that each layer has time to set.
For "marble", that is, decorated with stains, soap, too, will require the basis of several matching colors. Only pour it into forms can be arbitrary. In addition, you will not need to wait for each pour to solidify. It will be enough that it slightly thickens. As a result, you will get a beautiful bar with patterns.
And finally, you can make "confetti" - a transparent soap with large colored fragments inside. To do this, it is necessary to chop the remnants into large pieces, distribute them in a mold, sprinkle with alcohol and pour over the molten base.
Additives
To make the soap elegant, fragrant and useful, add additives: essential oils, food colors, glycerin, essences. Do not overdo it with their quantity (the oven absorbs odors) and never make too complicated mixes. If you are preparing a multi-colored soap, when pouring into the molds, spray the base more often with alcohol. This is necessary so that masses of different colors firmly stick together with each other.
Now you know enough to cook your own soap in the microwave. Why not try it today?