If you're reading this, you've probably just brought home one of our felted soaps and are wondering why your bar of soap is wearing a sweater. Fair question.
Felted soap is an old idea. You take a good bar of soap, wrap it in wool, and work it with warm water until the wool shrinks and hugs the bar tight. What you end up with is a bar of soap and a washcloth all in one. Here at DaisyFields Farm we add our own daisy designs on top, because we can't help ourselves.
Why Felted Soap?
A gentle scrub, built right in. The wool softly exfoliates as you wash. No washcloth or loofah needed.
It lasts longer. The wool protects the bar, so it doesn't turn to mush in the soap dish.
It won't slip. The wool gives you a good grip. No more chasing the soap around the bottom of the tub.
It shrinks with the soap. As the bar gets smaller, the wool tightens right along with it.
Nothing goes to waste. When the soap is finally gone, you still have a little wool pouch (more on that below).
How to Use It
The first time: Your felted soap may be a little shy at first. Wet it well with warm water and give it a good rub between your hands. Once the water soaks through the wool, the lather comes right up. If you're patient, you can even soak it in warm water for a few minutes before its first use.
Every day after that:
Wet the soap.
Rub it right on your skin, just like a washcloth.
Rinse it, then squeeze out the extra water.
Making It Last
The one thing felted soap asks of you is a chance to dry out between uses. Treat it well and it will keep you company for a long, long time.
Let it breathe. Set it on a soap dish that drains, or on a little rack, where air can reach it.
Keep it out of puddles. A soap left sitting in water gets soft and wears away faster.
Keep it out of the shower spray. Give it a spot where it won't get rained on all day.
As the soap gets smaller, the wool will shrink and tighten around it. That's just what it's supposed to do.
When the Soap Is Gone
Eventually the soap runs out, but the wool doesn't have to go in the trash. Snip a small slit in it and you have a little pouch. A few ideas:
Tuck in the leftover slivers from other bars of soap and keep on washing.
Fill it with dried lavender for a dresser drawer.
Use it as a gentle scrubber for the sink.
Our grandmothers wasted nothing, and they'd be pleased to see this.
About the Daisies
Every one of our felted soaps is wrapped and felted by hand, right here at DaisyFields Farm. The daisy design on top is felted on one little poke at a time. That means no two are exactly alike. Some daisies come out perfectly round, and some look like they've had a long day. We love them all the same.
They make a lovely gift for a teacher, a neighbor, or anyone who deserves something nice, if you can bear to give yours away.
You can find our felted soaps in the farm store and in our online shop at daisyfieldsfarm.com.