Ivory Soap Clouds

"Our Best Bites" website is crammed with recipes, but here is something thrown into the mix....Ivory Soap Clouds (more info at... http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/04/kitchen-craft-soap-clouds-and-homemade-kiddie-tub-soaps/ )

The website given above has TONS of ideas to go along with the basics that I have been given here.  All this takes is a bar of Ivory Soap (MUST BE IVORY), a piece of wax paper (or saran wrap), and a microwave. Now, I've been told, the newer the soap, the better this works.  The Ivory soap I used was bought about 18 months ago.  (Got it for next to nothing using sale prices and coupons.)  Although I have done a full bar at a time, this time I only did a half bar at a time because I do have a smaller microwave.  All you have to do is place the bar of soap on the wax paper on your microwave tray and turn it on.  I find that with my microwave 1 minute and 15 seconds was plenty for a full size bar, and 45 seconds worked great for a half bar.  Just watch it close and you can usually guess when the cloud is done growing.

I have found that kids and adults alike love the feel of mashing the clouds in their hands and fingers.  As you do the "cloud" turns to a dust of sorts.  This can be used for all kinds of things and several ideas are given on the website above.  I've not made anything with mine yet, but I think I might make shaped soaps with it for Christmas.  This is also a great way to get around grating bar soap if you make your own laundry detergent.  I shared this with the teachers of my oldest two boys and both LOVED the idea and have plans on sharing it with their class.

NOTE:  If you live outside of the USA, research the ingredients of Ivory Soap to locate a local brand that will work for you.  One of the keys of Ivory soap is that it contains alot of air (and will float on water) which allows this experiment to work.


Just remember, Don't Just Pin It!