How to Get the Last Bit of Liquid Soap Out of Its Container
One old trick that many of us were taught by our mothers was to “water down” the dregs so that any liquid soap that remains will flush out with the water. While this does a fine job of getting the last bit of liquid soap out of a container, it does cut the cleaning power of the soap. Here are several better solutions to try:
Use a funnel. Emptying one container into the other is easy when you use a funnel. The funnel prevents spillage while keeping the neck of the container clean and soap free. One advantage of transferring soap using a funnel is that you can place the old container upside down on top of the other and walk away. After 15 minutes or so, you’ll discover that most of the old soap will have trickled out into the new container.
Plastic funnels can be found at most dollar stores for $1 each.
Use a spatula. For containers that aren’t practical to empty using a funnel (such as a laundry soap container), I’ll cut the top of the container off with my kitchen scissors. This lets me access the inside with a plastic spatula which can be scraped of any remaining soap into a new container.
Use a microwave. The easiest trick of all for removing the last bit of soap from its container is with a microwave. For this trick to work, place the container on its side in your microwave with the lid off and heat at full power for 5-20 seconds. Small containers need less heat, larger containers will need more. The heat will decrease the soap’s viscosity (making it slippery) so that it flows more easily out of its old container and into a new one.
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