Soap

Storage location: Intermediate storage

We have magnetic soap holders for soap bars beside most sinks. These are home-made with a variety of designs at the magnet end.

Soap bars are are prepared for the holders by pressing in bottle (crown) caps, which seem to be exclusively made out of carbon steel (i.e. (ferro)magnetic.) Fresh, even caps should be used: ask at any Späti/bar where they use a bottle opener that doesn't deform the caps; don't reuse caps, since they typically rust and have caked soap which impedes pressing them in to new soap bars.

Soap needs to be of a waxy consistency, not chalky: this seems to be true for soap which is produced with higher oil-to-alkali ratio ("überfettet"). (Chalky soap is brittle, meaning the cap can break out, and sometimes the bar itself may fracture when trying to push the cap in.) Bars should not weigh much more than 100g, since the magnets in the holders are (intentionally) not so strong. We prefer unscented soap.

• Soap bar preparation
• 
  Lightly press bottle cap into center to get a marking.
• 
  Level the surface inside the marking plus a couple millimeters outside with a spoon. (Soap shaving should be saved)
• 
  Lightly push in cap, flip bar upside down, then push down with whole body at the center of the bar with both hands on top of each other.