So you made your first batch of soap, and the final product is in front of you, smelling really nice. Your friends and relatives want to buy some just to help you get started with your business. But, what size should you cut them, and how are you supposed to cut them anyway?
Most soapers cut their soap bars approximately 3-1/2″ wide, 2-1/2″ tall, and 1″ to 1-1/4″ thick bars. You can start cutting as soon as you remove the soap from the mold. The best way to cut is by using a sharp knife or dough scraper. However, you can also use a soap cutting box which helps keep the bars evenly sized.
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As with any hobby (or anything you do for the first time), some parts may look really intimidating the first time. The same can be said when you cut your first batch of homemade soap for your customer.
Cutting them into even pieces probably would seem a challenging task at first, but surprisingly, it’s the easiest part of the whole soap-making procedure, especially if you have the right tools.
What size should you cut homemade soap?
If we look at commercial bar soap, the average bar size is most of the time 3.17″ X 3″ X 1″. But when it comes to homemade soaps, there is no standard size to follow, but in general, you will find that most soapers cut their homemade soaps approximately 3-1/2″ wide, 2-1/2″ tall, and by 1″ to 1-1/4″ thick bars.
However, this does not mean you need to follow the same dimensions. If you wish to cut large pieces, go for it. But make sure in case you are to sell them that the larger the pieces, the higher the prices must be, or else there is no point in selling them.
How do you cut homemade soap?
Depending on the amount of soap you need to cut, there are two ways you can get this done. You can cut them one by one with a sharp knife or a dough scraper taking the right position when cutting and making sure cutting them in equal dimensions and sizes.
But, if you have a bigger batch, you should be using a soap cutter, which gets the job done much faster and much more efficiently.
The soap cutter you can buy for quite a low price. But you could also make one yourself. There are numerous videos on youtube on how to DIY one yourself, but I have found a well-explained one, which you can see below.
What is the easiest way to cut soap?
Arguably the easiest way is using a soap cutter, the dimensions are ready, and you only need to position your soap correctly. With a soap cutter, you can get up to 10 bars with just one cut, which makes it the most efficient way of cutting, especially if you have a large amount.
What can I use to cut soap?
There are several ways to cut soap. This smooth and soft substance is easy to cut, so potentially you could use almost anything that is a bit sharp to cut your soap with. But of course, all of them will not give you the same result. I have already mentioned a few in the article, but here is a list of items you could use to cut your homemade soap with.
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| Item | Ease of use | Notes |
| Sharp knife | Fairly easy | The knife should be sharp and long enough to have equal cuts. Also, make sure to stand in the correct position when cutting. |
| Dough scraper | Fairly easy | Ideal to cut soaps that are not too wide. |
| Crinkle knife | Fairly easy | Common among soap makers. A little wider than a dough scraper so can be used with many types of soaps. |
| Soap cutter (professional) | Really easy | Arguably the most used choice out there. Really easy to use, just position your soap correctly, and can have 10 pieces in one cut. |
| DIY Soap cutter | Really easy | Depending on the item made, it can be as easy as the professional version. |
| Thread (any type) | medium | Make a knot around the soap and tighten up slowly. The soap will eventually get cut. In case it’s too hard, you can also put your soap into the microwave to get it softer. |
| Metal wire | Medium | If you do not have a wooden loaf soap mold, it might be hard to cut it in equal pieces. Soap might also slip if the metal wire is too thick. |
How long to let the soap cure before cutting?
Depending on the ingredients used and the size of the batch, it might be possible that you need to wait about 48 hours to cut the soap. But some of them might only require 24 hours. So this is something that you will be able to find out by experimenting.
However, if you are following another soap maker’s guide, they probably already did the testing for you, so you should follow their guidelines and timeframes.
But let’s just say that is not the case and you are new to all of this, here is a way to know if the soap is ready to be removed and cut. Use a hand glove to check if the soap is too soft or not; this usually does the trick; if it’s still soft, wait for a few hours and check again.
If you are using a silicon-based mold, you can pull the edges away from the mold, and if you see that it’s not sticking or not coming apart, it means that it’s ready to go.
Another way to know if the soap is fully cured. Weight the soap every day and record the date and weight each time. When you see it has stopped losing weight, then it is fully cured.
Quick note: Do not wait too long or else your soap might dry up too much and crumble when you cut because of it.
