No, this isn’t a “hack” on how to rescue or conserve soap.

I’m finally coming clean. I love soap. I collect soap like some people collect sea shells or dolls. Full disclosure, I also have a small doll collection and a larger sea shell collection. But I’m always looking for unusual soaps or ones that are decorative.

In fact, I’ve bought unusual soaps as souvenirs. When we went to Alaska, I sampled soap made from the silt from glaciers. So, of course, I bought a bar. In Hawaii, I saw soap that was hand-carved into a flower shape enshrined under a little plastic dome. I bought one for me and my dear friend, Susan.

Years ago, I was in Philadelphia visiting my brother and we went to a huge indoor market. I bought soap carved with a hunting dog.  One of my favorite soaps is a glycerin soap that shows a beach scene. I don’t remember where I got it, but more likely than not, It was at a craft show in a beach community. Recently, I was at an upscale Arts and Crafts Fair which showcased professional level crafts. And yes—I found a soap that I just had to have. Like all souvenirs, these soaps do remind me of the places I’ve been and the people I was with.

Soaps actually make a great souvenir. They’re small, portable and relatively inexpensive. In addition, soaps are useful, and you don’t have to worry about buying the right size.

Many of us remember “back in the day,” the little soap dishes that displayed fancy soaps in people’s “powder rooms.” Many times, those soaps had plastic shrink wrap over them, thus making it impossible to use them. Year after year, the cute little sea shell or heart-shaped soaps would languish unused under the shrink wrap gathering dust. And Avon Cosmetics sold decorative soaps to enhance your home or give as gifts.

Well, I’ve collected some of those cute soaps myself—and yes, I’ve kept them like special relics, too. Then one day it occurred to me that these were soaps—one of the most mundane and useful items we have in our homes. Now I’m enjoying using them. There are one or two I won’t use—the silt soap was too messy, and the beach scene glycerin soap reminds me of the place I love best—the beach.

I still like collecting pretty, cute, and unique soaps—but I also love using them.