Making luffa soaps

Remember to put a damp tea towel under your chopping board to stop it from slipping.

1. Using the bread knife, slice the luffa into six rounds, each about 2–3 cm thick.

2. Place one luffa round into each of the cups in the silicon soap mould.

3. Cut the cotton twine into 10 cm lengths.

4. Fold each piece into a loop and place the two cut ends under one of the luffa slices, with the loop hanging away from the soaps (these will be your hanging strings).

5. Chop the soap base into chunks and place in the heatproof jug.

6. Microwave on medium power for 1 minute at a time, until the soap has just melted. Tip: Do not leave the soap unattended. Take it out of the microwave as soon as it melts, or it may boil up and spill over.

7. Add the fragrance and the soap colourant.

8. Stir well with the stirring stick.

9. Pour the melted soap into each luffa, wait a moment for it to soak in, and pour again to fill any holes. Before you pour, make sure the ends of the string are under the luffa slices and there’s a loop of string that’s clear of the melted soap, to use for hanging or holding.

10. Cool the soaps until completely hard, then gently turn each one out of the silicon mould.