TL;DR: Most commercial soap dishes either trap water (making bars soggy) or fail to drain when placed the wrong way. This parametric OpenSCAD soap dish solves both problems with a simple, printable design that elevates the bar and channels water away reliably.

Why do most soap dishes fail at their one job?

Screenshot of Soap Dish Design

I’ve seen a number of soap dishes in my time under the sun, and I’ve rarely appreciated any of them. Sometimes they retain drips and splashes, which renders the soap bar soggy and causes you to burn through it faster. Other times, they are clearly intended to drain excess water, but completely fail the task if they are incorrectly oriented. Then there are those special snowflake soap bars that have their own unique size or shape, and so most soap dishes are wholly inadequate.

Design goals for a better soap dish

  • Elevate the bar so water drains freely underneath.
  • Channel water toward the edges regardless of orientation.
  • Remain simple enough to print without supports.
  • Be parametric so it can adapt to different bar sizes or shelf constraints.

Key Takeaways

  • Water pooling is the primary cause of wasted soap.
  • A minimal raised grid or slatted base outperforms solid trays.
  • Parametric design lets one model serve multiple use cases.
  • OpenSCAD keeps the source editable and version-controllable.

Get the Files

See also the companion prints in this section: Shelf Hook and Raspberry Pi B+ Mount.