Suds Up!

Get clean and smell great with Pip’s Squeaky Clean Soaps

Are you a fan of staying clean, smelling good, and keeping your skin healthy? Thankfully, you don’t have to look any farther than Pip’s Squeaky Clean Soaps, a local handmade soap shop owned and operated by Sarah Simmons.

Contrary to the name, Sarah offers more than just soap. She carries all kinds of all-natural products to keep you feeling fresh, from lip balm to laundry soap to bath bombs. “We’re always trying new things,” she elaborated.

Pip’s Soaps offers their products in three different categories to meet the needs of every type of customer. Lovers of sweet scents will enjoy a variety of products scented either with natural essential oils or fragrance oils. Unscented products are also offered for customers who may be sensitive to scents.

Sarah began making lip balm and other similar products as early as high school. Learning to make soap was always a passion of hers, but she didn’t know anyone who could show her the ropes. This didn’t stop her, however. After going to college, getting married, and having kids, she decided to take matters into her own hands. “I got a couple of books and decided I was going to do this.”

A Washington native, Sarah grew up surrounded by farmer’s markets a little different from the ones we have here in South Dakota. Pike’s Place market in Seattle, for instance, offers a wide variety of wares ranging from pottery to baked goods, and also features live musicians. So when she started selling soap at Aberdeen’s farmer’s market in 2012, people were a little confused at first.

However, it didn’t take long for everyone to fall in love with Pip’s Squeaky Clean Soaps. From its humble farmer’s market beginnings, the business has expanded to offer products in a variety of stores across the community and even the state. Currently, you can find Sarah’s products in Natural Abundance and Centsable Fashions in Aberdeen, as well as the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs gift shop, Mount Rushmore, the Spearfish Canyon Resort, and more.

Until recently, Sarah operated almost entirely out of her own home. A lack of space combined with the drive to expand led her to obtain her own space in the Citizens Building. “My kids got tired of not being able to make lunch when they wanted to,” Sarah laughed. “You have to keep everything separate, and clean everything before and after you make soap. I’d have stuff here and there and everywhere, so it was nice to be able to get out of my house.”

Although Sarah has always had a passion for making things, her favorite thing about running Pip’s Squeaky Clean Soaps is the ability to help people in a little way. “I love when someone will tell me that my product worked really well for them. Somebody will say, ‘I can’t use anything else, but I can use your products.’ I sold perfume to a lady who has never been able to wear perfume before, but can wear mine. That just feels good. It’s very fulfilling.”

Currently, Sarah’s store is open by appointment only due to her busy schedule. In the future, she hopes to keep regular store hours as well as continue to sell her products in other stores across the state. She’s also working on adding lotions to her lineup. To get squeaky clean and smell fantastic doing so, visit Sarah’s website at pipssqueakycleansoaps.com, visit her at the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays, or stop by one of the locations offering her products. // – Becca Simon