The walls of the house had begun to close in on Cathy McArdle.

The Vicksburg resident had had surgery, and while at home recovering, she became bored.

With nothing to do, McArdle decided to “dabble” in soap making and now a hobby has morphed into a business — the Muddy River Soap Company.

Initially, McArdle said she made her soaps and bath bombs to give to family and friends and in doing so received rave reviews.

“My mother said, ‘I don’t know what you put in your soap, but my skin is clearer,’” McArdle said. “And I have a family friend in West Virginia who is an ex-Marine. He had served in the first Gulf War and since has been dealing with rashes and all kinds of different break outs on his body.”

It all seemed to clear up after McArdle sent him a bar of soap she made.

“He was telling me nothing worked even what the doctors were prescribing, so I researched good products that could calm inflammation and started testing out different soaps,” McArdle said.

It was then, McArdle thought, if she could make a soap that could help her ex-Marine friend with his skin issues, she could probably help others.

So, she, along with her husband, Andy, who helps when he is not working his day job, added soaps geared toward certain skin conditions to their growing product line. McArdle also makes a variety of soaps, bath bombs, candles and wax melts using a variety of fragrances and in different shapes.

Her most popular soap, she said, is made in the shape of the state of Mississippi, and her “biggest seller” of all the products are the wax melts.

“They are really really good. We have had some people say they are comparable to Yankee Candle,” she said.

Making soap is a long process, McArdle said. Using either cookie cutters or silicone molds, the ingredients are poured in and must set up sometimes for four weeks.

McArdle has been selling her Muddy River Soap Company products at the Levee Street Market for two years and will also make special orders.

She is currently working on building a website for her Muddy River Soap Company.