# Newbie Cleanup Questions



## DianaMoon (Feb 24, 2018)

I did my first batch, and I survived.
I scrupulously observed all the safety measures, until the very end, when....
I cleaned up my equipment (plastic yogurt container in which I mixed the lye, plastic tub in which I measured out the lie, whisk, plastic spoon, stainless steel pot) in the bathtub under lots of cold water. Is this OK?
I made the mistake of doing this with bare hands. I'm OK, but I think that one should wear the gloves even while handling cold water rinsed utensils that lye has been in. My hands are very dry.
I measured my lye in a small plastic container. It was very slick. What's going on there, chemically?
About the batch, I don't know. My real mistake was jumping the gun & doing it with a whisk and not waiting until I bought a stick blender, but whatever, I never did reach trace. I did reach a point where the mix didn't look as if it would separate. Maybe I gave up too easily. The mixture is now in molds in a wooden box outside my apartment.
Thank God, no splashing, and I wore my safety goggles, but I "perceive" that there are fumes in my apartment. All the windows & fans are on. My door is open.
Honest confession: I cannot say that I enjoyed working with lye. I live in a small apartment & if I had my druthers, I'd work with lye outside. 
I won't do another batch until I've gotten a stick blender, and a thermometer. I used my instant read for the oil but went by touch with the lye water. Maybe I messed up there.


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## Laurabolyard (Feb 24, 2018)

Yay!  Congratulations!  I'm new as well, I like the clean up better with HP, for sure. For cp, I have either left my gloves on during clean up, or left the clean up for a couple of days later when things are no longer zappy!!


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## DianaMoon (Feb 24, 2018)

Buy no longer zappy you mean that the lye has dissipated?

LOL, do you use soap to clean up?


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## Laurabolyard (Feb 25, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Buy no longer zappy you mean that the lye has dissipated?
> 
> LOL, do you use soap to clean up?


Yes, the lye should dissipate in a day or two, depending. I do Not use soap to clean them up, they will be nice and soapy for you!  My problem is keeping 'dirty dishes' out of sight!!  DH wouldn't find it amusing!  I am guilty of dry lye hands, it can be annoying trying to clean EVERYTHING up with gloves on, so I often clean up the worst of it, get everything at least rinsed, and pull them off. I really shouldn't.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 25, 2018)

The batter left in your bucket or pot will saponify.  Many leave their dishes for a day or two then wash.  Your lye container you can just run warm water into to dilute. I use dawn to clean ,y soaping dishes as I don’t have room to just let them sit. I always wear gloves. For cleanup.


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## penelopejane (Feb 25, 2018)

I also use dishwashing detergent to clean my equipment and always wear gloves.  I also wear gloves to do my ordinary dishes and to clean the bathroom.


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## Roselyne (Feb 25, 2018)

Lye fumes really irritate my eyes, throat, hands, and any bits exposed.. so when i can't mix it outside, i do it on my hob (turned off!) and have the extractor fan on its highest setting before i pour the lye until it's fully dissolved. For the clean up, i leave everything out of sight for a few days, then leave it to soak in water for a while, i fing it much easier than clean straight after soaping.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

Roselyne said:


> Lye fumes really irritate my eyes, throat, hands, and any bits exposed.. so when i can't mix it outside, i do it on my hob (turned off!) and have the extractor fan on its highest setting before i pour the lye until it's fully dissolved. For the clean up, i leave everything out of sight for a few days, then leave it to soak in water for a while, i fing it much easier than clean straight after soaping.



It's times like these that I wish I lived in the country. I'd put the stuff outside to saponify & let all the lye dissipate, etc. then clean up. But the best I can do is put my utensils in my bathtub & stay away from them. Soap making instrux should deal with cleanup as much as making soap.

I enjoy this hobby a lot but I do not like being around lye in a small apartment - I was very careful and there were no splashes (although I can easily see how even the most careful person could accidentally splash, but that's another story), but even averting my face I "felt" the lye. Does anyone else feel that way?

Next time I'm getting a respirator mask for chemical fumes, just for the mixing step. I stood as far away as I could with averted face & still "felt" it.

Is it even necessary to mix? Won't the lye mix of its own accord?

PS When I comment here using Microsoft Edge, I can't add paragraph breaks. When I comment using Chrome, I can. Go figure!!


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## dibbles (Feb 25, 2018)

I also wait a day or two to clean up my soaping dishes. I scrape the bowls as much as possible, and wipe the bowls, spatulas, stick blender, etc with paper towels. Wearing gloves and goggles still. When it's time to wash, I wear gloves, use Dawn dishwashing soap and HOT water. My lye pitcher I just rinse with water.

I don't know what would happen if you didn't stir the lye, but it seems to me that some of it would clump up on the bottom and not dissolve properly. I wear a respirator mask when I mix. You will get more used to working with lye - you've only just made your first batch. And congratulations on that!


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

dibbles said:


> I wear a respirator mask when I mix.



I'm going to do that. I was quite concerned yesterday about those fumes.

Do you think that this is adequate?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-8577CA1...470230&hash=item1c9a6bb846:g:xHYAAOSwh1haKfUU

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052EA7NY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks!


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## dibbles (Feb 25, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I'm going to do that. I was quite concerned yesterday about those fumes.
> 
> Do you think that this is adequate?
> 
> ...



I don't have good ventilation where I mix my lye solution. I have this one: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MCUT86/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BT2SWTE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

And here is a link to DeeAnna's advice on choosing a respirator mask: https://classicbells.com/soap/respirator.html


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## Steve85569 (Feb 25, 2018)

Mixing water and sodium hydroxide I use the bathroom sink and fan. The sink just in case so it's already to just wash down the drain and the fan for the fumes. And long arms so my face is back as far as possible from the rising fumage.

I never clean anything except the lye pot the same day. I rinse that 4 cup plastic out thoroughly while still wearing the soaping PPE's. Next day ( or three) I come back and wash the soap out of the other cups and mold. Uncured soap dries my old skin so it is wise to glove up. I don't always because sometimes I think I have a big red "S" on my chest.


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## cmzaha (Feb 25, 2018)

The more you handle and walk around with lye solution the more chance of an accident, such as tripping when you come inside. I mix a gallon or two or lye at a time and just keep back a little from the container. Unless you have a fan blowing across the container the fumes usually go straight up in the air and last only a few seconds. It really is the safest to mix your lye in the sink in case the container leaks or a volcano happens. If you have a vent fan close to your sink turn it on because it will draw the fumes up. Granted I do not live in a small apartment rather a very open house, I only know when I first started I would go out on my deck and mix my lye to avoid fumes. I managed to trip once and almost dropped the container when I was carrying it in, that ended the mixing outside. Turn your head, turn on a vent fan and or hold your breath.

For cleaning up I wipe all containers out with old rags, which I put in a bucket for a couple of day so the batter turns to soap then throw them in the washer or I wipe them out with paper towels and wash my buckets and utensils in plain green soap with a some degreaser added in. Always wear gloves since you are working with raw batter. Since I am pretty OCD when it comes to dirty dishes I even wash all my soaping utensils/equipment between each batch. I initially wash them in a large bucket before putting in the sink to finish washing, the bucket of oily soapy water goes over the bank in my  forest of bamboo or where ever I happen to see a concentration of white flys, which I very seldom have problems with now


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

Thank you, everyone, for all this great information - and I'm horrified that I came out of yesterday's experience without an accident.

"The more you handle and walk around with lye solution the more chance of an accident..."

True. Not understanding what this was all about, I mixed the lye on the window sill of my LR. The reason being I thought the lye fumes would flow out of the window. That created a potential tripping situation when I held the lye/water container & brought it to my kitchen - not far away, but still, far enough to trip & spill. I didn't but still, never again!

I don't have long arms, alas, but I can spring for a mask, which I will use, and a much longer stick/wand to mix the lye & water.

"Unless you have a fan blowing across the container the fumes usually go straight up in the air and last only a few seconds. "

This is (somewhat) reassuring, and useful.

In short: don't put your head directly over the mix, use a mask, use something long to mix, and have the oil so that you mix directly after the lye reaches proper temperature.

Leave the utensils to saponify & clean up using safety gear.

PS - keep working area clear of  everything that doesn't have to do with soaping.


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## IrishLass (Feb 25, 2018)

Mixing lye solution is my least favorite part of making soap. That's why I master-batch it in a large enough quantity that will last me through making about 7 to 8 batches of soap spread out over several months (lye solution, if stored properly, will last indefinitely- we're talking years). Instead of going through the hassle of making a fresh batch of lye solution each time I soap, I only need to mix up a master-batch of lye about 2 or 3 times a year.

I mix mine outside in my garage. I set my PP#5 mixing container down inside of a large, flat-bottomed stainless steel bowl (in case of accidental spills), and I mix with my gloves and goggles on (always).

To avoid breathing in any of the irritating fumes, I use a makeshift mask made up of three large, tightly woven, triple-ply cotton diapers stacked on top of each other then vertically folded over in triplets like a letter, and then folded in half horizontally, which makes for at least 36 layers of protection. I hold that over my mouth and nose with one gloved hand while I stir with the other.

Cleanup- not wanting to waste any of my soap batter, I've become very adept at squeegeeing just about every last drop of it out of my pot and off my stick-blender/utensils with a rubber spatula and into my mold. Any minor soapy/oily residue left behind on them gets a cursory wipe-down with a paper towel before I wash them up in my sink with hot soapy water.

 The washing 'soap' that I use for this task is 1 part Dawn Ultra mixed with 3 parts vinegar. I always keep a container of this homemade concoction handy in the cupboard underneath my sink. It works great at cutting through oily residue (and is also an excellent pre-wash for getting oil stains out of clothing).

As for my lye solution container- I never wash it with soapy water since lye is a powerful cleaner in and of itself- I just rinse it out with hot water and let it drain.


IrishLass


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## bathgeek (Feb 25, 2018)

I concur. I don’t like mixing lye either, but it’s a necessary evil. I mix about a gallon at a time, which is enough to last me a few weeks. I sometimes do marathon lye sessions where I dedicate the day to making my NaOH and KOH (and sugar) solutions. I always have tons of #2 containers around due to the amount of distilled water I go through (liquid soap sells). Right now I have 2 gallon jugs sort of half filled with NaOH 50% solution, one gallon jug with 50% KOH solution, and one gallon jug with 33% sugar solution. I’m thinking in about four weeks I will need to mix more if I keep up the soaping pace.


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## SoapAddict415 (Feb 25, 2018)

When I'm being impatient, Dawn dish liquid gets my soap dishes squeaky clean. Other times I just stick everything in a tote. The soap saponifies while everything is hidden from DH's sight. I think we're all guilty of not wearing our gives when we should. I've also had my share of dry lye hands.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

Do you have a favorite lye solution container?


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## SoapAddict415 (Feb 25, 2018)

I use these. I found the pitcher in a resale shop for $1 a few years ago. I weigh out my lye in the small container & mix it in the pitcher.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

SoapAddict415 said:


> I use these. I found the pitcher in a resale shop for $1 a few years ago. I weigh out my lye in the small container & mix it in the pitcher.  View attachment 29075



Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant to ask those who mix up batches & store them.


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## debratant (Feb 25, 2018)

I do not master batch yet, but I notice alot of people use laundry detergent bottles (cleaned out of course).  
When I do decide to master batch, that is what I will use.


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## bathgeek (Feb 25, 2018)

I use the bottles that my distilled water comes in. Benefit: I don’t need to wash them out.


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## IrishLass (Feb 25, 2018)

When I make my master-batch solution, I mix it in a PP #5 Rubbermaid pitcher. It looks like the one in the pic SoapAddict145 posted, only mine is a translucent/frosted color. When my solution has completely cooled off, I transfer it to its long-term storage container, which for me is a reclaimed Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent bottle made of sturdy HDPE #2,  with a no-drip pour spout (and tight-fitting screw-top cover, of course).


IrishLass


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

IrishLass said:


> When I make my master-batch solution, I mix it in a PP #5 Rubbermaid pitcher. It looks like the one in the pic SoapAddict145 posted, only mine is a translucent/frosted color. When my solution has completely cooled off, I transfer it to its long-term storage container, which for me is a reclaimed Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent bottle made of sturdy HDPE #2,  with a no-drip pour spout (and tight-fitting screw-top cover, of course).
> 
> 
> IrishLass


 
I'm about to ask you a real newbie question. Doesn't the concentration of lye to water change depending on the kind of soap you make? Or do you use the same concentration over and over again?


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## IrishLass (Feb 25, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I'm about to ask you a real newbie question. Doesn't the concentration of lye to water change depending on the kind of soap you make? Or do you use the same concentration over and over again?



I was waiting for that excellent question to come up.  I thought about adding a word about it in my post, but thought better of it in case it turned into information overload. lol

To answer your question, yes, I do use different concentrations at different times depending on things, and that's where the beauty of master-batching with a 50% lye concentration comes into play. With a 50% master-batched lye concentration it's super easy to do the math it takes to adjust the master-batch solution to match whatever different lye concentration I want to use in my soap batch. All it takes is about 15 seconds (if that) to perform a simple, 2-part elementary math equation, and voila- I now know how much extra water I need to add to my batch.

*Edited to add* an earlier post on how I do the math:

*https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/making-bulk-lye-for-multiple-batches.26634/#post-253997*


IrishLass


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## DianaMoon (Feb 25, 2018)

Thank you.

BTW, a little soap making humor. I was looking around for info about adding borax to soap, because I have it and ran across something from "SQ" (I haven't been here long so I don't' know the politics of quoting soi-disant soap experts), and she wrote:  "I recommend handling borax with protective gear, like gloves." 

I LOL'd at that, because of my extreme squeamishness about using lye. I was raised using 20 Mule Team brand in my laundry, have used it all my life & have no fear of it. I grab handfuls of it out of a big bag to put in a smaller bag to take with me to the laundry.  Not that I'll ever lose my healthy respect of lye.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 26, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant to ask those who mix up batches & store them.



Many of us who make and store lye solution use repurposed laundry detergent bottles that have been rinsed out really well.   I mix a 50/50 lye/water in a pitcher then pour into the laundry bottle when cooled.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 26, 2018)

bathgeek said:


> I use the bottles that my distilled water comes in. Benefit: I don’t need to wash them out.


Hm. My distilled water bottle is very thin plastic. The laundry soap bottle, while smaller, is much thicker.



IrishLass said:


> I was waiting for that excellent question to come up.  I thought about adding a word about it in my post, but thought better of it in case it turned into information overload. lol
> 
> To answer your question, yes, I do use different concentrations at different times depending on things, and that's where the beauty of master-batching with a 50% lye concentration comes into play. With a 50% master-batched lye concentration it's super easy to do the math it takes to adjust the master-batch solution to match whatever different lye concentration I want to use in my soap batch. All it takes is about 15 seconds (if that) to perform a simple, 2-part elementary math equation, and voila- I now know how much extra water I need to add to my batch.
> 
> ...



"Excellent question..." I feel complimented - my question shows I'm beginning to catch on. Now, my next question will sound really clueless.

DeeAnna pointed out in another thread that 33% means 1 part lye, 2 parts water. That may seem to a self-explanatory to a numerate person, & of course, she's right, but if she hadn't pointed that out, I was looking at this way (i.e. wrong) - in the SoapCalc forumua, a 33% lye solution has twice the amount of water to lye.

Is a 50% solution 1 part lye, 1 part water (50/50 = 100)?​


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## penelopejane (Feb 26, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant to ask those who mix up batches & store them.



I use the old 2 kg bottles that the lye came in when I bought small amounts.  They are great because the are a “5” rating (in the triangle on the bottom), they have a child proof lid and the label is right (although I add more notes about the mix.)

Yes a 50% solution is one part lye to one part distilled water.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 26, 2018)

bathgeek said:


> I use the bottles that my distilled water comes in. Benefit: I don’t need to wash them out.



Your water bottles must be a different material than what mine comes in.  Mine are thin and I wouldn't trust them with my lye solution.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 26, 2018)

I just hold my breath and give the lye a few good stirs.

As far as clean up - leave the dishes overnight if you can. It's MUCH easier the next day.


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## earlene (Feb 27, 2018)

I do the same as *penelopejane* and keep my masterbatched lye in the 2-pound bottles from Essential Depot that the lye crystals came in when I ordered lye from them.  They are sturdy HDPE plastic, seal tightly with the child proof lid and already labelled as lye and all the hazardous warning on there.   All I had to do was add "50% NaOH solution" and I also include the date made because my past professions have made me compulsive that way.

Since I have not used liquid laundry detergent in decades, I don't have any of those bottles, so never even thought of using one.  I wouldn't want to anyway because at my age with my diminishing strength and weakening hands, I don't feel it would be wise for me to lift a heavy container of lye solution and attempt to pour from even a one-gallon container.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

Another problem w/the liquid laundry bottles is the strong perfume from the detergent.  I'll be looking around for another option.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 27, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Another problem w/the liquid laundry bottles is the strong perfume from the detergent.  I'll be looking around for another option.



I use unscented/free detergent.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

what do people think of this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D7E70I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
It's described as HDPE but doesn't give the hardness number.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

Slight change of topic - when you master batch, do you simply count the mix (whatever the lye % level) as the water weight?


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## penelopejane (Feb 27, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Another problem w/the liquid laundry bottles is the strong perfume from the detergent.  I'll be looking around for another option.



I don’t think that will be a problem.


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## jcandleattic (Feb 27, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Another problem w/the liquid laundry bottles is the strong perfume from the detergent.  I'll be looking around for another option.


Just make sure they are thoroughly washed out and clean, and then you can give them a good vinegar rinse and they should be fine. Even if there is still a faint scent leftover, it will not come through the lye solution.


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## IrishLass (Feb 27, 2018)

I use unscented liquid laundry detergent, so any lingering, leftover fragrance is a non-issue where my container is concerned (no smell at all).



DianaMoon said:


> what do people think of this:
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D7E70I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
> It's described as HDPE but doesn't give the hardness number.



That looks to be a fine, sturdy bottle. The only thing I don't like about it is that the opening does not have a 'no drip' pouring spout, meaning that there's more chance of the lye dribbling down the outside of the container when you pour. With the 'no drip' spout on my laundry detergent bottle, all my dribbles get channeled back into the container, which I find to be a very nice feature.




DianaMoon said:


> Slight change of topic - when you master batch, do you simply count the mix (whatever the lye % level) as the water weight?



Yes-  use equal weights of lye and water for a 50/50 master-batch.


IrishLass


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

"Yes- use equal weights of lye and water for a 50/50 master-batch."

Right, but that's not my question. I'll have to explain this step by step because I'm not sure what even I mean, LOL.

I have a master batch which is already 33%. My Soap Calc is based on that 33%.  I don't have to measure out water and lye - because I'm using a premix. So how much of it do I use?

Do I measure out whatever the water as percent of oil weight is? 

I created a recipe that came to 444 grams. Water as percent of oil weight is 29.67. That would be 131.7 grams. Is that how much of the master batch I'd use?


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## jcandleattic (Feb 27, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I created a recipe that came to 444 grams. Water as percent of oil weight is 29.67. That would be 131.7 grams. Is that how much of the master batch I'd use?


First - FORGET about "water as percent of oil weight" says- don't pay attention to that at all. That shouldn't calculate in, especially if you have changed the calc to 33% lye SOLUTION... 

If you have done that, on the soap calc there is weight for water, and weight for lye. Add those together - that will be your 33% solution. That is how much masterbatch lye solution you should use.


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

jcandleattic said:


> First - FORGET about "water as percent of oil weight" says- don't pay attention to that at all. That shouldn't calculate in, especially if you have changed the calc to 33% lye SOLUTION...
> 
> If you have done that, on the soap calc there is weight for water, and weight for lye. Add those together - that will be your 33% solution. That is how much masterbatch lye solution you should use.



Thank you. That makes things very easy.


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## IrishLass (Feb 27, 2018)

Ditto what jcandleattic said. Just pretend that the 'water as % of oils' box on SoapCalc does not exist (it shouldn't exist at all, if you ask me, darned infernal, troublesome thing that it is ).

From now on, the only box concerning water amount that you should be concerned with on SoapCalc is the 'lye concentration' box. Totally block the default water as % of oil' out of your mind. In other words, you can only choose one of them, not both.

If you made your 33% lye solution based on 2 parts water to one part lye, type your recipe into Soapcalc, type 33 in the 'lye concentration' box, type in your preferred superfat, then click on 'calculate' down at the bottom and then hit view/print.

On the page that pops up, you will see how much water is required for your batch and also how much lye. Just add them up and weigh out the resulting sum for your batch (in solution).


IrishLass


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## DianaMoon (Feb 27, 2018)

Gotcha both. I thought this was the case (just add the two weights) but I 2nd guessed myself!

Just wanna add a thank you to everyone - I have honestly never encountered such helpful and *knowledgeable* hobbyists!


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## bathgeek (Feb 27, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> Your water bottles must be a different material than what mine comes in.  Mine are thin and I wouldn't trust them with my lye solution.



I don’t reuse them as I always have far too many bottles around, but actually, yes, the bottles are reasonably sturdy. I actually stopped using my laundry detergent bottles because it was so hard to get everything out of the bottle and it was crusting around the rim.


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## DianaMoon (Mar 1, 2018)

I know that this has been covered, but please reassure me that THOROUGHLY cleaning a stick blender of soap makes it safe to use in food.

I have a $25 Best Buy coupon that I forgot about, so I'm going there to look at what they've got. I really do not want to buy two at this point.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 1, 2018)

I know people use their soaping supplies double duty for foody stuff too, so it can be done. Me personally? I wouldn't do that. I use fragrance oils, and I wouldn't want that residue anywhere near my food. But that's just me, and I'm sure it is probably fine. 

My advice - get the one from Best Buy for your food, and then go to thrift shops to get one for soap. You can usually always find a nice cheap stick blender at a thrift shop for less than $5.


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## DianaMoon (Mar 1, 2018)

jcandleattic said:


> I know people use their soaping supplies double duty for foody stuff too, so it can be done. Me personally? I wouldn't do that. I use fragrance oils, and I wouldn't want that residue anywhere near my food. But that's just me, and I'm sure it is probably fine.
> 
> My advice - get the one from Best Buy for your food, and then go to thrift shops to get one for soap. You can usually always find a nice cheap stick blender at a thrift shop for less than $5.



I meant before adding fragrances, but after becoming trace. I would never use something that touched a fragrance oil for food. I'll certainly look around for a cheaper stick, though.


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## earlene (Mar 1, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I know that this has been covered, but please reassure me that THOROUGHLY cleaning a stick blender of soap makes it safe to use in food.
> 
> I have a $25 Best Buy coupon that I forgot about, so I'm going there to look at what they've got. I really do not want to buy two at this point.



I don't use my soaping SB for food.  Once I started using my first food SB for soap, it became a soap-only SB. 

I suggest you look at the seal between the blade base and the bell of the SB, and determine if it is made of a substance that might be affected by lye.  I suggest that it is, if your SB is made anything like mine. 

My first SB, which I loved so much I replaced the exact same model when it burned out from overuse, had that rubber (or rubber-ish) seal become loose from the blade base & bell.  I glued it back in so lye wouldn't seep into the space under the seal, and that lasted quite well.  But the fact that the seal came loose tells me that lye, even in solution of soap batter, is strong enough to penetrated the non-metal parts of my SB (the seal and whatever substance might have been present such as glue or whatever).  The danger that would cause in food use, is not something I would risk.


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## DianaMoon (Mar 1, 2018)

On the bottom of the CLOSYS bottle is HDPE 2.


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## dixiedragon (Mar 1, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> I know that this has been covered, but please reassure me that THOROUGHLY cleaning a stick blender of soap makes it safe to use in food.
> 
> I have a $25 Best Buy coupon that I forgot about, so I'm going there to look at what they've got. I really do not want to buy two at this point.



I use mine in both food and soap. I did buy one that I meant to use for food only...but that didn't happen, LOL. I always run mine through the dishwasher between uses. So if I decide to make multiple batches of soap in one weekend, I will give it a handwash between batches, but it goes through the dishwasher before it goes back in the drawer.


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## cmzaha (Mar 1, 2018)

My stick blenders are dedicated to soap only or food only. Many times I SB in my fragrance and do not want fragrance on my food SB even though it is Stainless Steel and does not really absorb the fragrance. I also have a dedicated SB for Lotions


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