# Mechanic's/Gardener's Soap



## KristaY (May 1, 2015)

I'm going to formulate a mechanic's/gardener's CP soap. I want it to be very cleansing but not drying. After reading the MANY threads on mechanic's soaps and all the various opinions on oils, SF%, additives, etc, I decided to go simple with the recipe. Something like 35% CO, 30% PO, 30% OO (undecided yet on the other 5%) with a 2-3% SF.

Pumice is the main additive I want to use. I've read to start at 1 Tbsp PPO for light scrubbiness but I want more than "light". Obsidian posted in another thread she uses 1/4 cup in 2 lbs of soap which comes out to be about 2 Tbsp PPO. Has anyone tried 2 1/2 - 3 Tbsp PPO? Obsidian, did you increase the amount?

I'm also thinking about bentonite clay at 1 tsp PPO. I know others have used activated charcoal. Are there pros/cons for either?

In one thread someone taked about adding kerosene which lead me to think about pine tar. Is 5% PT a good idea in this type of soap?

I've also been considering cocoa butter at 5%. Will this be lost in the soap with all the other additives, or add to the conditioning (since the CO is high and the SF is low).

I'm going to use an EO blend of orange, litsea, peppermint, spearmint (any or all of them).

Lots of questions, huh?! I just want to get everyone's opinions on these ideas so I can make my final decision on the recipe.

TIA everyone!!!


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## FlybyStardancer (May 1, 2015)

For my scrubby soap, I did 50/25/25 Lard/CO/OO, and I used 1 Tbsp pumice for 600g oils. It's not quite as much scrubbiness as the Lava brand, but it's close! Though I had crumbly edges when I went to cut, even though it seemed almost too soft. 

As far as the rest goes... I wouldn't bother with the cocoa butter for it. And the PT will be a pain in the butt to mix in. That stuff creates insta-pudding! I'd be worried about other additives not getting mixed in properly.


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## KristaY (May 1, 2015)

Good point about the PT, StarDancer. I've made many batches of PT soap just for the point of PT soap, lol. I always add it at the last moment because of the acceleration. Since I'm thinking about doing individual round silicone molds, PT won't work unless I do a 1 lb batch which I won't. OK, so PT's out. Thanks for your input!

Edit to add: BTW, Stardancer, I just jumped over to your blog about the alternative liquid swap. Very nice! I was thinking of trying a liquid like you used so I'm anxious to see how it turns out. Plus, your name is SO similar to mine ~ I bet you get a bit of a jolt (like "is that me? Nevermind...) everytime you see my user name, lol.


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## MorpheusPA (May 1, 2015)

Mine's about 40% CO, 30% soy wax (lard, tallow, or palm can be used instead), and 30% palm.  At 0.5% superfat.

I don't use any additives but see no reason why one couldn't.  I tend to scent with rosemary (which I find a very sharp, cleansing scent) and orange (which isn't that durable, but the terpenes help with the cleansing ability).

Strangely, I don't find it at all drying on my hands, but wouldn't dream of using it as a bath soap.  I'm way too attached to my olive, palm, and lard for that!


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## shunt2011 (May 1, 2015)

Mine is 40%CO, 30% PO, 20% OO and 5% Castor with about 1/2-3/4  cup Pumice for 56 oz oils batch and 7% SF.  I scent mine with 15x orange and a bit of tea tree.  I color a portion of it with activated charcoal and leave the rest the pale grey that the pumice makes it.  So, as you can see you can do it just about any way.


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## KristaY (May 1, 2015)

I've been on the fence about the SF, Morpheus. I remember reading you posting in another thread about the 0.5% SF then others that go up to 20% (but they were using CO at 80-100%). If I stick with my original basic recipe (35% CO) and use 0.5% SF instead of 2-3% maybe it will work out. How do you feel about the use of cocoa butter in the remaining 5%? Or should I just stick with castor.....



shunt2011 said:


> Mine is 40%CO, 30% PO, 20% OO and 5% Castor with about 1/2-3/4 cup Pumice for 56 oz oils batch and 7% SF. I scent mine with 15x orange and a bit of tea tree. I color a portion of it with activated charcoal and leave the rest the pale grey that the pumice makes it. So, as you can see you can do it just about any way.


 
My batch size would be 36oz oils so probably 1/2 cup pumice at the most? I guess I'm going to have to play and decide what I like for SF. Morpheus likes 0.5% and you like 7%. Lots of variables in there!

Also, Shunt, you use activated charcoal. Do you think there's a difference in that over bentonite clay?


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## shunt2011 (May 1, 2015)

KristaY said:


> My batch size would be 36oz oils so probably 1/2 cup pumice at the most? I guess I'm going to have to play and decide what I like for SF. Morpheus likes 0.5% and you like 7%. Lots of variables in there!
> 
> Also, Shunt, you use activated charcoal. Do you think there's a difference in that over bentonite clay?


 
yes, 1/4-1/2 would probably be plenty.   My husband is a machinist and he and the guys that work with him like my soap.  I wanted it scrubby but not stripping.  My husbands fingers usually split during the winter but since he's used this they've been much much better.   Give the bentonite a try.  Certainly can't hurt.  I used the charcoal as I wanted a bit of color and I use it for black frequently.


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## MorpheusPA (May 1, 2015)

KristaY said:


> I've been on the fence about the SF, Morpheus. I remember reading you posting in another thread about the 0.5% SF then others that go up to 20% (but they were using CO at 80-100%). If I stick with my original basic recipe (35% CO) and use 0.5% SF instead of 2-3% maybe it will work out. How do you feel about the use of cocoa butter in the remaining 5%? Or should I just stick with castor.....



I sometimes use 5% castor to replace 5% of the palm.  It does increase the bubbles a bit.

You could use cocoa butter, no problem.  My aim in my soap for my purposes is pure cleansing with no residue--this soap does multiple duties as a pot scrubber soap, window cleaning, floor wiping, and so on.  I don't want any oils left behind.

It's weird, but I don't find this soap particularly harsh, nor drying on my hands.  Yet I'm remarkably CO intolerant in my bath soap.  Maybe I'm just too used to olive oil.

Or, perhaps after grubbing around in dirt all day, even CO is comparatively moisturizing.  It's a mystery.  And one my callused, abused hands will never solve.


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## KristaY (May 1, 2015)

MorpheusPA said:


> I sometimes use 5% castor to replace 5% of the palm. It does increase the bubbles a bit.
> 
> You could use cocoa butter, no problem. My aim in my soap for my purposes is pure cleansing with no residue--this soap does multiple duties as a pot scrubber soap, window cleaning, floor wiping, and so on. I don't want any oils left behind.
> 
> ...


 
Ahhh, okay, now I get why the 0.5% SF ~ surfaces other than hands! I don't plan to use this for anything other than grimy, greasy, dirt caked hands. When I work in my garden and forget my gloves, the soil sucks the moisture out of my hands. So I think I'll go with my original 2-3% SF. I'm also thinking of going with both cocoa butter and castor at 5%. I'll decrease the palm or OO for the swap.

Thanks Morpheus!



shunt2011 said:


> yes, 1/4-1/2 would probably be plenty. My husband is a machinist and he and the guys that work with him like my soap. I wanted it scrubby but not stripping. My husbands fingers usually split during the winter but since he's used this they've been much much better. Give the bentonite a try. Certainly can't hurt. I used the charcoal as I wanted a bit of color and I use it for black frequently.


 
I get that with the AC, I do the same when I want black. I guess I'm just curious if there's a difference in the property of the soap using either AC or BC. I don't really care what this one looks like since it'll be for my grungy garden hands and hubby's grimy work hands. Maybe I'll split the batch and add AC to half, BC to the other half. Then I can do a side by side comparison. Thanks for the input, Shunt!


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## FlybyStardancer (May 1, 2015)

KristaY said:


> Edit to add: BTW, Stardancer, I just jumped over to your blog about the alternative liquid swap. Very nice! I was thinking of trying a liquid like you used so I'm anxious to see how it turns out. Plus, your name is SO similar to mine ~ I bet you get a bit of a jolt (like "is that me? Nevermind...) everytime you see my user name, lol.



Thanks! So far it looks like it's going to be quite interesting! I need to see how things cure out before I post the cut pictures.  But I will say I'm happy with my swirls!

Isn't it close? And yours just has the 'y' in the wrong place.  I did do a few doubletakes at first. lol


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## KristaY (May 1, 2015)

*Pumice*

Another quick question. This will be my first time working with pumice. Do I need to hydrate it before adding to the batter? If so, in water or oil?


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## Relle (May 2, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> Mine is 40%CO, 30% PO, 20% OO and 5% Castor with about 1/2-3/4 cup Pumice for 56 oz oils batch and 7% SF. I scent mine with 15x orange and a bit of tea tree. I color a portion of it with activated charcoal and leave the rest the pale grey that the pumice makes it. So, as you can see you can do it just about any way.


 
What is the other 5 % of your recipe please ? It only adds up to 95%. I must make some mechanics soap.


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## Obsidian (May 2, 2015)

I hydrate my pumice with water, just to make sure there are no lumps. It can be added to the oils or at trace. I recently rebatched 1 lb of coconut soap and added in 1/4 cup pumice, its very scrubby, I like it a lot for hands.


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## shunt2011 (May 2, 2015)

Relle said:


> What is the other 5 % of your recipe please ? It only adds up to 95%. I must make some mechanics soap.


 Oops, must have been tired. It's 25% OO...thanks for catching that.


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## KristaY (May 2, 2015)

Obsidian said:


> I _*hydrate my pumice with water*_, just to make sure there are no lumps. It can be added to the oils or at trace. I recently rebatched *1 lb of coconut soap and added in 1/4 cup pumice*, its very scrubby, I like it a lot for hands.


 
Thank you Obsidian! Now I'm off to SoapCalc then on to soaping.....:clap:


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## MorpheusPA (May 2, 2015)

I was thinking of this today as I put in the first two of the front gardens (only about 350 square feet) and the dahlia (another 200 square feet).  

Then I tested my soap on six hours of ground-in dirt.  One forgets over the winter.  Gloves?  What are these "glove" things you speak of?  ... I've never used them as I need to adjust the root systems of the little plants as I go.

It worked well, removing all the dirt from my skin, but didn't get the soiled mess out from under my cuticles or nails.  Nothing short of a soaking is going to do that, which I'm about to go do since my hair is stiff as a board from the dirt in it.


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## Relle (May 2, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> Oops, must have been tired. It's 25% OO...thanks for catching that.


 
Thank you. I'll give it a try.


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## KristaY (May 3, 2015)

MorpheusPA said:


> I was thinking of this today as I put in the first two of the front gardens (only about 350 square feet) and the dahlia (another 200 square feet).
> 
> Then I tested my soap on six hours of ground-in dirt. One forgets over the winter. Gloves? What are these "glove" things you speak of? ... I've never used them as I need to adjust the root systems of the little plants as I go.
> 
> It worked well, removing all the dirt from my skin, but didn't get the soiled mess out from under my cuticles or nails. Nothing short of a soaking is going to do that, which I'm about to go do since my hair is stiff as a board from the dirt in it.


 
Too funny you mention putting in your garden. I've been putting it off for a week due to soap making and all the other normal life flotsam and jetsam. I was at a local Home & Garden show last weekend, bought $20 in plant raffle tickets and ended up winning 11 potted plants in 1 & 5 gallon sizes. So those guys are sitting in my courtyard begging to be put in. That's on my agenda for tomorrow. I made a bargain with myself today - I can't make soap until all the pots are empty!

I actually prefer my nitrile gloves when gardening since they're a much lighter weight than the heavy duty gardening gloves. Yep, gotta feel those little roots as you go. I made this mechanic/gardener's soap today so won't be able to use it after gardening tomorrow. I'll have to resort to that stuff in the big orange bottle.

Good luck with your spring garden, Morpheus!


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## kmarvel (May 3, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> Oops, must have been tired. It's 25% OO...thanks for catching that.


 

Funny, I was talking the other day about trying some Mechanic soap. I ordered the "fine" pumice powder. Do I need to use the betonite clay or charcoal in this soap?? I have neither atm.

Kathie



KristaY said:


> I'm going to formulate a mechanic's/gardener's CP soap. I want it to be very cleansing but not drying. After reading the MANY threads on mechanic's soaps and all the various opinions on oils, SF%, additives, etc, I decided to go simple with the recipe. Something like 35% CO, 30% PO, 30% OO (undecided yet on the other 5%) with a 2-3% SF.
> 
> Pumice is the main additive I want to use. I've read to start at 1 Tbsp PPO for light scrubbiness but I want more than "light". Obsidian posted in another thread she uses 1/4 cup in 2 lbs of soap which comes out to be about 2 Tbsp PPO. Has anyone tried 2 1/2 - 3 Tbsp PPO? Obsidian, did you increase the amount?
> 
> ...


 
Krista, I am from AZ also and everything sucks the moisture out of our skin. haha I was wondering if you created your final recipe yet for mechanic's soap?? How did it turn out??
I am trying to create a recipe also and asking if the charcoal or bentonite clay is needed at all??

Kathie
s


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## MorpheusPA (May 3, 2015)

KristaY said:


> Too funny you mention putting in your garden. I've been putting it off for a week due to soap making and all the other normal life flotsam and jetsam. I was at a local Home & Garden show last weekend, bought $20 in plant raffle tickets and ended up winning 11 potted plants in 1 & 5 gallon sizes. So those guys are sitting in my courtyard begging to be put in. That's on my agenda for tomorrow. I made a bargain with myself today - I can't make soap until all the pots are empty!


 
--Off Topic Alert Begin

I have 850 plants that I just hardened off in the north garden staring at me, asking for root space (I grow my own plants from seed since I need 12 full flats). 

Unfortunately, except for work, sleep, and eat, everything else goes on hold when it's The Time To Plant, usually for almost a week. It's gotten to the point that they're fully root-bound.



> I actually prefer my nitrile gloves when gardening since they're a much lighter weight than the heavy duty gardening gloves. Yep, gotta feel those little roots as you go.


 
Unfortunately, my nitrile gloves are too thick! I've tried thinner ones, but with the sheer number of plants and soil prep I have to do (I always add some Terra Sorb into the holes, so they get dug five times wider and deeper than the little plant requires), I tend to shred them fast.



> I made this mechanic/gardener's soap today so won't be able to use it after gardening tomorrow. I'll have to resort to that stuff in the big orange bottle.
> 
> Good luck with your spring garden, Morpheus!


 
Thanks! I'm waiting for the Ibuprofin to kick in so I can go back out and continue. At least I have 2 of 8 gardens done, and one of those is a major one. Unfortunately, there are four major gardens and four minor, so I'd hardly call myself ahead of the game.

On the up side, the weather turned to late spring early this year, so I'm ahead of the game no matter how you calculate it.

/Off Topic Alert



kmarvel said:


> Funny, I was talking the other day about trying some Mechanic soap. I ordered the "fine" pumice powder. Do I need to use the betonite clay or charcoal in this soap?? I have neither atm.
> 
> Kathie


 
Technically, you don't need any of the above for a mechanic's/gardener's soap. The goal is to remove the grease, dirt, filth, or other bits and pieces. 

Pumice helps by abrasion, but can be a little too good at that. I prefer soaps without abrasives as my gardening involves plenty of abrasions to my hands already. I find I don't have much of my top skin layer left if the soap is too scrubby.


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## shunt2011 (May 3, 2015)

Sorry didn't see this till now.  No clay or charcoal needed.


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## KristaY (May 4, 2015)

First, I just have to say EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY PLANTS????? Holy cow, Morpheus! I thought my task was daunting as I was looking at about 25 that I needed to get in plus all the winter cleanup. I feel like such a slacker....

Hi Kathie! Yes, I made the soap. I decided to make a 2 lb batch and split in half. One half I added the pumice with activated charcoal and the other half I added pumice plus bentonite clay. None of those additives are necessary but I wanted to add them to see what the difference feels like. I poured into individual cavity silicone molds & was able to unmold the AC batch within about 10 hours, no problem. They're a beautiful black. But the bentonite half is still in the molds. For some reason I always forget how much water it takes to hydrate bentonite clay! Because of all the extra water, it's going to be a while before I can get them out. 

Recipe wise, I decided on 40% CO, 25% PO, 25% OO, 5% castor and 5% shea with 3% SF. I added 1/4 cup pumice to each lb plus 2 tsp of the AC & BC. I hydrated the pumice, AC & BC in water and mixed with my mini mixer to a smooth consistency.

If you decide to give it a try, let us know how it works out!


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## Jstar (May 4, 2015)

I need to make some gardener soap too I suppose..we've got 450 'tomato' plants in the ground right now with another 300 or so to go in at a later date..doesn't count all the other veggies n fruits {peas, corn, cucumber, squash, mustard greens, turnips, radishes,watermelon}

I also dont do gloves..what are those?


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## kmarvel (May 4, 2015)

MorpheusPA said:


> Technically, you don't need any of the above for a mechanic's/gardener's soap. The goal is to remove the grease, dirt, filth, or other bits and pieces.
> 
> Pumice helps by abrasion, but can be a little too good at that. I prefer soaps without abrasives as my gardening involves plenty of abrasions to my hands already. I find I don't have much of my top skin layer left if the soap is too scrubby.


 

To make a "mechanic or garden soap" don't you want a little abrasion in there??  And what exactly makes it a mechanic soap??  Also, do you also cure these for a min of 30 days??


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## dixiedragon (May 4, 2015)

For my gardener's soap, I make a coffee soap. I use my regular recipe, throw a few tablespoons of coffee grounds in the lye water, and add tea tree and lavender EOs. I made that on a whim one day, and my aunt loves it for after she gardens - she says it really helps because she would get small cuts that would become infected and if she washes her hands with this she doesn't. So it's become my gardener's soap.

IMO, gardener's soap and mechanic's soap  would be two different things.


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## shunt2011 (May 4, 2015)

dixiedragon said:


> For my gardener's soap, I make a coffee soap. I use my regular recipe, throw a few tablespoons of coffee grounds in the lye water, and add tea tree and lavender EOs. I made that on a whim one day, and my aunt loves it for after she gardens - she says it really helps because she would get small cuts that would become infected and if she washes her hands with this she doesn't. So it's become my gardener's soap.
> 
> IMO, gardener's soap and mechanic's soap would be two different things.


 
I make a kitchen soap with coffee and grounds.  I have a couple customers that use that for gardening as well.   I suppose it's just what works/appeals to each person.  My husband and co-workers  prefer the pumice for greasy hands.


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## lizard1232 (May 4, 2015)

I see you've already made your soap,  but I have a suggestion for next time or for anyone else that may want to try.  I feel that gardener's soap and mechanics soap have two different goals and therefore are going to be two different soaps (just my opinion,  not judging anyone else's). I see a mechanics soap more as a grease cutter and a gardener's soap more as a power scrubber. I just recently made what I would consider more of a mechanic's soap using a technique I modified from Soaping 101. Ms. Cathy made scrubs using both liquid and cream soaps. I switched out the sugar for both fine pumice and ground walnut shells and added in a little Orange EO for the "authentic" smell and for the grease cutting. Since then, I've been researching a better grease cutter and came across d'Limonene. It's not too expensive and is all natural if you're into that kind of thing.  You can even get it on Amazon.

ETA link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAu7sUjUoB4 and correct spelling.


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## MorpheusPA (May 4, 2015)

kmarvel said:


> To make a "mechanic or garden soap" don't you want a little abrasion in there??  And what exactly makes it a mechanic soap??  Also, do you also cure these for a min of 30 days??



Some say yes, some say no.  Even now, after finishing the entire front garden (about 250 plants in without gloves), my hands are clean even without abrasives.  Although there's a touch of impacted dirt stuck under my nails, but nothing would get that out.

I certainly wouldn't object to a very gentle abrasive in my soap, it's just that I use it for other things were bits and pieces left behind would be bad.  Plus I don't want to roughen and wear away at my skin any more than the soil already does.

I still have 600 plants to go, after all.


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## KristaY (May 4, 2015)

lizard1232 said:


> I see you've already made your soap, but I have a suggestion for next time or for anyone else that may want to try. I feel that gardener's soap and mechanics soap have two different goals and therefore are going to be two different soaps (just my opinion, not judging anyone else's). *I see a mechanics soap more as a grease cutter and a gardener's soap more as a power scrubber*. I just recently made what I would consider more of a mechanic's soap using a technique I modified from Soaping 101. Ms. Cathy made scrubs using both liquid and cream soaps. I switched out the sugar for both fine pumice and ground walnut shells and added in a little Orange EO for the "authentic" smell and for the grease cutting. Since then, I've been researching a better grease cutter and came across d'Limonene. It's not too expensive and is all natural if you're into that kind of thing. You can even get it on Amazon.
> 
> ETA link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAu7sUjUoB4 and correct spelling.


 
Hi lizard! I see your point in grease cutting and power scrubbing. I just decided to combine the 2. I increased the coconut oil way above what I normally use in bath soap for the cleansing power and added pumice for the scrubbiness. Since mechanics usually need to remove grease and gardeners usually need to remove dirt, I wanted the high CO and abrasiveness for both. This is going to be my test batch and I'll probably end up tweaking the recipe a bit but this is my baseline.

ETA: Morpheus and Jstar, I'm exhausted just thinking about putting in that many plants. Between the 2 of you, you've got almost 2000 plants! Yep, it's official, I'm a total slacker.....


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## Jstar (May 4, 2015)

LOL, it gets worse Krista..I have to weed too..and the grass is REALLY healthy this year :evil:{grumble}

I'll be taking pics when everything is all nice, tall and full of yummies {and weed free}

And you're not a slacker...Im just insane. 

ETA: Let us know how your experiment comes out..I'll most likely make some coffee soap like Dixie that I had forgotten to make...lubs my coffee soap and Im completely out


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## JayBird (May 5, 2015)

For my gardener's soap, I use 1 TB charcoal PPO in a 100% CO mix at 20% SF. Yes, very simple recipe. I use this because I have allergic skin reactions to the leaves of some of my garden plants (especially tomato plants). The CO will lather up in whatever water is available to me (my garden is not where I live), and the charcoal halts the rashing process I get on my arms if I rinse off whenever I start to feel the rash starting to break out, which is about every 30-60 minutes of gardening. 

For one of my mechanic's soap, I soak 1 TB of cornmeal in orange EO and add it at trace. The cornmeal seems to anchor the scent, and acts as a replacer for pumace. I used to use a higher CO in it, but have started incorporating more lard, and it's aawwweeesssoommmee.


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## RDak (May 5, 2015)

FWIW.....I make batches that are always 3 pounds of oils.

When making soap for gardening/mechanic work I add 4 ounces of kerosene to my HP double boiler soap after it is done and before adding FO.

Dissolves dirt and oil a bit better than the regular soap.


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## kmarvel (May 5, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> I make a kitchen soap with coffee and grounds. I have a couple customers that use that for gardening as well. I suppose it's just what works/appeals to each person. My husband and co-workers prefer the pumice for greasy hands.


 

Sorry for the questions.  I think I will make both....mechanic's soap and the gardener's soap with coffee grinds.

I usually make a 3lb mold of soap.  How much coffee grinds would I put in the lye water??

Also, for a 1/2 cup of pumice, how much water would I use to dissolve it??

And these soaps also cure for 30 days??


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## Obsidian (May 5, 2015)

I wouldn't put coffee grinds in the lye, it will make them smell. It will fade with a cure but there is no reason for them to go into the water. I mix dry grinds into the soap as soon as it hits emulsion.

For the pumice, add just enough water to smooth out the lumps. I generally make it like a thick pudding.


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## shunt2011 (May 5, 2015)

I use already brewed coffee grounds from the triple strength coffee I make for the liquid and just add it to my traced batter.  I use about 1T ppo.


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## KristaY (May 5, 2015)

Obsidian said:


> ....
> For the pumice, add just enough water to smooth out the lumps. I generally make it like a thick pudding.


 
I did exactly this ^^^^. I didn't measure the water though, just kept adding bit by bit until I got it to a point I could smooth it out. I also ended up using my mini frother just to make sure I had no more lumps.

I was FINALLY able to unmold the bentonite clay batch (round). It took 4 days due to the high amount of water I had to add to hydrate the clay. They're still really spongy feeling. I also added sodium lactate to the lye water. I can only image how much longer it would have taken to unmold those without it. :crazy: The activated charcoal batch feels nice and firm so I'll probably start testing those next week just for fun.


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## kchaystack (May 5, 2015)

KristaY said:


> I was FINALLY able to unmold the bentonite clay batch (round). It took 4 days due to the high amount of water I had to add to hydrate the clay. They're still really spongy feeling. I also added sodium lactate to the lye water. I can only image how much longer it would have taken to unmold those without it. :crazy: The activated charcoal batch feels nice and firm so I'll probably start testing those next week just for fun.



I never worry about re-hydrating clay in my soap.  I add it to the oils, blitz it with a sb, and then add my lye water.  I have not had a problem with clumps or anything.


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## KristaY (May 5, 2015)

No problem with cracking either, haystack? That's my biggest concern especially with bentonite. I had a batch crack and warp when I didn't hydrate it first.


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## kchaystack (May 5, 2015)

KristaY said:


> No problem with cracking either, haystack? That's my biggest concern especially with bentonite. I had a batch crack and warp when I didn't hydrate it first.



Not at all. I guess if I added ALOT it might matter but at 1 tablespoon PPO it is noticeable in the finished soap.  It has a slight grit for lack of a better word but it is not at all harsh or sandpaper like.


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## Jstar (May 6, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> I use already brewed coffee grounds from the triple strength coffee I make for the liquid and just add it to my traced batter.  I use about 1T ppo.



This is what I do as well..makes wonderful scrubbies


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## LBussy (May 6, 2015)

I was taught a trick by an old mechanic for cleaning REALLY greasy hands:  He told me to put a little bit of transmission fluid in my hands and work it real good, wipe that off, then wash with soap and water.  Transmission fluid is a high-detergent oil.  Since I started making soap I often wondered if maybe a relatively high superfat might make a soap perform better for mechanic's' hands?  It flies in the face of all we know but it's just a tickler back there in the gray matter.


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## Saponista (May 8, 2015)

You could also try a cream soap. I used to use lemon gojo which is an industrial hand cleaner. It's basically pumice, soap and petroleum distillates, which is the same reason the transmission fluid works too I think. But you could make a basic cream soap with pumice added which may work pretty well.


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## LBussy (May 8, 2015)

Saponista said:


> You could also try a cream soap. I used to use lemon gojo which is an industrial hand cleaner. It's basically pumice, soap and petroleum distillates, which is the same reason the transmission fluid works too I think. But you could make a basic cream soap with pumice added which may work pretty well.


You know ... I'll never have an original idea ... :razz:


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## kmarvel (May 10, 2015)

KristaY said:


> I was FINALLY able to unmold the bentonite clay batch (round). It took 4 days due to the high amount of water I had to add to hydrate the clay. They're still really spongy feeling. I also added sodium lactate to the lye water. I can only image how much longer it would have taken to unmold those without it. :crazy: The activated charcoal batch feels nice and firm so I'll probably start testing those next week just for fun.


 

WOW.....they look awesome!!!!!

I have decided on a Mechanic's soap recipe.

Now on to a Gardener's Soap.

I was thinking about this as a recipe. What does everyone think??

SF 7%
OO 25%
CO 40%
PO 30%
Castor 5%

1 Tbl each of dried coffee grounds, cornmeal, and 1/8th cup of pumice, fine.

Maybe coriander as a scent??


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## MorpheusPA (May 11, 2015)

That's certainly worth a try as it looks like a great recipe.


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## shunt2011 (May 11, 2015)

It looks good to me too.  Give it a shot.


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## KristaY (May 11, 2015)

Cornmeal sounds interesting. I haven't used it. How does it behave in a soap? Any special prep needed? I think coriander sounds great as a scent too Kathie. Let us know how it works out!


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## Obsidian (May 12, 2015)

I recently made a two bar batch to test a additive, I was in a hurry and wanted a simple recipe so I did 50% OO, 50% coconut with a 10% SF. I washed with it the first time a couple days ago and I liked it so much, I made a small batch with coffee grinds for a garden soap.
It had lots of lather while still having decent conditioning from the OO. I used a lot of grinds in this one too, around 3 Tbsp PPO.


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## SweetBubbleTreat (May 12, 2015)

Will this pumice work or is there a better one on amazon that I can use??

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB0T7KG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Obsidian (May 12, 2015)

Yep, that one will work.


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## SweetBubbleTreat (May 12, 2015)

thank you obsidian...you are a real sweetheart!!!!


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## kmarvel (May 18, 2015)

KristaY said:


> Cornmeal sounds interesting. I haven't used it. How does it behave in a soap? Any special prep needed? I think coriander sounds great as a scent too Kathie. Let us know how it works out!


 

Krista,

I used a Pringle's can and sliced 9 1" round bars.  It turned out a nice light gray color with the coffee grind specks in it.  The Coriander was a nice light scent to use, I think.  They are curing now but I can't wait to try them.


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