# Just finished making my first batch of soap!



## Bamagirl (Dec 29, 2015)

I just finished making my first batch of soap! Everything went as I was thinking it should based on my reading here and watching youtube videos. I think I achieved trace. It is now sitting in the mold waiting for tomorrow to get here. My recipe was 50% lard, 30% olive oil, 15% coconut oil, and 5% castor oil. I made a 1.5 lb batch. Worst part was being scared of the lye. I mixed it outside and of course you know that the wind hasn't blown this entire week or all day, but the minute I went to measure out the lye, it did. I don't have much ventilation in my kitchen, so I was scared to do it there. Then cleanup, that was fun. How do you manage to wipe everything down without getting the batter everywhere? Will the batter burn through my gloves? (they are just gloves used for cooking, not the heavy duty, just the thing plastic type ones) I used papertowels, but I read somewhere that I could have used rags and then washed them after a couple of days? Does anyone else do that?

Now, for my serious question, how scared of lye should I be? I mean, I am holding the lye container like it's a nuclear weapon that is going to explode on me :mrgreen:.  I mixed this outside, but was afraid that I was going to drop some on the ground and cause all kinds of problems. I am assuming most people are afraid their first couple of times? (Please tell me I am not the only one and that I will get over this and be able to enjoy making soap)

Anyway, my sweet darling husband made me a wood mold to hold the silicone mold so that hopefully the bars come out nicely shaped. When I unmold, I will post pics of the soap (hopefully) and the wooden case he made me.

Thanks for everyone's help!


----------



## Seawolfe (Dec 29, 2015)

Congrats on your first batch!

Lots of people are scared of lye, but lye is no worse than lots of other hazmats we use and store everyday - kerosene, gasoline, ammonia, bleach, rat poison, fireworks, gun powder...

Just be careful and deliberate, and rinse off any splashes well. It won't burn through your regular kitchen dishwashing gloves, but don't get it on your potholders   I wipe my batter covered utensils out with paper towels, but rags would work too if you left them to saponify. I just rinse the lye jug and utensils well in running water - its good for the drains.

I mix my lye in my sink or under my stove's fan. If not in the sink I always have something underneath to catch drips - a plastic tray works nicely. I do anything I can that keeps me from walking about with a pitcher of lye water more than a step or two, and I just don't inhale while Im mixing


----------



## lsg (Dec 29, 2015)

I like to mix the lye and water in the sink also, in case of a spill.  I was scared when I made my first couple of batches.  Just be sure to wear protective goggles & dishwashing gloves.  Long sleeves are a good option, too.


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 29, 2015)

Seawolfe said:


> Congrats on your first batch!
> 
> Lots of people are scared of lye, but lye is no worse than lots of other hazmats we use and store everyday - kerosene, gasoline, ammonia, bleach, rat poison, fireworks, gun powder...
> 
> ...



I had read that I could wipe off everything, and then wait until the next day and they would be easier to wash, so I was planning to wash with warm soapy water tomorrow. 

I will actually probably mix up the next batch in the kitchen, I had just read about there could be some fumes and didn't know what to expect so I decided to do it outside this time.


lsg said:


> I like to mix the lye and water in the sink also, in case of a spill.  I was scared when I made my first couple of batches.  Just be sure to wear protective goggles & dishwashing gloves.  Long sleeves are a good option, too.



I made sure to do all of those, and am glad I did. I noticed when I took off my gloves that some of the batter had gotten on my shirt sleeve, so I am assuming that would have been on my arm if I hadn't had on long sleeves.


----------



## LoveOscar (Dec 29, 2015)

Congratulations!

I use a silicon spatula to get everything out of my mixing bowl and into the mold, and I have very little to wipe down after that. I just use paper towels and wipe it into the trash and put the bowl under running water for a couple minutes. I don't know about the rags, possible as by then it would have settled and wouldn't be considered raw after a couple days.

My lye is in a powder form so I weigh it in the kitchen, my lye in a measuring cup, and weigh my water in a separate measuring container. Then I take them both outside and sit on my porch and slowly pour (or spoon) the lye into the water. I have a concrete porch, so I'm not super worried about the lye spilling. And while I'm outside, if I do spill, I can just grab the hose and douse it with water.

I don't fear lye, but it deserves a healthy respect. It's no worse than handling any other caustic chemical. I used to work in auto parts, so to me, it's no worse than getting battery acid on your skin. It starts to burn and itch, you run it under cold water, and you end up with an itchy red spot for a couple days. I'd say the worst part about lye is the fumes it gives off when mixing. You want to be outside if your kitchen isn't well ventilated, because they'll make you choke.

I've completed 3 batches of soap now, and I'm not uncomfortable handling lye. Some might be more careful for longer. I'm used to working with chemicals because of a previous work environment.

Sometimes I'm not careful enough though apparently. My husband came rushing into the kitchen the other day because he heard the hand mixer. My cousin called in the middle of all my measurements, and he thought I had started mixing the lye water with the oils while still on the phone. :roll: Silly hubby. Wifey not THAT careless. :silent:


----------



## JayJay (Dec 29, 2015)

Bamagirl said:


> I had read that I could wipe off everything, and then wait until the next day and they would be easier to wash, so I was planning to wash with warm soapy water tomorrow.
> 
> I will actually probably mix up the next batch in the kitchen, I had just read about there could be some fumes and didn't know what to expect so I decided to do it outside this time.



Congratulations on your first batch!  Doesn't it feel awesome!  

Anything with soap batter on it will be easier the wash the next day. But I always rinse out the lye water container and the container that I used to weigh the lye immediately after soaping.  Then I put it with the pile of batter dishes for the next day.


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 29, 2015)

JayJay said:


> Congratulations on your first batch!  Doesn't it feel awesome!



Absolutely! In fact, if things look ok tomorrow when I unmold, I will probably do another batch as I had three recipes that I wanted to try (there is only slight variations to each though, so not totally different recipes). I want to find a recipe I really love and then once I've got it down pat, maybe try to add some scents.


----------



## JayJay (Dec 29, 2015)

Bamagirl said:


> Absolutely! In fact, if things look ok tomorrow when I unmold, I will probably do another batch as I had three recipes that I wanted to try (there is only slight variations to each though, so not totally different recipes). I want to find a recipe I really love and then once I've got it down pat, maybe try to add some scents.



...and THIS is the beginning of the addiction!     Muuuuuaaaahahahahaaaaaa.


----------



## lenarenee (Dec 29, 2015)

Bamagirl said:


> I just finished making my first batch of soap! Everything went as I was thinking it should based on my reading here and watching youtube videos. I think I achieved trace. It is now sitting in the mold waiting for tomorrow to get here. My recipe was 50% lard, 30% olive oil, 15% coconut oil, and 5% castor oil. I made a 1.5 lb batch. Worst part was being scared of the lye. I mixed it outside and of course you know that the wind hasn't blown this entire week or all day, but the minute I went to measure out the lye, it did. I don't have much ventilation in my kitchen, so I was scared to do it there. Then cleanup, that was fun. How do you manage to wipe everything down without getting the batter everywhere? Will the batter burn through my gloves? (they are just gloves used for cooking, not the heavy duty, just the thing plastic type ones) I used papertowels, but I read somewhere that I could have used rags and then washed them after a couple of days? Does anyone else do that?
> 
> Now, for my serious question, how scared of lye should I be? I mean, I am holding the lye container like it's a nuclear weapon that is going to explode on me :mrgreen:. I mixed this outside, but was afraid that I was going to drop some on the ground and cause all kinds of problems. I am assuming most people are afraid their first couple of times? (Please tell me I am not the only one and that I will get over this and be able to enjoy making soap)
> 
> ...


 

Yeah you'll get a little more comfortable as you go along. The key is to not get TOO comfortable/casual with the lye.  

I suggest investing in a heavy, sturdy container (tip resistant) like stainless steel if you can. Figure out the safest arrangement in your soaping area to always keep your lye solution while you're working - that way you won't accidently grab the container thinking it's something else.  Having one dedicated container for your lye, and one dedicated spot to let it sit and cool will help you establish a good habit that helps keep soaping safe.

Dumbest thing I ever did was get a new fangled automatic faucet in the kitchen sink. It's a large and deep sink so it *was* a great place for my lye to cool. But this stupid high tech faucet not only turns on with a wave of your hand, but with a passing shadow, bug or thought!  Imagine going to the bathroom during the dark of night and hearing water splashing full force downstairs!  :evil:


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 29, 2015)

lenarenee said:


> Dumbest thing I ever did was get a new fangled automatic faucet in the kitchen sink. It's a large and deep sink so it *was* a great place for my lye to cool. But this stupid high tech faucet not only turns on with a wave of your hand, but with a passing shadow, bug or thought!  Imagine going to the bathroom during the dark of night and hearing water splashing full force downstairs!  :evil:



Oh no, that sounds pretty frustrating!


----------



## IrishLass (Dec 29, 2015)

Bamagirl said:


> Please tell me I am not the only one and that I will get over this and be able to enjoy making soap.


 
With pleasure! You are not the only one. You will get over it and be able to enjoy making soap! I promise! 

The first time I ever soaped, I was so scared of the lye that I had completely covered myself from head to toe, with only my eyes visible (peeping out from underneath my goggles). I looked like some kind of soaping ninja. lol  By about the 4th or 5th time or so, though, I was able to shake off all my trepidation and about half of my makeshift hazmat gear, and soap with joy. 

I've never lost my healthy respect for the lye, though. I still always wear goggles and gloves, and I always protect myself from breathing in the lye fumes while mixing it, but I'm no longer petrified of it. I just treat it with the healthy respect it deserves, and then carry on from there with confidence. 


IrishLass


----------



## Steve85569 (Dec 29, 2015)

Lye respects no one. Drain cleaner it is. That's because it eats hair. And skin. Turns fats in to ..... SOAP! YAY!!

Wear protective gear when handling lye and keep it on while dealing with raw batter. I glove up when cutting too. don't be scared of it. It will burn you but it burns slow enough that you can wash off any that does get where you don't suspect it could before it gets too serious. A long time ago I got to use commercial quantities of lye to sterilize food equipment. Oh yea, do NOT use aluminum for anything. Lye does not like it. smoke and fumes and everything.
 It was a bad day at work...


----------



## doriettefarm (Dec 29, 2015)

Yay, I was wondering when we would hear about your first batch of CP!  I was initially worried about the lye but quickly learned not to be afraid . . . just take certain precautions and give it the respect it deserves (gloves & eye protection).  I always mix my lye water in the kitchen sink so if anything goes wrong I can just send it down the drain.  I also like to mix mine in a container that can be covered just in case I need to turn my back for a minute and not worry about the kitties getting into it.  

After making a batch, I usually just put the dirty dishes in the laundry room for a few days and let the batter turn into soap.  Seems like it's better for the plumbing than putting unsaponified batter down the drain.  I'm dying to see pics so please post when you unmold and cut tomorrow!


----------



## Dana89 (Dec 29, 2015)

Congrats! I can see your future now, from now on everything you see will be a potential soap mold, soap tool, soap ingredients. You will stand way too long in the oil isle salivating when you go to the grocery store. Spare money? Bwahahaha, it all goes to the soaping addiction. Welcome!


----------



## navigator9 (Dec 29, 2015)

Congratulations on your first batch! Sounds like everything went well.  You got lots of good advice here, and I'm sure you're anxious to be on  your way to the next batch. One thing...if your soap doesn't gel, it  won't be ready to unmold the following day. It will still be going  through the saponification process, and it will be soft and "zappy."  Ungelled soap usually takes several days to be able to unmold. Be sure  to post pics when you do.


----------



## dibbles (Dec 29, 2015)

Congratulations on your first soap! As others have said, you will get more comfortable with the lye. I think that is most beginning soaper's biggest hurdle. I always still wear long sleeves, gloves and goggles while I'm soaping and cleaning up. I have a stainless steel pitcher which I weigh my liquid in, and use clean yogurt containers to weigh my lye. (I have yogurt most mornings, so I have an endless supply, and just toss them out after adding the lye to the liquid.) For clean up, I get as much of the batter out of the bowl as I can, then wipe with paper towels. Usually wash up the next day...or the day after that.

Now the waiting. The very hardest part of all.


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 30, 2015)

navigator9 said:


> Congratulations on your first batch! Sounds like everything went well.  You got lots of good advice here, and I'm sure you're anxious to be on  your way to the next batch. One thing...if your soap doesn't gel, it  won't be ready to unmold the following day. It will still be going  through the saponification process, and it will be soft and "zappy."  Ungelled soap usually takes several days to be able to unmold. Be sure  to post pics when you do.



How do I know when its ready to unmold?
I think I unmolded too early, but patience is something I will have to work on I guess  Here's the pics of soap and the mold holder that my husband made me.


----------



## Susie (Dec 30, 2015)

I gently push on one corner of the soap.  If I can't dent it, it is ready to unmold and cut.  Generally 18-24 hours for my recipes.


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 30, 2015)

Susie said:


> I gently push on one corner of the soap.  If I can't dent it, it is ready to unmold and cut.  Generally 18-24 hours for my recipes.




I gently pressed in the middle and it didn't indent, but I didn't press very hard. A couple of spots on the sides had turned loose, but not all the way around, so I pulled it loose. Then turned it upside down and peeled the mold off. It seems to be pretty hard, but since this is my first batch I really don't have a point of reference. It was right at the 24 hour mark.


----------



## Susie (Dec 30, 2015)

I would have unmolded then, also.  But you may use a softer recipe than I do.  If you see that the next batch does the same thing, you can pop the mold in the freezer for an hour or so to harden it up for neater unmolding.


----------



## doriettefarm (Dec 30, 2015)

Use sodium lactate in the next batch, I promise it will help with those sticky corners


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 30, 2015)

doriettefarm said:


> Use sodium lactate in the next batch, I promise it will help with those sticky corners



I will definitely try it next batch (which will probably be soon!)


----------



## snappyllama (Dec 30, 2015)

Congratulations! Your first batch looks lovely! You'll be well on your way to full fledged addiction soon.


----------



## Spice (Dec 31, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> With pleasure! You are not the only one. You will get over it and be able to enjoy making soap! I promise!
> 
> The first time I ever soaped, I was so scared of the lye that I had completely covered myself from head to toe, with only my eyes visible (peeping out from underneath my goggles). I looked like some kind of soaping ninja. lol  By about the 4th or 5th time or so, though, I was able to shake off all my trepidation and about half of my makeshift hazmat gear, and soap with joy.
> 
> ...


IrishLass is right, have a healthy respect for the lye. My first batch took me 2 hrs to pour my lye water; as my hands shook. 
The thing I made sure of, I would create a habit of always wearing eye gear. All it takes is a small drop. I can live with the burning skin for a few mins....my eyes...are important to me. Good luck and hope to see the pics.:wave:


----------



## navigator9 (Dec 31, 2015)

Bamagirl said:


> How do I know when its ready to unmold?
> I think I unmolded too early, but patience is something I will have to work on I guess  Here's the pics of soap and the mold holder that my husband made me.



If your soap gels, it's ready to unmold the following day. I'm not good at delayed gratification, so I CPOP almost all of my soap, so that I can unmold it sooner. By the looks of the crumbled corners of your soap, I'm guessing it didn't gel. That means it's going to take longer to complete the saponification process. I usually wait several days to unmold soaps that haven't gelled. You can test them by pushing on them with your finger, but then, you risk denting them. Or you can zap test the with your tongue. If they zap, they're not ready. That's a pretty reliable test.


----------



## Bamagirl (Dec 31, 2015)

Should I cover my soaps with cheesecloth or something while they are curing. Right now it isn't a problem as we have gotten so much rain in the last week, but later dust will be a big problem because I live on a dirt road.


----------



## IrishLass (Dec 31, 2015)

Cheesecloth is fine since it's breathable. 


IrishLass


----------



## crumberly (Dec 31, 2015)

Congrats on your first batch!  Woohoo!  I just did my very first too last night, so excited to cut this bad boy. 

I used Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor oils for my first batch.  I planned to tweak these slightly to try my 2nd and 3rd batches too as I'm like you and want to find a good recipe before I start adding scents.  I'd love to know what you finally settle on.


----------



## cerelife (Jan 1, 2016)

Bamagirl, the first time I made soap I was so nervous about the lye that I sat down and cried afterwards out of sheer stress!! But it really does get soooo much better the more you soap 



Spice said:


> IrishLass is right, have a healthy respect for the lye. My first batch took me 2 hrs to pour my lye water; as my hands shook.
> The thing I made sure of, I would create a habit of always wearing eye gear. All it takes is a small drop. I can live with the burning skin for a few mins....my eyes...are important to me. Good luck and hope to see the pics.:wave:



YES!! I'm quite fond of my eyes and the ability to see! I despise wearing safety goggles but they ARE a necessity whenever you're handling lye OR raw soap batter. I take them on and off during soaping sessions (I usually make 4-8 batches at a time), but I always have them on when I'm working with lye and raw soap - and this includes carrying my full molds to where I leave them to do their magic and rinsing my lye pitchers. All it takes is one good splash to make you really appreciate them!! 
Speaking of taking goggles on and off...make sure you take your gloves off BEFORE you take your goggles off! I had never really thought about this, but on one occasion after jerking my goggles off at the first opportunity after measuring and mixing several batches of lye (did I mention I hate wearing them?!), I started feeling a burning sensation on my eyebrow/ skin on the outer edge of my eye/my cheekbone when I put them back on. It was minor and I ignored it at first, but after a few minutes I couldn't ignore it any longer. Yep, apparently I had some lye residue on my gloves that transferred to my goggles when I pulled them off <head smack>. Not a huge big deal (just rinsed the area with cool water), but I did have a sweet little crescent shaped lye burn where my goggles were for about 24 hours. It was a good reminder to not do THAT again 
I mix my lye water in the sink. I use one side for my lye pitchers and the other side for soaping. I buy those cheap $1 plastic tablecloths from Wal-Mart (in the party section) to cover my countertops and just toss them in the trash when I'm done. I'm messy AND a klutz, so I tend to get oils/mica/soap dribbles everywhere, so to me it's well worth a couple of bucks per soaping session to have it all contained on these and just toss them out afterwards.
Congrats on your first soap and welcome to the addiction!!


----------



## cmzaha (Jan 1, 2016)

Just have a healthy respect for lye. If you are extremely nervous about it that is when accidents are apt to happen. It is much more advisable to mix your lye in the sink instead of carrying it from inside to out and out to in. The only spill I ever had was in the beginning when I thought I needed to mix lye outside, and tripped walking accross the deck. Please don't ask what my hubby had to say when he had to repair a section of our second story deck. Never mixed it outdoors again... I mix 2 gallons of lye at a time and just hold my breath until the fumes dissipate, but I live in a very open house, otherwise I would have an exhaust fan on. LOL, Mom always told me I finally got my tree house, which I loved as a kid


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 1, 2016)

For those who don't wear goggles - please see this (while you still can!) Reminder - some things are mandatory
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57299

As for gloves, you might only get a wee splash of lye now and then, but sometimes the poo hits the fan and it suddenly is more than that, like the time my pine tar batch went to the consistency of butter in the pot and I had to get in there with my hands and drag that stiff batter out. If I hadn't have been warring gloves, that would not have been much fun at all


----------



## Bamagirl (Jan 1, 2016)

I decided from the very beginning that goggles would ALWAYS be mandatory. And it wasn't bad wearing them, other than they fogged up when I came back inside. But I was already finished with the soap by then, so it wasn't a big deal.


----------



## Bamagirl (Jan 3, 2016)

Things have been kind of crazy around here. We have had to have our field lines on our septic system redone, so I have been able to do very little with water in the past week, due to not wanting to put more strain on the septic system. So, today I finally washed my dishes from making soap the other day and guess what? I got suds!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited (crazy right?) when I filled up my mold with hot water and there were suds. It was like ok, maybe what I made will be soap after all!


----------



## Steve85569 (Jan 4, 2016)

Bamagirl said:


> Things have been kind of crazy around here. We have had to have our field lines on our septic system redone, so I have been able to do very little with water in the past week, due to not wanting to put more strain on the septic system. So, today I finally washed my dishes from making soap the other day and guess what? I got suds!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited (crazy right?) when I filled up my mold with hot water and there were suds. It was like ok, maybe what I made will be soap after all!



And the addiction takes hold......


----------



## Spice (Jan 5, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> For those who don't wear goggles - please see this (while you still can!) Reminder - some things are mandatory
> http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57299
> 
> As for gloves, you might only get a wee splash of lye now and then, but sometimes the poo hits the fan and it suddenly is more than that, like the time my pine tar batch went to the consistency of butter in the pot and I had to get in there with my hands and drag that stiff batter out. If I hadn't have been warring gloves, that would not have been much fun at all


Makes it all that more important.


----------



## Bamagirl (Jan 5, 2016)

Steve85569 said:


> And the addiction takes hold......



yep, last night I was making pizza and for this recipe, we use velveeta cheese. Well when I took the cheese out of the package, I thought, hmmm that would probably make a good mold for a small batch of soap.  Needless to say, it will be stored for future use lol.


----------



## Bamagirl (Jan 22, 2016)

I didn't want to start a new thread, as I feel like I start so many . Now that I have done the first couple of batches, (body soap, mechanic soap and laundry soap) I am itching to do more. My problem is I am reluctant to mess with the recipe I used as even testing it at weekly intervals, I really, really like it. I know my next batch is going to be a salt bar, but I was kind of thinking of doing another batch of the original ( 50% lard, 30% olive oil, 15% coconut oil, and 5% castor oil) so that if I done a recipe I didn't like, I wouldn't be left without soap (I only made a 1.5 lb batch). In my mind, the original batch is so good that I wonder if it can even get any better?


----------



## Susie (Jan 22, 2016)

You need to start tweaking that recipe to get it to where you love it.  I would up the lard 5% and cut down the OO 5%.  Then the next batch, change it by another 5%.  Then you can test each percentage against one another.  Or add 10% of some sort of butter.  Whatever you do, make good notes and keep each batch separated.  I used colors, scents, or designs to help distinguish batches from one another.


----------



## LisaAnne (Jan 22, 2016)

Your soap is beautiful, congratulations!


----------



## jtbailey1030 (Jan 23, 2016)

ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS wear safety goggles while making your soap. I have been making soap for 2 years now. One day, I was trying to get a batch done before my daughter woke up from her nap. I was rushing and didn't wear my glasses. Wouldn't you know...as I was pouring the lye into the oils, a tiny tiny bit splashed up right into my eye. A film immediately formed on my eye and I couldn't open it. I ran upstairs and started to wash it out as best as I could and called 911. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital where they had to set me up on this eye rinse that continually washed my eye out for 30 minutes. They said because lye is basic, it can continue to eat away at anything it's in contact with. So they had to make sure to get it all out. After the ER I immediately went the doctor where they put dye drops in my eye to make sure all the lye was gone. The doctor said I was VERY fortunate because the lye just missed my cornea...I could have lost my sight. I had a pretty nasty burn on my eyeball for a few days but it ended up healing pretty quickly.

All to say... never ever assume lye solutions are safe and never compromise your safety precautions...because the day you don't, could be the day you have an accident.


----------

