# newbie - help plss



## Vidasworld12 (Apr 6, 2017)

Hi guys,

Im new at the soap making world, and extremely nervous, mainly cause I dont want to mess up so bad that I would have to throw away a batch. Ive watched soap queen,other youtube soapers, read lots of websites, started out my soap diary, have researched quite abit, BUT we all know theres always something more to learn. I think I have everything I need, Im in canada so the oils and materials are way more expensive here than in the states. If I was to order online the shipping costs would be the pain.   Im trying out my very first recipe of soap queen ( im very open to trying out a simpler/ cheaper recipe IF anyone would like to share )I have coconut oil, olive oil, I found my lye at the home hardware store ( which was AWESOME ) cause its expensive online! have vanilla EO.. have most of  the equipment already BUT I could only find red palm oil ?? Is this the same as the white palm oil im always seeing? I honestly cant find that white one anywhere in town. I also dont have a mold BUT I did find a perfect sized cardboard box ( had business card in it ) , could I use this as a mold if I was to line it with a huge freezer/ zip lock bag?? all the molds I can get a hold of are about $30 ( silicon online after shipping ) ive found a few at the thrift store but they are huge and rusty looking- I read you cant use aluminum or non stick ones ( cause they will react ),could I line these with something maybe, so I can use them?? so all I can find are the metal ones , the one I do happen to have at home is big, and I believe that the recipe im doing is not that big ( by the way does anyone know how much soap in lbs - that soap queen recipe makes?? I couldnt find the answer to this ) sooo can I use the box I have if I line it with a bag??? my kids keep asking me when im gona make the soap and I keep telling them later lol... I know there are going to be flops no matter what, I just want a useable bar atleast- the oils / fragrances are pricy. Im also nervous about using the stick blender , I have one and ive used it a few times and its so powerful, I dont want soap batter all over the place. Even with minimal pulsing it feels strong, I dont want to churn the soap...any advise, replies are greatly appreciated !!:bunny:


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## Susie (Apr 6, 2017)

Hey and welcome!

If you have a dollar store close by, you can find drawer dividers/organizers that make perfect molds.  I can't find my old one to take a pic.  Sorry about that!  

ETA:  Silly me, I was using one for my binder clips and Super Secret Fragrance Formulas notebook.  See below.  It does not require lining and holds 1 L of oil (32 oz) sized recipes that yield 3 lbs of soap.

You can also use any appropriately sized cardboard box lined with a trash bag or a ziploc bag.

The stick blender should only be used if the batch size is large enough, or in a deep enough container that it completely immerses the bell while in use.  

Do not use metal anything for a mold.  Chances are it is not stainless steel.  Stick to plastic, or cardboard lined with plastic if you can't find or buy silicon.  (a pizza box is an excellent mold if lined with freezer paper). 

I do not know what the recipe for Soap Queen is.  I also do not know the size.  But if you are not opposed to animal fats, I have an awesome recipe that you can size up or down in a lye calculator to fit your mold.  If you have not used a lye calculator before, I suggest you use soapee.com.

Lard 65%
Olive Oil 15%
Coconut Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5% (In the pharmacy area by the laxatives. Yes, that castor oil.)
Superfat 5%

You can figure out the amount of oils to use by measuring L x W x H x 0.7 if using grams.  (BTW mods, the thread is full of links that no longer work.)

Where did you buy your vanilla EO from?  Because if it was not from a reliable soaping supplier, I would not trust it in soap.  Even if it was purchased a local craft store, it is probably intended for melt and pour soap, and will not do well in cold processed soap.


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## IrishLass (Apr 6, 2017)

Welcome, Vidaworld! :wave:




VIDASWORLD12 said:


> Im trying out my very first recipe of soap queen ( im very open to trying out a simpler/ cheaper recipe IF anyone would like to share )


 
Do you have a link to the specific SoapQueen recipe? She has a few different ones.



VIDASWORLD12 said:


> I have coconut oil, olive oil, I found my lye at the home hardware store ( which was AWESOME ) cause its expensive online! have vanilla EO..


 
Just make sure your lye is 100% sodium hydroxide (i.e., not mixed with other chemicals for cleaning drains)....Also, are you sure your vanilla scent is labeled as an EO instead of an FO? I ask because there is no such thing as vanilla essential oil, and you may have been duped by whoever sold it to you (see this SoapQueen article here which explains the non-existence of vanilla EO.



VIDASWORLD12 said:


> I have most of the equipment already BUT I could only find red palm oil ?? Is this the same as the white palm oil im always seeing?


 
From what I understand the red kind is unrefined, while the white kind is refined. I've never used the red kind myself, but it has the same SAP# as white palm and can be used interchangeably with it from what I've read by those who have used it. See these 2 threads here on using red palm oil: 

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=62116 

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=38793





VIDASWORLD12 said:


> I also dont have a mold BUT I did find a perfect sized cardboard box ( had business card in it ) , could I use this as a mold if I was to line it with a huge freezer/ zip lock bag??


 
Yes- you certainly can!  Lots of folks on the forum have used cardboard boxes lined with plastic garbage bags for molds/liners at one time or another (some still do).




VIDASWORLD12 said:


> ive found a few at the thrift store but they are huge and rusty looking-I read you cant use aluminum or non stick ones ( cause they will react ),could I line these with something maybe, so I can use them??


 
I wouldn't let my soap touch them with a 10-foot pole, especially if they are rusty, but that's just me. Although you might possibly be able to use them safely if lined _very carefully and extremely well_, I would be afraid of tearing the liner when trying to remove the soap from it, because it can be quite difficult to remove soap from molds that are fixed/unyielding such as metal molds or wood molds.... unless they are the collapsible kind or have removable silicone liners, that is. If your makeshift liner somehow got torn and your soap came into contact with the metal or the rusty parts for long enough, it may cause DOS to develop in your soap.



VIDASWORLD12 said:


> I believe that the recipe im doing is not that big ( by the way does anyone know how much soap in lbs - that soap queen recipe makes?? I couldnt find the answer to this ) sooo can I use the box I have if I line it with a bag???


 
Two things we'll need to know: 1) We'll need a link to the specific recipe in question, and 2) What are the L X W X H dimensions of your cardboard box?



VIDASWORLD12 said:


> Im also nervous about using the stick blender , I have one and ive used it a few times and its so powerful, I dont want soap batter all over the place. Even with minimal pulsing it feels strong, I dont want to churn the soap...any advise, replies are greatly appreciated !!:bunny:


 
A stick-blender is actually not 100% necessary (although it helps tremendously). You can use a whisk or a slotted spoon to stir if you desire and/or have the time. 

When using a stick-blender, immerse it all the way to the bottom of your soaping pot before turning it on, and don't lift it too far from the bottom while it's on. It's best to just move it around on the bottom of the pot. Also- don't keep in turned on the whole time. Use it in intermittent short bursts, with much stirring in between each burst. 


IrishLass


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## IrishLass (Apr 6, 2017)

Susie said:


> (BTW mods, the thread is full of links that no longer work.)


 
Which thread? 


IrishLass 

[Edited to add- disregard. Found it and deleted all non-functioning links]


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## SunRiseArts (Apr 6, 2017)

I have started making soaps with lard and coconut oil, that should bring down your cost. And I have bought almost all my molds on eBay, directly from china, and they are super cheap with free shipping. I cannot wait for the day they are made in the USA, when they do I would not mind paying a little more, but everything is made in China anyway ...

I normally only do 1 pound batches. is good for experimenting, and if you mess up, is not as bad as if you made a large batch.  When I first started, all my batches came out perfect, and then I started experimenting, and have had lots of mishaps.

I do have a large mold. But only used it once. Maybe in the future I will.
I will post the links in case you are interested. The only thing is that you have to be patient on delivery, it takes a month to get them.
This is for one pound.

This is for a large batch. or cheaper without the wood box.


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## WeaversPort (Apr 6, 2017)

Hi and welcome! I'm pretty new too, so you have lots of company! 

I got most of my equipment (except for the stick blender) at Dollar Tree. I don't know if they have something like that up there, but that's how I equipped myself - silicone spatulas, a Tupperware (with a #5 recycling number on the bottom) for a mold, and several plastic (NOT GLASS) measuring cups. I got multiple paint buckets (1 litres, 5 litres) plus my goggles, and  shop rags for cleaning up and washing when I drip all from the hardware store. The only thing I would have done differently is gotten a kitchen scale that measures in tenths of a gram. 

I haven't made any batches of soap larger than 1lb/500 grams, because if I do mess up (and I have...) it isn't as much oils to have made a bad batch. In a way it's kind of like cooking.. There is always going to be that one cake that burns on the bottom, or just isn't as good as you hoped it would be from the recipe you read. 

Um, other than that there are lots of people who have helped me troubleshoot when something goes sideways, and from what I've picked up rebatching can help save most bad batches - it just won't be as pretty as it would have been the first time. 

I hope this helps!


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## toxikon (Apr 6, 2017)

You should be able to find a lot of the things you need in Walmart, especially your oils. If you can find lard/tallow/palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil you can make a great soap. I get my lye at Home Hardware. And as others mentioned, Dollarama is the place to go for molds, gloves, spatulas and whisks.


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## Steve85569 (Apr 6, 2017)

You can use lots of things for a mold if you line it with freezer paper. Just make sure that the soap batter will not be able to leak out.

If you lye is from Ace it should be the 2 pound white bottle of dry " drain opener" and say 100% lye on it. ( I bribe the guy at our local Ace with soap) link is here 
https://www.idealtruevalue.com/stor...feed=Froogle&gclid=CMzmi8iFkdMCFc-4wAodSMIFMg

ALWAYS wear protective gear when soaping. Lye does not care what it eats. It does prefer things with an acidic PH and we are that. Lye will burn you. Gloves and goggles at the least.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 6, 2017)

OMG .. THANK YOU ALL so much for the quick replies! Wow this made my day.. in forums it usually takes days or hours ! You are all so great ! And knowledgeable!!! I'm not sure how to reply to each individually.. I'm trying here lol.. this is the soap queen recipe I'm talking about 

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvuWaClMz0[/ame]

I got a 3 kg of 100% lye crystals at the only place if been able to find it here in Toronto.. home hardware .. 

I think I bought most of my equipment from dollarama .. except scale at Canadian tire.. 

I'm Gona try the box mold idea lined with a bag .. just until I get the hang of things .. the dimensions are .. 9 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches .. I do have a larger box 11 in x 6 in x 4.5 inches .. which one is better?? I don't want the bars too thin .. 

My vanilla EO is from NOW essential oils .. oohhh I just noticed it says 1% essential oil vanilla in jojoba oil .. ughhh is that Gona effect anything ?? I'm really just going for a soft smell .. don't really want the coconut / olive oil smell
Bout this EO at healthy planet along with the red palm oil ..

I'm so excited to get started .. lard like the crisco kind? Vegetable lard from crisco?? Tallow?? Where do I find that ??

Thank you all again for taking the time to help me out .. I've read lots of threads here and you are all so kind !! Thx again !!


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## WeaversPort (Apr 6, 2017)

Vidasworld12 said:


> I'm Gona try the box mold idea lined with a bag .. just until I get the hang of things .. the dimensions are .. 9 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches .. I do have a larger box 11 in x 6 in x 4.5 inches .. which one is better?? I don't want the bars too thin ..



I'd go with the second if it were me, but I'm new. I don't know as much as the others. One of the nice things about a rectangular mold is if you are just doing a solid color, you can cut it multiple ways to be as thick or thin as you like.



Vidasworld12 said:


> My vanilla EO is from NOW essential oils .. oohhh I just noticed it says 1% essential oil vanilla in jojoba oil .. ughhh is that Gona effect anything ?? I'm really just going for a soft smell .. don't really want the coconut / olive oil smell
> Bout this EO at healthy planet along with the red palm oil ..



I'd say it's not going to give you much fragrance. Also, I don't think you'll find yourself unhappy with unscented soap. I find it's a neutral and pleasant scent - not coconut or olive oil in my opinion. If you access to essential oils, you might try a lavender, mint, or eucalyptus. Lavender might be a nice beginning scent and not very expensive. Brambleberry has a fragrance calculator that can be used as a guideline for how much fragrance to use. 




Vidasworld12 said:


> I'm so excited to get started .. lard like the crisco kind? Vegetable lard from crisco?? Tallow?? Where do I find that ??
> 
> Thank you all again for taking the time to help me out .. I've read lots of threads here and you are all so kind !! Thx again !!



Lard is from pork. I find mine in the baking section of the grocery store where they keep shortening or Crisco. It's also where I find palm oil (which is different from palm kernel oil). 

As for lard, I am told Walmart has it as well.


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## Seawolfe (Apr 7, 2017)

Hey and welcome! My first molds were drawer dividers lined with plastic wrap. Just don't make your first batches too small or too large - say between 1/2 -1 kilo. Too small and measuring errors become large, and you dont want large batches of test soaps in case you don't like them.

I wouldn't use the vanilla scented jojoba that you have - I've had problems with non-pure scents like that. One made my soap go gooey and icky. If you dont have any nice EO's, just start with unscented.

Red palm oil can make some lovely colored soap, but you dont want to use more than 20% of your recipe with it or the color can bleed (is what I think I read). Lemme find a pic of what it looks like. These were with red palm. white palm and charcoal for the black.





Lard is fat from pigs and tallow is fat from cows. I get mine from hispanic markets or restaurant supply shops. Check the baking aisle. Dont try to render your own just yet until you get a few batches under your belt.

You really do want to use your stick blender. My friend did her first batch without one and her arms just about fell of. Think like whipping cream to butter only 10 times more work.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

Welcome!

First, keep in mind that even if your first batch doesn't go well, you can almost always save a batch by rebatching it or hot processing it. So if your soap behaves badly, DON'T throw it out! Save it and take a pic and ask us for advice!

Put aside your Vanilla - you could use it in a lotion (possibly a lip balm?). Check health food store for essential oils - lavender, lemongrass and mint are inexpensive (relatively) and well behaved. Clove and cinnamon will cause your soap to seize (thicken up really fast). Like cold mashed potatoes.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

seawolfe:

those are perfect soaps! you made them with the red palm? but it looks fine to me.. what do you mean by bleed? 

the recipe im trying to use is :

7.9 oz distilled water
3.4 oz lye
8 oz coconut oil
8 oz palm oil
8 oz olive

is the the range of red palm oil I can use?

thx for the reply


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

susie:

thank you so much for the recipe... im really having a hard time with the palm oil , the smell , color and the bleeding, so I might just have to scrap that recipe... Yours looks easier and im probably headed to walmart for the castor oil - didnt realize it was at the pharmacy section until you reminded me ... THX.. could I use vegetable shorting then? crisco? 

thx again everyone..!!


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## Obsidian (Apr 7, 2017)

Bleed means the lather and drips off the soap will be colored. A little bleed isn't bad but too much and it could look like a color bomb went off in the shower.

Personally, I wouldn't use that soapqueen recipe, too much coconut can make your soap drying. 
Soapqueen isn't the most popular person around here, most of us feel her recipes are geared towards selling her ingredients and not about a good bar of soap.

I really recommend you try Susie's recipe with lard. It makes a much better soap and lard is better then palm, unless you have issues with animal products.


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## toxikon (Apr 7, 2017)

This is the lard they carry in Walmart Canada: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/tenderflake-pure-lard-136kg/6000128603910

Crisco is made of a combination of soybean oil and palm oil, I've never soaped with it before so I can't comment on how good it is for soaping.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

You can soap with Crisco. IMO it's not as good as lard, but it's not terrible or anything. You will find most lye calculators have an entry for Crisco. Wal-Mart in the US also carries an animal-fat shortening that's a mix of tallow and vegetable oils. It's called Great Value Shortening. There is also a Great Value All-Vegetable shortening. If you use the shortening with animal fat, choose lard in the soap calculator. It's close enough.


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## navigator9 (Apr 7, 2017)

Just FYI, you can also use a milk carton as a mold, without lining it. Wash and dry it, open the top all the way, and pour the soap in. Close the top again, and wrap it in a towel. When it's ready to unmold, just tear away the carton. It's what I used for my first batch of soap, many years ago. This is what it looks like when sliced into bars. Not bad for a free mold.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

Obsidian
Toxikon :

wow I have ALOT to learn, thank you! i honestly thought soap queen was a good one to follow... but you guys know better... tenderflake ohhhhh ok , ya ive used it many times before in baking.. AWESOME THANK YOU !!!! 
Im gona try Susie's recipe without the fragrance... lets see where it takes me.. again thank you all so much... I was clearly lost before this forum :???:

One more thing... so with susies recipe all I have to do is but the % into the soapcalc.net and it will calculate the water/ lye / oils i need ? the current water % as of oils is 38 ... do I leave that part as is? I dont touch those numbers already inoput right? thxxxxx


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

You could also use Gladware as a mold. Look to see if it has a 5 or a 2 in the recycling symbol on the bottom. this is a good use for a lidless one you haven't gotten around to getting rid of.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

Vidasworld12 said:


> Obsidian
> Toxikon :
> 
> wow I have ALOT to learn, thank you! i honestly thought soap queen was a good one to follow... but you guys know better... tenderflake ohhhhh ok , ya ive used it many times before in baking.. AWESOME THANK YOU !!!!
> ...


 
I don't think Soap Queen is terrible, though it is true her goal is to sell products. I think that is a good resource b/c she is an experienced, knowledgeable soaper so her recipes are safe. Also, BB offers good support, so if you have a question you can contact them.

Yes, leave that at 38%. You may eventually want to change that, but 38% is a good starting point.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

navigator9 said:


> Just FYI, you can also use a milk carton as a mold, without lining it. Wash and dry it, open the top all the way, and pour the soap in. Close the top again, and wrap it in a towel. When it's ready to unmold, just tear away the carton. It's what I used for my first batch of soap, many years ago. This is what it looks like when sliced into bars. Not bad for a free mold.


 
That soap looks amazing ! thx I will def try this 

Dixiedragon:


Thank you , I will leave as is.. 

(I'm sorry I still have not figured out how to reply to each message .. im such a rookie )


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## toxikon (Apr 7, 2017)

There is sooo much to learn, I totally understand how it can be overwhelming at first.

SoapCalc is a good option, but I prefer Soapee. I think it has a nicer user interface and it can come in handy for tinkering because it shows your recipe results all on the same page.

There are a few different ways to calculate how much water to put in your recipe. The default is "Water as % of oils" and actually most of us don't use that option. We find that we get more consistent results with "Lye Concentration" or "Water:Lye Ratio". I like to use "Lye Concentration". So if you set that to 25%, you will have a 25% lye and 75% water solution. Most of us like to use a Lye Concentration of 30-35% for most balanced recipes. 

Your basic goal with using a soap calculator is to a.) determine how much soap batter to make to properly fill your mold and b.) the correct amount of lye to use.

So with Soapee, here is what I'd do.

1. Choose "Solid Soap" - because that's what you're making!

2. Select recipe units of measure - Percentage is your oil recipe. Then you can choose if you want to use grams or ounces - grams are usually more accurate on your kitchen scale. "Adjust oil weights to include water in Oils total" - this feature helps you make sure your final batter amount will be the correct size for your mold. So if your mold holds 500g, check the box and put 500g in your "Oils total".

3. Amount of water in recipe - I'd suggest 30% Lye Concentration as a good starting point.

4. 5% superfat is a good start. It means that you will have some excess oils left over after your soap is done curing to make it a bit more gentle on skin and make sure there is no excess lye in your final product.

5. If you're not using fragrances, leave it blank. Otherwise 3% is fine.

6. Select your oils! Choose from the list and use the small + button to add them to your recipe. Then when "Recipe Oils" pops up, add your percentage. A good starter recipe might be 50% Lard, 25% Olive Oil, 20% Coconut Oil, 5% Castor Oil.

After you've entered all your recipe oil percentages, you can scroll down to see that Soapee has generated your recipe for you! It will tell you, in grams, how much of each oil to use. And how much water and lye to use. Double check the "Total Batch Weight" to make sure its the right amount for your mold. If not, you can tinker with Step 2 more.

Just print off the sheet and bring it into the kitchen with you, and cross off each item as you add it. 

Follow some Soap Queen videos on good practices on how to combine your oils and lye solution safely and ideal temperatures. Good luck!


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## BrewerGeorge (Apr 7, 2017)

navigator9 said:


> Just FYI, you can also use a milk carton as a mold, without lining it. Wash and dry it, open the top all the way, and pour the soap in. Close the top again, and wrap it in a towel. When it's ready to unmold, just tear away the carton. It's what I used for my first batch of soap, many years ago. This is what it looks like when sliced into bars. Not bad for a free mold.



Did you miss the Canada part?  Her milk comes in bags!


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## WeaversPort (Apr 7, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Did you miss the Canada part?  Her milk comes in bags!



My first soap mold was a potato chip can! Do they have Pringles in Canada? 

https://youtu.be/YBwZUAxSPEY


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Did you miss the Canada part?  Her milk comes in bags!



HAHAHA YES! you are right we have milk in bags lol i can always buy the 2 L chocolate milk .. we suck :neutral:


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## navigator9 (Apr 7, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Did you miss the Canada part?  Her milk comes in bags!



Wait! I have a lot of family in Canada, and I remember as a kid, the margarine coming in bags, but not the milk. Is that something new? The margarine was white, and had a little capsule of yellow coloring, and you had to squeeze it, to mix the coloring into the rest of the bag. That was my job as a kid, because I thought it was fun. But I don't remember milk in a bag.


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## earlene (Apr 7, 2017)

Welcome, *Vidasworld12*!  Soap making is so much fun; I'm sure you will really enjoy the adventure.

When I started, I used all kinds of things for soap molds:  Buttermilk cartons (the waxed cardboard kind - I don't know if you have those where you live), plastic margarine containers, ice cream containers, mushroom boxes (paperboard), shoe boxes, small plastic food containers, wooden file boxes from the thrift store, silicone cake or cupcake bakeware from the thrift store.  I pretty much looked at everything in my recycle bin, my kitchen, everywhere I went with the thought 'maybe I could use this as a soap mold.'

The buttermilk container was perfect because even without lining it, it works fabulously, does not leak and is disposable.  If the soap doesn't come out smoothly and easily, you can tear it off of the hardened soap.  A paperboard or cardboard box of any desirable size works perfectly when lined with freezer paper.  I've used some of them multiple times.  Lining oddly shaped plastic food containers doesn't work well and even if you put plastic wrap or a plastic bag inside as a liner, you end up with ugly lines from the bag.  It's better to use a non-saponifiable release agent like lanolin or mineral oil on the inside surface (similar to how you oil & dust with flour the inside of a cake pan, but NO flour is used for the soap mold.)  Lanolin is my preferred release agent.

For the plastics, I looked for the recycle code on the bottom when determining what to use for soap molds.  I prefer a #5, but #2 is also soap safe.  For the cardboard/paperboard boxes, I looked for how sturdy/thick they were because once filled, the sides can bow outward, and flimsy is not good.  For wooden boxes, I made sure the sides were straight up and down (a lip or overhang make it hard or impossible to get the soap out of the mold), and I prefer a lid because it helps keep the heat inside so the soap gels better.

To ensure gel (I like gel, it's not always necessary), I wrapped up in a wool blanket or towels and kept in a warm place.  You can CPOP if you want, but you don't really have to use an oven to force gel in all circumstances.  I do now more often than not, but sometimes it's not convenient.  

I also used the lye from local sources, once I found one, and still do on occasion, especially when traveling if I didn't bring enough with me.  There is a chain in the US that has it where ever I travel, so I don't have to worry about running out.  I only buy 100% pure lye when I do that, of course.  However, there are cheaper pure NaOH sources available to me online, so I use them whenever I can. If you can find such a source in Canada, I recommend it, but if not the local supplier should be just fine as long as it is pure lye without other additives.

I used cardboard box tops for curing my soaps.  At first I lined them with paper towels, then put plastic-coated wire racks inside the boxtop above the paper towels and lined up the soap, turning it daily, allowing enough space for airflow. Then I realized I had something even better than the single plastic coated wire racks, since I only had a couple of those and they are not cheap.  We used to have a restaurant, and when we closed it, I kept all the plastic mesh that we lined the shelves with, so I cut that to fit inside the cardboard box lid/tops & it was perfect for curing soap.  Rolls of pliable mesh shelf lining material can be found in kitchen areas of department stores all over, at least in the US (I don't know about in Canada).  Later I discovered a cheap source for needlepoint/crafter's plastic mesh and I started using that as well.  Yesterday, in fact I got a bag of about 20 sheets of needlepoint mesh at the thrift store in town for a great price.  So even though I've been tempted to purchase soap curing set-ups sold by soap equipment suppliers, the cost factor has always deterred me from doing so.  The cardboard box tops I use are always free at my  grocer, so you can see why I use this method.

But when it comes to certain items, quality and reliability is very important, so a good accurate digital scale with the ability to measure grams to the 0.01 g measure (1/100th of a gram) was a purchase I found to be very well worth the cost.  They are actually affordable, especially when saving money on other things such as molds and curing systems.  I started out with the 0.1 (1/10th accuracy) scale, and still use it for measuring large quantity (oils, for example), but later added a smaller scale for measuring to 0.01g accuracy because for smaller batches, the lye (and some other ingredients) measurement needed to be more accurate.  

I am sure you are going to have a great time with your new hobby.  I enjoy soap making so very much.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

TOXIKON :

YOU are officially MY BEST FRIEND.. Home made soapers ( I need to learn the lingo ) are so kind , you must have taken forever to write that out . I appreciate it! wow ... I did what you said and I printed out my very first recipe! Its going down this weekend! I will do it finally .. its been over a month.. im such a chicken. BUT if I hadn't waited this long I wouldn't have come across all of you and it would have been a disaster! thank you!


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

navigator9 said:


> Wait! I have a lot of family in Canada, and I remember as a kid, the margarine coming in bags, but not the milk. Is that something new? The margarine was white, and had a little capsule of yellow coloring, and you had to squeeze it, to mix the coloring into the rest of the bag. That was my job as a kid, because I thought it was fun. But I don't remember milk in a bag.



I Have not seen that ever... just the milk in bags - in BC the milk is in jugs, here in ONTARIO - bags . it was weird for me at first cause I was brought up in BC, you get used to it, but the margarine comes in tubs like in the states and the butter is wrapped up in a block with like paper/foil whatever that it... they apparently started the milk in bags years and years ago because it reduced the waste.. lots of people in Ontario.


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## toxikon (Apr 7, 2017)

Vidasworld12 said:


> TOXIKON :
> 
> YOU are officially MY BEST FRIEND.. Home made soapers ( I need to learn the lingo ) are so kind , you must have taken forever to write that out . I appreciate it! wow ... I did what you said and I printed out my very first recipe! Its going down this weekend! I will do it finally .. its been over a month.. im such a chicken. BUT if I hadn't waited this long I wouldn't have come across all of you and it would have been a disaster! thank you!



Happy to help!  This forum is truly a great place. I've learned so much here, the least I can do is pass it along to others who want to get started too!


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## Dahila (Apr 7, 2017)

Actually we have milk in boxes but not very popular, we have pringles


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

Earlene :

thank you for the great info, I will be reading it over and over, the curing process is a great idea , thank you so much!


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm sort of stumped by margarine in a bag. Do you squeeze it out like toothpaste? Does butter also come in a bag? Mayonnaise? Ketchup?

IMO we need to return to the days of re-usable glass bottles.


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## earlene (Apr 7, 2017)

I like re-usable glass bottles, but even so, I have run out of room for them.  I have TOO many glass jars to fit in my cupboards anymore.  And as I get older, they get too heavy & dangerous to carry when full of a heavy product (across my porcelain-tiled kitchen.)

To me it makes more sense to sell things that can be sold in less wasteful packaging.  I like the idea of milk in a bag and wish the US would start at least piloting the concept.  But I have never seen it anywhere except in the restaurant industry.  I was very happy to see a squeezable fold-down type of container for sour cream last month during my travels.  I bought it to add to tacos that I made when I was visiting my son in California.  Such a convenience, and it seems like less waste, although that may not really be true.  Even so, I like how it folds down like a toothpaste tube.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

Where I am there is no margarine / butter / ketchup/ mayo in bags .. just normal packaging ..


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

Earlene:

Hands down the best sour cream I've had .. I had to cross the border to get it though.. I've heard we have it here.. but I have yet to find it.. it's delicious though .. I miss it


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## dixiedragon (Apr 7, 2017)

Vidasworld12 said:


> Earlene:
> 
> Hands down the best sour cream I've had .. I had to cross the border to get it though.. I've heard we have it here.. but I have yet to find it.. it's delicious though .. I miss it


 
That's so strange to me! Daisy is such a staple brand here in the US, I've never thought of it as being "special".

I wish they sold sour cream in smaller quantities too. I just don't use that much! Some restaurants have it in little single-serve packets - they should have those in the store. I'd happily pay $1 for a packet vs $3 for a container I will mostly end up throwing away.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

I know I wish we had it here.. I'd stock up .. I like my pasta sauces with sour cream and tacos .. so good .. lucky you


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## BrewerGeorge (Apr 7, 2017)

The best thing about Daisy is that there's nothing in it but cultured cream - as long as you buy the full fat version, that is.

As for throwing it away, whatever for?  Sour cream doesn't go bad; it's _already_ "bad."  The fridge temps and those lactobaccilli keep the pH low enough that nothing else dangerous can grow in there.  Those dates are "Sell by" dates, not "Toss after" dates.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 7, 2017)

I agree .. I honestly sometimes forget I have it in the fridge and it's like 2-4 months * Later and I still use it .. ( don't judge lol ) and it's perfectly fine ..


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## BrewerGeorge (Apr 7, 2017)

Vidasworld12 said:


> I agree .. I honestly sometimes forget I have it in the fridge and it's like 2-4 months ������* Later and I still use it .. ( don't judge lol ) and it's perfectly fine ..



No judgement here.  I once ate homemade yogurt that was a year old - just to see if it was still good.  It was.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 8, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> The best thing about Daisy is that there's nothing in it but cultured cream - as long as you buy the full fat version, that is.
> 
> As for throwing it away, whatever for?  Sour cream doesn't go bad; it's _already_ "bad."  The fridge temps and those lactobaccilli keep the pH low enough that nothing else dangerous can grow in there.  Those dates are "Sell by" dates, not "Toss after" dates.



When it has black fuzzy stuff or pink fuzzy stuff, it's bad. 

I have recently learned that it is excellent in scrambled eggs, though.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 8, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> No judgement here.  I once ate homemade yogurt that was a year old - just to see if it was still good.  It was.



You....are a brave man. That is some SERIOUS gut flora!


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## earlene (Apr 8, 2017)

dixiedragon said:


> When it has black fuzzy stuff or pink fuzzy stuff, it's bad.
> 
> I have recently learned that it is excellent in scrambled eggs, though.



Yes, I have had sour cream do both those things when refrigerated.  My husband doesn't eat it, so when I go on a trip and leave it at home, sometimes I come home to black or pink fuzzies in my sour cream & have to toss it.


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## Vidasworld12 (Apr 8, 2017)

dixiedragon said:


> When it has black fuzzy stuff or pink fuzzy stuff, it's bad.
> 
> ya , no if it's like that I throw out


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## BrewerGeorge (Apr 8, 2017)

dixiedragon said:


> You....are a brave man. That is some SERIOUS gut flora!



No, no. The point is that it was still perfect.


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## WeaversPort (Apr 11, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> No, no. The point is that it was still perfect.



Yogurt and eggs both last far longer in the fridge than most people think. Cheese as well. With cheese you can generally just cut the fuzzy bits off and be good to go.


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