# I am doing it!!



## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

Ok I am up to the phase of forcing saponification. Here are all of my photos up to this point.


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## Susie (Feb 19, 2015)

What are you making there?


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## Dorymae (Feb 19, 2015)

Susie said:


> What are you making there?



Lol Susie she's making soap!  Seriously though, what type are you making?


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

I made 100% CO for laundry and stain stuck


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

Here are the final stages the soap goes through while cooking and me putting it into my mold







And it setting up on my SB



Can't wait to cut it tomorrow


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

OOPS I left the applesauce phase out of the photos. But I hope when cutting it tomorrow it turns out as planned. I figured starting out basic was a good plan.


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

And I will not tell a lie. I did have a mishap!! While putting it into my mold, I dropped some on my finger. And let me say that hot soap HURTS


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## Susie (Feb 19, 2015)

:clap::clap::clap:

Another soaping addict added to our ranks!!!

It's OK, we all have those mishaps.  And we either learn from them...or get lots of owies.  LOL


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## Dorymae (Feb 19, 2015)

Wait!  Check that soap in about 3-4 hours. Then again in 6. After 24 hours it may well be too hard to cut. Coconut sets up pretty quickly.


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## MorpheusPA (Feb 19, 2015)

Great, another addict.  Come join us in our junkie talk.  I like to inject cocoa butter into my recipies...


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

Look at the pretty bubbles! 
this is just from running water in my crock


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

Ok I will check it in a few hours thanks for the tip


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## DeeAnna (Feb 19, 2015)

I know you said you were going to make stain sticks -- but in case you change your mind and want to make a laundry detergent powder, be sure to grate the soap soon while it's still soft enough to break down into a powder. Just speaking from experience!

CONGRATULATIONS!


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

I told DH I was ready to make my next batch


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

Ok thanks. I was going to grate it tomorrow and I was thinking about running it in the food processor at that point on an as needed basis. Or should I go ahead and do that as well?


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## MorpheusPA (Feb 19, 2015)

Sislea said:


> this is just from running water in my crock



Don't read that too fast, because for a moment I did a double take.


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

wow yup it is hard. DH went out to the shed to get me his miter box to cut the soap with. I cut it but  my phone is dead from taking photos and posting step by step instructions on my face book page.


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## biarine (Feb 19, 2015)

Sislea said:


> Look at the pretty bubbles! View attachment 12578
> this is just from running water in my crock



Love the bubbles. But Some people said you can't use coconut soap for laundry because of too much bubbles.


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

It will be grated and then put in the food processor to make a powder. Only so many ounces of thew CO soap will be put in with so many ounces of washing soda and oxygen. You don't use a full bar per say by itself or you will get lots of bubbles and an HE washer will not like you for that.

So, with that being said depending on how much you mix of the bar, washing soda..etc..you will get 3 months to even up to a year worth of detergent. 

I can post my "recipe" if you want it.

I have been buying Fels Naptha to use in my laundry soap but now I will replace that bar with one of my very own CO bars


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## Dorymae (Feb 19, 2015)

I use 1/8 cup ( 3 tbsps) of powder in my He machine. It is fine.


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## Dahila (Feb 19, 2015)

biarine said:


> Love the bubbles. But Some people said you can't use coconut soap for laundry because of too much bubbles.


When you mix it with borax and washing soda, the bubbles dissapear) I have whirlpool very sophisticated front loader and it does not suffer with my home made laundry powder)


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## Sislea (Feb 19, 2015)

I use 1/8 cup as well in my FL HE. I make several pounds at once. I keep a little jug on top the washer and keep my scoop in it. The kids were tracking soap powder all over the laundry room floor before doing it this way. I bought a two pack 1/8 cup scoops at dollar tree last week. Work perfect!


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## FlybyStardancer (Feb 19, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> I use 1/8 cup ( 3 tbsps) of powder in my He machine. It is fine.



Just a little head's up... 1/8 cup is 2 Tbsps. I remember the conversion by 1/4 cup being 4 Tbsp (4 with 4).


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## Cactuslily (Feb 19, 2015)

Sislea, you did a great job! I've never made HP soap or laundry soap. I would love to see your recipe! It's also good to know it can be used in a HE machine. Welcome to " my name is...and I'm a soaping addict"! There could be worse things 
Thanks for including the pics


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## Seawolfe (Feb 20, 2015)

Congrats! That looks great. It's easier to grate whe its softer, but it's no harder to grate than a hard cheese even when well cured. I can grate a hard cured old bar on a box grater in about 20 min while watching tv, enough for 4 months I guess. 

I've been using 100% CO soap + washing soda + borax in my HE washer for over a year with no issues, in fact it's less gunky than it was wit commercial detergents. I only use 2 Tbsp per load, some times add Oxy, sometimes remember to add vinegar...

This powder is also really handy to travel with. I keep a ziplock bag of powder, a scoop, & a stain stick in my suitcase. Works in all washers so far, and perfect for hand washing, it rinses clean so easily.


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## Dorymae (Feb 20, 2015)

FlybyStardancer said:


> Just a little head's up... 1/8 cup is 2 Tbsps. I remember the conversion by 1/4 cup being 4 Tbsp (4 with 4).



I stand corrected. Thank you


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## Susie (Feb 20, 2015)

1/8 cup is also a coffee scoop(sold at most grocery stores).


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## biarine (Feb 20, 2015)

Dahila said:


> When you mix it with borax and washing soda, the bubbles dissapear) I have whirlpool very sophisticated front loader and it does not suffer with my home made laundry powder)




Oh thanks because some people in you tube said that you need to use a low sud soap.


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## CaraBou (Feb 20, 2015)

Your pics got me hot and bothered.  Just when I thought I shrugged the monkey!


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## Sislea (Feb 20, 2015)

Here is a photo of the soap after I cut it


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## Sislea (Feb 20, 2015)

So DH is going hunting this weekend. He has one orange hat that he really likes to wear. He wore the hat to work on DD's truck and got grease all over it. So, he called this morning and asked if I would use my newly made CO stick to see if it will get the car grease out. I have it sitting on the counter now with CO rubbed all over it. Gonna give the new stain stick a hard workout. Will let ya know how it goes.

<----------------- yes I had to do it


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## biarine (Feb 20, 2015)

Looks very nice


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## Sislea (Feb 20, 2015)

Thanks everyone. I made a new post with the updated stain stick :-D


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## JayJay (Feb 21, 2015)

Hi all! I am new to soap making and yes I am already addicted. I was just headed down to make my first batch of laundry soap and I am so glad to find this thread. 

Questions:
How many parts of washing soda, borax, and/or oxygen do you all use per parts of grated soap? 

Has anyone tried adding the other additives (soda etc) to the bar while processing? Or would the lye ruin something? 

Does this powder work as well as commercial soap? I am a tide (powder) user currently.

The batch I am about to make will have 100% coconut oil with 0%superfat and scenting with a citrus EO blend. How much EO should I use?  I was thinking about 1%. Is that enough? 

Any help would be appreciated. I have to make every batch count because DH is already growing weary of my new soap obsession.


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## Susie (Feb 21, 2015)

You can't add soda to the soap while making it because soda is another alkali, and will throw off the formula.  

You are using a lye calculator, right?  If it is soapcalc.net, just stick with the default 0.5 oz EO/PPO.


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## JayJay (Feb 21, 2015)

Yes I am using soap calc but I read somewhere that citrus EO fades easily. I thought that more citrus may boost the cleansing power. But you are probably right. I shouldn't stray from the default, at least until I know how it will come out. 

Thanks for the help!


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