# How to deal with cat hair and curing soap



## LucyPfeffa (Jul 28, 2017)

I have a question about waiting while the soap is curing...how do you keep random cat hairs from landing on the soap, if air has to circulate around the soaps? I understand Stella & Bosco have to be locked up or go outside when I'm dealing with the lye, etc., but afterwards?  Does covering with cheesecloth impair the curing process?


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## BattleGnome (Jul 28, 2017)

I think you should be ok with cheesecloth. 

I have 3 cats and don't worry about it, but we have a decently sized house and the cats don't spend too much time around my soaps. My BiL is very allergic to cats and hasn't complained about cat hair on my soaps. If he ever does I might resort to the cheesecloth idea or something similar.


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## DeeAnna (Jul 28, 2017)

I have 4 cats and 4 dogs. They shed constantly. And so do I. And I live in the country on a gravel road, so our house is dustier than most. 

I keep my soap lightly covered either with sheets of thin waxed paper or thin cotton toweling. Anything reasonably breathable is fine -- inexpensive muslin or "tea towels" or flour sack towels to give you some ideas. Even white paper towels. Your cheesecloth would do, although it won't be quite as effective against dust.


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## SunRiseArts (Jul 28, 2017)

Don't mean to be rude or anything, but animals should not be near the soap area or the soaps.  Unless you only soap for yourself?

When I had pets, they were always outside, and never came inside the house, seems nowadays people always let them in. :think:


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## toxikon (Jul 28, 2017)

SunRiseArts said:


> Don't mean to be rude or anything, but animals should not be near the soap area or the soaps.  Unless you only soap for yourself?
> 
> When I had pets, they were always outside, and never came inside the house, seems nowadays people always let them in. :think:



Speaking for myself, I have a small house where dog hair lurks in every corner. It's an impossible mission to avoid it. :mrgreen:

I don't sell but I make sure soaps are hair-free before giving away soap to friends and family.

Covering with a light cloth during curing helps, then boxing then up when they're done curing.


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## Primrose (Jul 28, 2017)

My cats have a tendency to try to eat my curing soaps, especially the honey, milk and oat ones
I just cure my soap in a spare bedroom and keep the door closed


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## DeeAnna (Jul 28, 2017)

SunRiseArts said:


> Don't mean to be rude or anything, but animals should not be near the soap area or the soaps.  Unless you only soap for yourself?
> 
> When I had pets, they were always outside, and never came inside the house, seems nowadays people always let them in. :think:



If I feel the need to preface my remarks with an apology, then it's nearly certain my remarks are indeed rude. Indeed, that's one of my rules for deciding whether to speak my mind or not.

I have had indoor cats and dogs since I was a little kid, and that's been a more decades ago than I care to admit. It has nothing to do with "nowadays" or not; it has everything to do with family preferences. The wealthy family that built the Longview Farm in the 1800s in what is now the southeast part of the Kansas City metro had a separate room constructed near the parent's bedroom on the second floor just for their dogs to sleep in.

Whether it's pet hair or my hair, it doesn't matter -- I want my soap to always be clean and sanitary, so I take precautions to keep it that way. It works fine. And, yes, I do sell.


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## earlene (Jul 28, 2017)

SunRiseArts said:


> When I had pets, they were always outside, and never came inside the house, seems nowadays people always let them in. :think:



Well, I am almost 70 and our pets were all allowed indoors from my first memory of having family pets.   I cannot imagine living in Texas and not allowing your pets inside. (Of course, maybe you didn't have pets while living in Texas.)  My granddaughter's dogs would have surely died long ago from heatstroke if they had never been allowed inside their house in San Antonio!   And if my husband & I had pets, which we don't because we travel too much to properly care for them, I would never treat them like livestock. 

I can't argue the fact that it may not be Good Manufacturing Practice to allow family pets free run of the soap room, but I sure would argue relegating pets to the great outdoors and never allowing them inside the home.  IMO they aren't pets if they aren't allowed indoors.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jul 29, 2017)

I think it is a good point to highlight - if you give a soap to someone then it should be clear of hair in case of allergies. That doesn't necessarily mean the animals aren't allowed inside, but that caution can be used to make sure that the bars are clean when giving them away.


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## Kittish (Jul 29, 2017)

I use a sheer panel curtain over my rack to keep dust and hair off my soap. 2 longhair cats, one tribble-spawning dog, me with nearly waist length hair and an ogre with hair everywhere _except_ the top of his head. Plus, we live in a desert, our soil base is mix of caliche, clay and sand. Tons of dust. Very, very fine dust that goes right through cheesecloth. The rack is attached to the wall behind the door of our computer room and the curtain is set up so it's tight to the wall above the rack and naturally drapes snug to the wall down both sides. There's a fan on in here 24/7 already, because of the computers, so there's steady circulation through the room. When soaps come off the rack, they'll be packaged in shrink wrap (not fully sealed) and stacked in a crate on top of my gadget rack in the kitchen with the crate probably covered with another sheer panel. So far it looks like the only problem I'll have with the setup is running out of room to cure soaps. And that's sort of by design, actually. I need to try to not drown myself in soap right away.


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## navigator9 (Jul 29, 2017)

I've always cured my soaps in a cabinet with trays that slide in and out. I've always had cats and or dogs, and although they did not hang out in the craft room, their hair can float just about anywhere. When I wrap soap for sale, I always do it with glasses on, and under a bright, gooseneck lamp, so that I can inspect every single one. It was very seldom that I would find a stray hair, but with this method, I felt confident that I didn't miss any. I've always had pets from as far back as I can remember, and I'm 67. My pets are family. Just as much as the two legged ones. I actually prefer them to some of the two legged ones. As a customer, I would not like to see either animal or human hair on the products I buy, but I think that you can live with animals in the house and still manage to produce products that are hair free. 

"tribble-spawning dog"....Kittish, it took a few seconds for that mental picture to form.


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## biarine (Jul 29, 2017)

I crochet a bags that can fit 4 bar and I put them in a small basket, it help to minimise a cat hair and dust. Sometimes I made a small cover individually here's the one.


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## Dahila (Jul 29, 2017)

dogs are outside to run, to relieve themselves, they are members of the family, cats too .   I always had a dog hair in house and it did not make me unhappy.  I would rather vacuum clean everyday than not to have dogs and have clean house.  
I do not want to be rude but the statement of keeping dogs outside upsets me........
BTW dogs who are kept outside do no have social skills and can get in pretty nasty habits ...........I had seen it in Spain


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## Nyathera (Jul 30, 2017)

Kittish, that is a very clever idea!

I have 3 cats, all indoor cat's. I make my soaps in the kitchen, without cats. They can stay in a bathroom that time. They always get a treat after that  When soap is curing I cover the mold with something, like paper towel. And when it's time to cut the soap, I have kitty-free bedroom were I put the soap after cutting, in a cardboard boxes  I'm not selling but I do like to give them as gifts.


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## Kittish (Jul 30, 2017)

Nyathera said:


> Kittish, that is a very clever idea!
> 
> I have 3 cats, all indoor cat's. I make my soaps in the kitchen, without cats. They can stay in a bathroom that time. They always get a treat after that  When soap is curing I cover the mold with something, like paper towel. And when it's time to cut the soap, I have kitty-free bedroom were I put the soap after cutting, in a cardboard boxes  I'm not selling but I do like to give them as gifts.



Thank you. I haven't got the space to keep a room cat-free. Eventually I hope to have a dedicated crafting studio, for all of my assorted hobbies. It's going to be a few years yet before I can manage that, however.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jul 30, 2017)

In Ireland it was actually odd to keep dogs inside the house, so let's not get bent out of shape based on other cultures and their habits. Btw, those dogs were also loved and lovely when treated well.


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## Dahila (Jul 30, 2017)

my Irish friends have dogs inside,,,,,,,,,,


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## penelopejane (Jul 30, 2017)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> In Ireland it was actually odd to keep dogs inside the house, so let's not get bent out of shape based on other cultures and their habits. Btw, those dogs were also loved and lovely when treated well.



Yes lots of dogs and cats are kept outside in Oz too. Doesn't mean they are not part of the family.


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## SunRiseArts (Jul 30, 2017)

Yikes guys, don't get mad at me.  

In the country we had barns for the animals.  I remember my father in law digging holes out side for the dogs and filling with water, so they would cool off.

Now I live in the suburbs, sadly, because I really want to move back to the country.  I do not have animals in my house, because is my personal preference, and I feel they do not have space to run and be free.  But that is just me. I get it that people love their pets, nothing wrong with that. 

In my personal preference, people that mess with food and cosmetics, should not have animals around. Before I made soap, I always asked to the people I bought from if they had animals in the house.  If they did, I would pass.  I am one of those germ freaks.  But again, is probably just me, and most people don't care.


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## biarine (Jul 31, 2017)

For me there's  a lot of soaper that has pet but they took more steps to sanitised their soaping area and I seen a lot of soaping videos that the soaper's  don't have pet but their soaping area isn't spotless either. If I am a neat freak I will check where they made and cure their soap too not only if they have pet. Hygiene is more than just a fur...


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## SunRiseArts (Jul 31, 2017)

LOL  biarine  you are so right.  I have seen horror stories on some YouTube videos.

I wanted to add that yes, I live in Texas, yes is hot, all sort of animals leave outside year round.  Horses, birds, cows, goats, etc. I have seen city folks do silly stuff like walk their dogs in hot cement at 3 pm when the weather is around a 100, and I imagine those poor creatures have their paws burn, makes me want to make the owner walk bare foot, and they probably do it again the next day.  
I love all animals, but I personally think there is a place for them. 

_Sorry OP my comment derail your thread_. I will now unsubscribe from it.  But I thought about your problem, and if others think is ok to cure soap in tissue paper, tissue like the one use for gifts, perhaps that would be a super cheap and easy way to avoid the cat hair in your soaps. Is probably thin enough for the soaps to breath.


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## biarine (Jul 31, 2017)

SunRiseArts said:


> LOL  biarine  you are so right.  I have seen horror stories on some YouTube videos.
> 
> I wanted to add that yes, I live in Texas, yes is hot, all sort of animals leave outside year round.  Horses, birds, cows, goats, etc. I have seen city folks do silly stuff like walk their dogs in hot cement at 3 pm when the weather is around a 100, and I imagine those poor creatures have their paws burn, makes me want to make the owner walk bare foot, and they probably do it again the next day.
> I love all animals, but I personally think there is a place for them.
> ...




Since I was young we have dogs, cats and other animals in our farm. Our dog and cat they can stay outside if they wanted to but they about to get in if it's hot or raining. They have liberty to going in and out. 

True I seen a lot in youtube that they never use apron when they  making soap for sale.


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## SparksnFlash (Jul 31, 2017)

When I was a kid all animals were outside.  As an adult, they're all inside.  Cats & dog now, never horses or goats.  

When I soap they are all upstairs.  I cure and dry in a cabinet and have covered with a food umbrella (dollar store).  Starting this weekend though, I'm constructing something like Kettish posted.  GENIUS!!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jul 31, 2017)

I'm also wondering if those fine mesh covers for picnic food would work? Like the silver domes for covering the food when it's brought out (wait, is that just me?)


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## DeeAnna (Jul 31, 2017)

Horses? You don't let your horses inside?  

Teasing aside -- I don't either, but I have let my sweet, calm mare Sissel walk through my leather shop a couple of times. (The shop is what was once the garage attached to my house.) She just wanders in one door, briefly looks around, and walks out the other. Scared the dickens out of Connie, the gal who works with me -- I'd forgotten to tell her that an 900 pound horse was doing the tour.


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## biarine (Jul 31, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> Horses? You don't let your horses inside?
> 
> Teasing aside -- I don't either, but I have let my sweet, calm mare Sissel walk through my leather shop a couple of times. (The shop is what was once the garage attached to my house.) She just wanders in one door, briefly looks around, and walks out the other. Scared the dickens out of Connie, the gal who works with me -- I'd forgotten to tell her that an 900 pound horse was doing the tour.




Wow that's awesome, I never grew up with horses but I love to have them too. In my father's farm we have buffalo ( we make buffalo cheese ), a little bit of cows and goats as well as chickens.


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## Dahila (Jul 31, 2017)

Fantastic DeeAnna I would not mind the horse in the house if it was big enough.  Well I am crazy about dogs, and horses......... I was so determined that I had overcome the hair allergies and even against my parents then husband wishes I was riding them,  The world looks completely different when you have this animal so close to you, especially when the animal appreciate you, eh I want to be young again and have 8 dogs and at least 3 goats


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## kchaystack (Jul 31, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> Horses? You don't let your horses inside?



They just do not have the rite sneakers for their horses hooves...


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## CTAnton (Jul 31, 2017)

I can't imagine growing up without a dog under the dining room table to eat pretty much whatever you chose not to your liking...


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## cherrycoke216 (Aug 8, 2017)

SunRiseArts said:


> Yikes guys, don't get mad at me.
> 
> In my personal preference, people that mess with food and cosmetics, should not have animals around. Before I made soap, I always asked to the people I bought from if they had animals in the house.  If they did, I would pass.  I am one of those germ freaks.  But again, is probably just me, and most people don't care.




I have bought a packet of expensive French dessert and later found out on their menu that she put a picture of her pet chameleon in it. Duh... This might upset some reptile lover/ keeper, but the fact that she said she keep chameleon as a pet and she makes money from homemade desserts & soaps just make me feel so yuck!!! 

I'm sorry I sounded like a high school snob girl...but here's my two cents.


And WOW! KC! What a cute pix!!! 


I attended a craft market with the said reptile lover, and she put her green iguana on the table along with cakes slices  and cookies. I'm sure it might be a conversation starter, but I really find it repulsive... I died a little bit just seeing its claws laying on food. ( though with a plastic bag for barrier, it is NOT enough!!! )
And sometimes she brings bullfrog along. It's such a creative thinking... 
:headbanging:


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## Soapstars (Aug 14, 2017)

Its the sight of their little faces pressing up against the windows sunrise arts


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