A Laundry Soap Disaster

[MorpheusPA]

Well, not a disaster, per se, but hopefully somebody can learn from this.

Two weeks ago, I made laundry soap--60% palm, 40% coconut, 0.5% super fat, 25% water.

As expected, it came together fast and I unmolded the next day, then cut the bars into seven or eight pieces each with the intent of putting them in my small food processor to grind them down when they dried.

Fast forward a week, they still won't go through the food processor (it's really very small and has a weak motor). So I cut each of those pieces down again into ten small bits to speed the drying.

Fast forward a week, they still won't go through the food processor (and now the motor is starting to smell overheated).

This evening, I microwaved the soap to make "mashed potato" soap and then broke apart the bits and pieces by hand (not difficult). It worked, but talk about tedious.

I still have to run them through the food processor to get them to dust, but this time it shouldn't be an issue.

Next time? I fully intend on using my vegetable peeler to make tiny shards of the soap first, drying that way, and then grinding. Unless somebody else has a better idea...

 

[Seawolfe]

Box grater for cheese
I used that for over a year, tedious, but easy to do when apwatching TV. I just got a salad shooter and now it's easier, but I would never even try my food processor, I've heard too many horror stories.

 

[JayJay]

I usually try to shred my soap using the cheese grater right after gel while it is still warm. I use 100% CO so my soap sets up really quickly. I wear gloves of course. It's pretty easy to shred while its fresh. The longer I wait to grate it then the harder the soap gets.

 

[MorpheusPA]

I did try the cheese grater and now the laundry soap has tasted blood. I was worried it would go feral.

Fortunately, it's only for our own use, so I very carefully didn't mention that fact and just kept going. But talk about tedious.

A Salad Shooter, for just this purpose, is on my list for Christmas this year. Since I never have anything to ask for--except socks--it'll be a welcome addition.

 

[not_ally]

not
A Salad Shooter, for just this purpose, is on my list for Christmas this year. Since I never have anything to ask for--except socks--it'll be a welcome addition.

Morpheus, you cutie, you are one of those people who are not acquisitive, but darn, it makes you types hard to buy for, your poor SO! The salad shooter you should just get now, buy this one that snappyllama suggested from Amazon, I did and it is so much better for shredding soap than anything else:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=54686

 

[Seawolfe]

^^ yeah exactly that one!!

 

[MorpheusPA]

I'm extremely hard to buy for. Extraordinarily so, in fact--I don't care about clothes, I just don't wear worn or ripped things to work. Of course, I make my own soap products, but I also make my own garden fertilizer, plus most other things that I can figure out. Which is most basic stuff.

I'm not food-centric, so don't even bother with foodstuffs. I don't like technology in my personal life, so don't bother with an iPod or anything like that.

Fortunately, I do like books. But since I buy everything I want myself, there's no real point in getting me anything other than a gift certificate.

On the up side, post the microwave and big puffy soap clouds (which ground between hands easily and without effort), it went through the food processor and turned to dust. I now have 2 full pounds of ground soap, or enough once I add the borax and washing soda (and Purex for scent) to last for the next four months or so.

This stuff even met the Spousal Stamp of Approval (translation: it froths).

 

[not_ally]

I am kind of like you, Morph, but my sympathies are still with the spouse. I think you should make a list of something at least a little bit extravagant-ish for Christmas. If you told me you wanted socks I might have to hit you over the head, silly.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Alas, I'm unlikely to change. And socks won't appear again, post Christmas, I'm DTS (Down To Sock) for a long time.

I was thinking of going wild this year and asking for--gasp--one of those wooden back scratchers. I suppose maybe I could use some underwear, too.

 

[kumudini]

Sometime back I ran my laundry soap, somewhat similar to your recipe, through the shred disc in my food processor and then dried it and processed, worked out fine. I think i did that on day 4 after making the batch. I didn't make out if you were saying that you couldn't shred it in FP or couldn't break it up with the blade. If it's the later, you could try to buy the shred disc if your FP takes one.
Ok, I went back to read again, it seems you have a FP with a tiny bowl and I don't think they take those shred or slice discs. So I vote for salad shooter as well.

 

[not_ally]

OMG. A head-smacking is definitely in order for you. Or your poor spouse could just be happy that your entire list cost less than $25, left to your needs I guess, you freak

If it was me, you would just end up getting some weird exotic wood back scratcher and tons of expensive underwear that you would never wear. You need to get more acquisitive w/soapy stuff, do you have a nice cutter? Or, if you cook, beautiful knives? After visiting SeaWolfe's house, I definitely have one of those one my list (although I might have to get my sisters to combine on a joint present for that one, though.) I guess I *am* different from you after all!

ETA: OK, not food centric, the knives are a no-go. Really, I might just hang up a sock w/some coal in it to teach you a lesson. But you wouldn't care! Or just wash the sock and look for its pair ....

 

[MorpheusPA]

I have one of those wee food processors with a simple blade--it can't take a shredder, unfortunately.

I suppose I could ask for a bigger food processor, but given that I'd use it to make laundry soap, I'm thinking the Salad Shooter is more generally useful. I live on vegetables anyway, and I'm always the one hanging out at the (generally unloved) vegetable tray at parties.

Coal? If it's Leonardite, I could grind it using my mortar and pestle, acid process, and extract the humic acid for the gardens. That would actually be a welcome gift.

 

[not_ally]

I give up. Actually, if I knew you in real life, it would be a horrible extended thought process of trying to find you the perfect gift that you would never have thought of. As I said, your poor spouse.

I have a friend who is really good at that, he is is just super thoughtful and buys you things that you really never thought about (usually for no reason) but end up really liking without knowing you needed/wanted them. I wish I was more like him, it must be something supernatural or genetic or something. Maybe he could crack your case

 

[kumudini]

Morpheus, you could probably tell by now that I also live on vegetables like you and the only one going back to vegetable tray for seconds. Hubby is a vegetarian also but prefers fully cooked food. So anyway I find my 7 cup FP with those discs quite useful and I got it on a sale, not terribly expensive. Think about all those pretty salads you could make for yourself. Cough,cough! I'm trying to help someone who needed gift ideas you see .
I'm reminded of my spiralizer, makes wonderful noodles of most hard fruits and vegetables, I'm thinking I might me able to make perfect soap spirals with it. It could do wonders with a round bar. Now I have to find someway to use those soap spirals.

 

[Spice]

I did try the cheese grater and now the laundry soap has tasted blood. I was worried it would go feral.

Fortunately, it's only for our own use, so I very carefully didn't mention that fact and just kept going. But talk about tedious.

A Salad Shooter, for just this purpose, is on my list for Christmas this year. Since I never have anything to ask for--except socks--it'll be a welcome addition.

except socks.....LMAO:clap:

 

[MorpheusPA]

except socks.....LMAO:clap:

Don't judge me.

My dryer seems to like to sample one sock out of a pair, although I recently matched up a loner that had been tossed back into the hamper for some months.

I think the dryer finally ate one of a matching pair, with the two leftovers now forming one single remainder pair.

I'm firmly convinced that there's an alternate universe somewhere, and all the people keep wondering where all the extra socks come from.

 

[not_ally]

Don't judge me.

My dryer seems to like to sample one sock out of a pair, although I recently matched up a loner that had been tossed back into the hamper for some months.

I think the dryer finally ate one of a matching pair, with the two leftovers now forming one single remainder pair.

I'm firmly convinced that there's an alternate universe somewhere, and all the people keep wondering where all the extra socks come from.

This is so true. One of my dogs is addicted to tug of war w/socks, it makes him happier than anything (except for greasy steak, which he is very rarely allowed except as an occasional treat b/c he is roundy, of course my skinny angel, Patsy, does not like it), so I have actually come to love unmatched socks. Although I do buy lots of sets of cheap crew socks just for Freddie to chew though, they provide so much joy that they are totally, totally worth it.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with you Morpheus, my washer or dryer eats socks like there's not tomorrow. I also have a dog that likes my socks but doesn't bother my husbands. My husbands disappear all the time.

 

[Spice]

Don't judge me.

My dryer seems to like to sample one sock out of a pair, although I recently matched up a loner that had been tossed back into the hamper for some months.

I think the dryer finally ate one of a matching pair, with the two leftovers now forming one single remainder pair.

I'm firmly convinced that there's an alternate universe somewhere, and all the people keep wondering where all the extra socks come from.

I believe in Gremlins.:shifty:

 

[MorpheusPA]

I just remade the recipe (a slight change, no castor oil this time, but it's really very minor).

This time it got poured into a loaf mold and is currently overheating slightly on my countertop. I expected that, and it's no big deal.

This time I'll shear it with the vegetable peeler and dry it that way. I expect far fewer, if any, issues when grinding it to powder.

That'll give me four pounds of laundry soap, 10 pounds of the final mix, or roughly enough to last through April.