Confessions of a soapmaker

[earlene]

That's why I let the towels sit for a few days before washing them. That way, there is little to no residual oil or grease - just saponified soap streaks.

For me, that works for the soap batter with a low SF, but not for the higher SF batter, and not for the vessels that have mostly oil. When I re-package my oils (large containers to smaller containers), those vessels never have soap batter in them, so it's only oil, and I do clean them prior to re-use after they are emptied, of course.

 

[TashaBird]

I do a %5 SF, so even if I let the towels/rags sit for a few days to saponify, there will be a good amount of oils and fats. Is there a laundry equivalent of Dawn? Unscented preferably, but super grease cutting. I usually use the kinda natural stuff. Is adding borax to laundry helpful for that? (‘Ve got borax around for growing crystals on stuff.)

 

[earlene]

I do a %5 SF, so even if I let the towels/rags sit for a few days to saponify, there will be a good amount of oils and fats. Is there a laundry equivalent of Dawn? Unscented preferably, but super grease cutting. I usually use the kinda natural stuff. Is adding borax to laundry helpful for that? (‘Ve got borax around for growing crystals on stuff.)

I use PS80 for stain removal. Perhaps it would be a good emulsifier for those oily towels & rags, TashaBird, if you have any. Personally, though I wouldn't add a lot of it to a washing machine, so if you pre-soak them in a bucket of hot water with PS80 that might help. It's too much trouble to do this regularly, IMO, but each to her own.

 

[Rsapienza]

They also make bamboo paper towels that can be washed and re-used. I have a crate under the sink of cut up white towels that I use for cleaning up. I toss them in their own little laundry tub and when I accumulate enough, throw them in the washer with some bleach. I just don't really see the need to use paper towels. I'm trying to "go green" where I can.
I find myself swirling when I'm cooking and/or baking. Any slightly thickened substance gets swirl patterns...LOL

 

[TashaBird]

Ok, how many shopping carts are you curating?

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

OMG Im not alone'! All In The Life Of A Soaper.. Empty Paper Towel Rolls' that would make the perfect small round disc for embeds. Dollar store is my favorite place for soaping supply's. spatulas gotta be one piece that doesn't come apart in my soap! Stickers wrapping paper & such is now for soaping. I dream about soap' when my soap is curing in the first 24 hours its all im thinking about. If i'm not making soap' Im thinking about soap. when ive filled up my storage space' Im thinking Ive gotta sale this soap' so I can make room for newly made soap. Yes I've become a soap snob' towards big soap company's.

Best Of All Ive Found This Site' & My Tribe!!

 

[violets2217]

I am OFFENDED, Zing, that you are somehow watching what I do at home



Yessss. I forgot that one. I've taken to hoarding, um, collecting, plastic utensils for just that.



Those containers are the best. I use them to separate batter for small batches!

One I forgot:
You have a particular, specific brand of spatula (and opinions about spatulas) that you prefer to use.
(Also, an obsession with scraping)

My life CHANGED when I finally found spatulas with a thin enough edge to properly scrape my containers

Also:
when looking at any edible liquid or puree you think "I can put this in soap? Should I put this in soap?? Ok, but, what if I did???"

I watch soap making YouTube videos to pass the time at work and tonight I was watching an in the pot swirl and the bottom of the pot was on camera and as she finished the poor I thought “Wow she’s a good scraper! She didn’t miss a drop. I wonder what kind of spatula she’s using?” I may already own 12 of the best one pice silicone spatulas... but if I had a few like her’s I’d be set!

 

[LilianNoir]

Ok, how many shopping carts are you curating?

I'm using no small portion of the fridge to store unsat oils. Sometimes, when we get to the end of the month, before I do my grocery shopping, we have more soaping oils in the fridge than actual food.

 

[TashaBird]

I'm using no small portion of the fridge to store unsat oils. Sometimes, when we get to the end of the month, before I do my grocery shopping, we have more soaping oils in the fridge than actual food.

Am I supposed to be doing that?!

 

[LilianNoir]

Am I supposed to be doing that?!

you don't have to. I have a small kitchen and limited space where I'm at. I was storing oils in my pantry, but it's near a window and gets kind of warm, so out of an over-abundance of caution(and after getting DOS twice) I started keeping my unsat oils in the fridge. I keep my butters in there too but mostly because I have the space. lol.

 

[TheGecko]

For those talking about towel issues I have one word for you...microfiber.

I got tired of wasting paper towels and they really didn't work all that well...wet or dry they just seemed to smear everything around. So one day I accidently grabbed one of my micofiber dust towels instead of a regular dish towels and WOW...it really sucked up the dispersed mica I had just spilt. I was then going to toss it in the washer, but decided to rinse it out with a bit of Dawn and water and again...WOW. Not a trace of mica and the towel didn't feel oily.

Went to Amazon and ordered these: Microfiber Towels. I absolutely love them!

 

[LilianNoir]

For those talking about towel issues I have one word for you...microfiber.

I got tired of wasting paper towels and they really didn't work all that well...wet or dry they just seemed to smear everything around. So one day I accidently grabbed one of my micofiber dust towels instead of a regular dish towels and WOW...it really sucked up the dispersed mica I had just spilt. I was then going to toss it in the washer, but decided to rinse it out with a bit of Dawn and water and again...WOW. Not a trace of mica and the towel didn't feel oily.

Went to Amazon and ordered these: Microfiber Towels. I absolutely love them!

I think those are the same ones I have! I love them!
I scrape my containers as much as possible and then use the microfiber to wipe clean, and so it's not a lot of oil. the microfiber cloths have made clean up a lot easier.

 

[lenarenee]

They also make bamboo paper towels that can be washed and re-used. I have a crate under the sink of cut up white towels that I use for cleaning up. I toss them in their own little laundry tub and when I accumulate enough, throw them in the washer with some bleach. I just don't really see the need to use paper towels. I'm trying to "go green" where I can.
I find myself swirling when I'm cooking and/or baking. Any slightly thickened substance gets swirl patterns...LOL

May I ask what brand you use? We've tried a couple and they were terrible - didn't absorb and shrank incredibly after a single wash.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

I cut the toes out of my old socks to use as arm protectors instead of wearing long sleeves so if I get soap or lye on my "sleeve" I can just whip it off and grab another mutilated sock from the box. My mom almost threw out my mutilated sock box because she thought they were trash. My family thinks I'm insane for keeping them. lol

 

[Laura Vohs]

Ok, how many shopping carts are you curating?

Oh my, someone should keep me away from online shops! I currently have items in the shopping carts at WSP, Nurture, Nature's Garden, and Mad Micas. Of course at the end of the month when I can actually make a purchase, there will be a whole lotta tears as I have to cut down the lists.

For those talking about towel issues I have one word for you...microfiber.

I got tired of wasting paper towels and they really didn't work all that well...wet or dry they just seemed to smear everything around. So one day I accidently grabbed one of my micofiber dust towels instead of a regular dish towels and WOW...it really sucked up the dispersed mica I had just spilt. I was then going to toss it in the washer, but decided to rinse it out with a bit of Dawn and water and again...WOW. Not a trace of mica and the towel didn't feel oily.

Went to Amazon and ordered these: Microfiber Towels. I absolutely love them!

Ok, I am buying these tonight. Seriously. After forking over almost $300 to the plumber for a clogged kitchen pipe which was apparently caused by solidified fat and oils, I am never putting anything down the drain from my soap dishes again, just in case that's what caused it.. Plus, those colorful microfiber towels are too cute!

 

[AliOop]

I cut the toes out of my old socks to use as arm protectors instead of wearing long sleeves so if I get soap or lye on my "sleeve" I can just whip it off and grab another mutilated sock from the box. My mom almost threw out my mutilated sock box because she thought they were trash. My family thinks I'm insane for keeping them. lol

I do this, too! I thought I made up this trick so it cracks me up that someone else had the same thought.

 

[TashaBird]

I cut the toes out of my old socks to use as arm protectors instead of wearing long sleeves so if I get soap or lye on my "sleeve" I can just whip it off and grab another mutilated sock from the box. My mom almost threw out my mutilated sock box because she thought they were trash. My family thinks I'm insane for keeping them. lol

That is brilliant! I’m constantly getting little zingers between my gloves and my sleeves where there’s a gap. They hurt! This is the solution!!!

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

Well I'd looked into buying arm protectors, they do make them, but they were stupidly insane and then when I was doing laundry I saw a sock that had a hole and was going to toss it but then I was like.. hmmm I can put this on my arm. So I just cut the seam where the toes are. I can slip the gloves over the bottom around my wrist and the elastic keeps it up on my arms. I guess necessity is the mother of insane inventions. lol

 

[AliOop]

Well I'd looked into buying arm protectors, they do make them, but they were stupidly insane and then when I was doing laundry I saw a sock that had a hole and was going to toss it but then I was like.. hmmm I can put this on my arm. So I just cut the seam where the toes are. I can slip the gloves over the bottom around my wrist and the elastic keeps it up on my arms. I guess necessity is the mother of insane inventions. lol

... and that is exactly how I came to make mine, as well. Too funny!

ETA: I think I first learned about arm protectors in general because some of the Hong Kong and Taiwan YT soapers wear them. I imagine they'd be easy to sew if you are someone (unlike moi) who can run a sewing seam in a straight line.

 

[TashaBird]

Well I'd looked into buying arm protectors, they do make them, but they were stupidly insane and then when I was doing laundry I saw a sock that had a hole and was going to toss it but then I was like.. hmmm I can put this on my arm. So I just cut the seam where the toes are. I can slip the gloves over the bottom around my wrist and the elastic keeps it up on my arms. I guess necessity is the mother of insane inventions. lol

Add arm warmers/guards to the list of things I didn’t know I needed, until I had them. They didn’t get soap on them. And, I kept them on for awhile while I did other crafty things. Thanks so much for the idea!