Considering a new loaf mold - opinions please?

[MelissaG]

I love Nurture Soap, I really do. And I love the molds they made, their colors, their fragrances. The problem is the silicone. I've had it for two years, and every single time, it doesn't come out of the mold well, no matter the recipe. And it takes probably three weeks before I can remove it. I'm just tired of having to wait so long just to remove it from the mold and it's so soft my fingers make impressions in the soap when I pull the silicone off while losing the edges of the soap because they get caught on the silicone.

So I'm debating on just moving to a lined wooden mold, and I'd like to know if this helps. Since many of you have tried both lined and silicone, which one do you prefer? And who did you get yours from? I want to keep my soaps the same 3.5x2.5x1 that they are now.

 

[curlycoat2]

Are you freezing the soap in the mold before you remove it? Silicone can create a vacuum like effect and you need air to harden the soap. The sides can stick tight and the best way to get air into the sides and bottom is to release them from the soap. Freezing the whole thing makes the soap hard and the sides will come away without damaging the soap loaf.

Before you spend any money as those molds are fabulous try freezing it and see if that helps

 

[Relle]

Dh made my wooden mould and I line it with freezer paper, I just turn it over and it slips out, no problems. I have silicone moulds such as animals etc. that I put in excess if any and they take days to release it one piece. I don't have any loaf ones so can't comment on that.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have the cheapie loaf molds, silicone lined, like this: https://www.temu.com/nz/diy-soap-mo...&refer_page_id=10009_1721293180276_c6spzem58k
I have no problem unmolding about 10 hours after the pour.

I wouldn't want to use this silicone in the larger square size though, as I think it would be more difficult to get off.

I have several wooden molds that hubby made and, like @Relle , line them with paper (but I use silicone coated baking paper from the supermarket because it's a fraction of the cost of freezer paper here, (which can only be bought from a craft store). They are the easiest molds to get soap out of, but lining the mold with the baking paper is a bit of a PITA - even though I am very good at it.

 

[MelissaG]

Are you freezing the soap in the mold before you remove it? Silicone can create a vacuum like effect and you need air to harden the soap. The sides can stick tight and the best way to get air into the sides and bottom is to release them from the soap. Freezing the whole thing makes the soap hard and the sides will come away without damaging the soap loaf.

Before you spend any money as those molds are fabulous try freezing it and see if that helps

I'll try that and see if it makes a difference.

I have the cheapie loaf molds, silicone lined, like this: https://www.temu.com/nz/diy-soap-mold-rectangular-wooden-box-1200ml-toast-mold-cold-soap-easy-demoulding-g-601099533630724.html?_oak_mp_inf=EIT6tKGm1ogBGiA3NDQxYmZkMDExN2Q0ZmMyOWFjNDYyZTAwN2M1MTk0NCDrlMaojDI=&top_gallery_url=https://img.kwcdn.com/product/Fancyalgo/VirtualModelMatting/9393bce94ce57997ca20bad15f4d7442.jpg&spec_gallery_id=2058432865&refer_page_sn=10009&refer_source=0&freesia_scene=2&_oak_freesia_scene=2&_oak_rec_ext_1=MTYzMg&_oak_gallery_order=1854968617,1610718065,109543578,1829723505,2081340458&search_key=soap mold&refer_page_el_sn=200049&_x_sessn_id=hw4ic3s6fi&refer_page_name=search_result&refer_page_id=10009_1721293180276_c6spzem58k
I have no problem unmolding about 10 hours after the pour.

I wouldn't want to use this silicone in the larger square size though, as I think it would be more difficult to get off.

I have several wooden molds that hubby made and, like @Relle , line them with paper (but I use silicone coated baking paper from the supermarket because it's a fraction of the cost of freezer paper here, (which can only be bought from a craft store). They are the easiest molds to get soap out of, but lining the mold with the baking paper is a bit of a PITA - even though I am very good at it.

I love the confidence lol. Not sure if it would be more of a pain than the soap not coming out of the mold properly every single time.

 

[AliOop]

I also like freezing my cavity molds and any silicone mold that’s clinging to my soap. For me, that works best if I let it sit for about five minutes after I take it out of the freezer. Condensation forms due to the temperature difference, and it really helps the release.

I’m also wondering if you apply any heat and/or insulation to encourage gelling. A good gel makes my soap firmer and less stuck, as well. You could create a box frame to help with that. YouTube videos show that being made with wood pieces, with cheap Lego knockoffs, and foam board.

 

[Ford]

Hi, could you use the molds you have. Without the silicone liners? Just lined with paper.

 

[dibbles]

I have Nurture wood molds with a silicone liner and I have never had a problem unmolding the next day if my soap gels. I think my NS loaf mold was my first big purchase once I knew I was going to continue making soap because it seems lining anything with freezer paper is quite beyond my capabilities and patience. My recipe is usually 60-70% hard oils and I do use sodium lactate though.

 

[Ford]

Building on @dibbles comment. why does it take so long to unmold? Why is it still soft after that time. Might be an issue of tweaking your recipezee.

 

[Shelley D]

I have been on the fence about my loaf molds because I do love making the larger bars by cutting the sizes I want, but that liner can be a pain. More so when my recipes were mostly olive oil, but even with a recipe that sets up more firmly, the corners can get squished when I turn out the loaf, and my silicone liners are pretty soft and flexible, but you still have to apply pressure to invert the liner to turn out to loaf. Technically, I don't sell my soaps so it doesn't really matter but every once in a while I'd love to see a perfect loaf I was thinking of trying the paper lining ~ but I've read mixed reviews of that method so I guess I really don't have much of an opinion at all

 

[Maple_Street_Bath]

I have two silicone loaf molds in my collection - a 12" tall & skinny (if you want to get technical I also have a 6"), and a cheap Amazon one that I use for soapmaking workshops. The rest of my loaf molds are wood molds that my husband made for me in a range of sizes of 6", 12", 18", and a 13.5x9" slab mold, I line all of them with freezer paper. The only one I have problems with is the slab mold which sometimes takes up to 3 days to be able to cut into loaves and bars, compared to 18-24 hours for the smaller loaf molds. I prefer the wood molds because I don't have to wash the liner or have multiple liners. Worst case with the slab mold if I'm making a bunch of soap over the course of a week is that after 24 hours I can pull the soap out of mold and leave it on my cure rack for another day or two to get to cutting consistency, and reline the mold to make the next soap batch.

I'm in the party of checking your soap recipe if it's taking weeks to unmold.

 

[MelissaG]

I also like freezing my cavity molds and any silicone mold that’s clinging to my soap. For me, that works best if I let it sit for about five minutes after I take it out of the freezer. Condensation forms due to the temperature difference, and it really helps the release.

I’m also wondering if you apply any heat and/or insulation to encourage gelling. A good gel makes my soap firmer and less stuck, as well. You could create a box frame to help with that. YouTube videos show that being made with wood pieces, with cheap Lego knockoffs, and foam board.

The heat is so weird here that I've had the top of my soaps form a crack while the bottom stays stuck to the silicone mold.

I have two silicone loaf molds in my collection - a 12" tall & skinny (if you want to get technical I also have a 6"), and a cheap Amazon one that I use for soapmaking workshops. The rest of my loaf molds are wood molds that my husband made for me in a range of sizes of 6", 12", 18", and a 13.5x9" slab mold, I line all of them with freezer paper. The only one I have problems with is the slab mold which sometimes takes up to 3 days to be able to cut into loaves and bars, compared to 18-24 hours for the smaller loaf molds. I prefer the wood molds because I don't have to wash the liner or have multiple liners. Worst case with the slab mold if I'm making a bunch of soap over the course of a week is that after 24 hours I can pull the soap out of mold and leave it on my cure rack for another day or two to get to cutting consistency, and reline the mold to make the next soap batch.

I'm in the party of checking your soap recipe if it's taking weeks to unmold.

I had someone on facebook redo my recipe and suggest I try it to see if it makes a difference. Not that I asked them to. I am tempted to try it though.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I notice here there is mention of gelling. I do gel all my soaps, and maybe that is why I have no trouble unmolding in about 10-12 hours. Clean as a whistle!

 

[dibbles]

I notice here there is mention of gelling. I do gel all my soaps, and maybe that is why I have no trouble unmolding in about 10-12 hours. Clean as a whistle!

Me too

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

The problem is the silicone. I've had it for two years, and every single time, it doesn't come out of the mold well, no matter the recipe. And it takes probably three weeks before I can remove it.

Just to clarify @MelissaG, you are saying the mold doesn’t come out of the silicone liner, correct? You are not having an issue getting the silicone liner out of the wooden mold, right? (And I am easily confused and need to clarify.)

I typically CPOP my soap, and the loaf is hard enough to come out of the mold 12 hours later, sometimes less. If I had to wait several days to remove the soap from a liner, I would call it a soaping failure and reformulate the recipe. I have no self-discipline to wait on cutting those bars to reveal the design!

The silicone liners in loaf molds sometimes cause problems with the overall finish on the sides of the bars, the absolute worst of which is silicone rash. And it can be difficult to break the seal between the silicone and the soap. To avoid problems with the silicone, I now use freezer paper (plastic side facing soap) to line a silicone mold, or cut a Mylar liner to fit. I know, it makes no sense to line a silicone loaf or slab mold because it’s supposed to release, but now I don’t have problems with silicone rash or getting the soap released.

For loaf molds made of wood, I started tossing worn out or temperamental silicone liners and treating the wood with mineral oil to make it water resistant. Mineral oil won’t turn rancid or interact with the lye. Molds are then ready for use with Freezer Paper (FP) and/or Mylar liners.

Freezer paper pros:
- Disposable, so no washing liners or molds afterwards
- No silicone rash from CPOP temperature errors
- Easy to source at the local stores
- Versatility in fitting molds of various dimensions

Freezer paper cons:
- Disposable, creating waste with plastic in it
- Expense of replacing freezer paper supply
- Must be cut to size and fitted to molds for every batch of soap
- Potential to sometimes absorb moisture in the mold, creating gentle ripples on the sides and bottom surface of the loaf

I already liked using Mylar sheets, cut to size, to line loaf and slab molds. I bought 10 sheets of clear 12 x 12, 10 mil Mylar from Amazon for $8.99. My latest Custom Craft TS mold came with its own Mylar sheets to line it.

Mylar liner pros:
- Reusable
- Doesn’t warp or wrinkle
- Heat resistant, so good for CPOP with no risk of silicone rash
- Transparent, so used with a transparent mold you can see the design as you build it
- Liners are cut and fit only once for multiple uses in a specific mold (label them)
- Can use leftover Mylar scraps for making stencils

Mylar liner cons:
- Need to wash liners after every use
- May still need to use FP or silicone liner in addition to the Mylar in a wood mold that isn’t water resistant

Hope this gives you some ideas for alternatives to keep using the molds you already have.

 

[Relle]

Freezer paper cons:
- Disposable, creating waste with plastic in it
- Expense of replacing freezer paper supply
- Must be cut to size and fitted to molds for every batch of soap
- Potential to sometimes absorb moisture in the mold, creating gentle ripples on the sides and bottom surface of the loaf.
- I still create waste with baking paper and only get one use out of it.
- I get someone to buy the freezer paper and bring back for me while they visit their daughter in the US and it's just as cheap as buying baking paper here, so that works for me.
- I have found I can get 4 or 5 batches out of one freezer paper lining, I just wipe it down with paper towel, no trouble putting it back in the mould as it just folds up again and slots in the way it came out.
- I take time to line my paper and they all come out smooth on the sides and base, even after multiple uses.
- I'm happy with it overall.

 

[Vicki C]

Just to be clear, the same recipe comes out of other molds easily?

 

[MelissaG]

Just to clarify @MelissaG, you are saying the mold doesn’t come out of the silicone liner, correct? You are not having an issue getting the silicone liner out of the wooden mold, right? (And I am easily confused and need to clarify.)

I typically CPOP my soap, and the loaf is hard enough to come out of the mold 12 hours later, sometimes less. If I had to wait several days to remove the soap from a liner, I would call it a soaping failure and reformulate the recipe. I have no self-discipline to wait on cutting those bars to reveal the design!

The silicone liners in loaf molds sometimes cause problems with the overall finish on the sides of the bars, the absolute worst of which is silicone rash. And it can be difficult to break the seal between the silicone and the soap. To avoid problems with the silicone, I now use freezer paper (plastic side facing soap) to line a silicone mold, or cut a Mylar liner to fit. I know, it makes no sense to line a silicone loaf or slab mold because it’s supposed to release, but now I don’t have problems with silicone rash or getting the soap released.

For loaf molds made of wood, I started tossing worn out or temperamental silicone liners and treating the wood with mineral oil to make it water resistant. Mineral oil won’t turn rancid or interact with the lye. Molds are then ready for use with Freezer Paper (FP) and/or Mylar liners.

Freezer paper pros:
- Disposable, so no washing liners or molds afterwards
- No silicone rash from CPOP temperature errors
- Easy to source at the local stores
- Versatility in fitting molds of various dimensions

Freezer paper cons:
- Disposable, creating waste with plastic in it
- Expense of replacing freezer paper supply
- Must be cut to size and fitted to molds for every batch of soap
- Potential to sometimes absorb moisture in the mold, creating gentle ripples on the sides and bottom surface of the loaf

I already liked using Mylar sheets, cut to size, to line loaf and slab molds. I bought 10 sheets of clear 12 x 12, 10 mil Mylar from Amazon for $8.99. My latest Custom Craft TS mold came with its own Mylar sheets to line it.

Mylar liner pros:
- Reusable
- Doesn’t warp or wrinkle
- Heat resistant, so good for CPOP with no risk of silicone rash
- Transparent, so used with a transparent mold you can see the design as you build it
- Liners are cut and fit only once for multiple uses in a specific mold (label them)
- Can use leftover Mylar scraps for making stencils

Mylar liner cons:
- Need to wash liners after every use
- May still need to use FP or silicone liner in addition to the Mylar in a wood mold that isn’t water resistant

Hope this gives you some ideas for alternatives to keep using the molds you already have.

Thank you so much.

 

[MelissaG]

For everyone asking, yes, I'm having problems removing the soap from the silicone mold.

Freezer paper cons:
- Disposable, creating waste with plastic in it
- Expense of replacing freezer paper supply
- Must be cut to size and fitted to molds for every batch of soap
- Potential to sometimes absorb moisture in the mold, creating gentle ripples on the sides and bottom surface of the loaf.
- I still create waste with baking paper and only get one use out of it.
- I get someone to buy the freezer paper and bring back for me while they visit their daughter in the US and it's just as cheap as buying baking paper here, so that works for me.
- I have found I can get 4 or 5 batches out of one freezer paper lining, I just wipe it down with paper towel, no trouble putting it back in the mould as it just folds up again and slots in the way it came out.
- I take time to line my paper and they all come out smooth on the sides and base, even after multiple uses.
- I'm happy with it overall.

OOoo reusable. That works for me.

 

[Vicki C]

For everyone asking, yes, I'm having problems removing the soap from the silicone mold.

The same recipe removes from other molds without a problem? I’m wondering how the mold itself is the issue. I use the Essential Depot red molds which are very thick - sometimes the soap gets sort of suctioned in but once I create an air gap I can get it out. If it’s too soft, I might wait another day or so, but not as long as you are describing.