Help! I don't get the .. 'Let it sit' clean up method.

[jenneelk]

Ok.. So I've always cleaned up rather quickly after making my soap but know many on here advise others to wait and let it set up to soap first. So I decided to do that with my last batch when faced with a large mess.
It's not working!!

Everything is so so stuck it's taking forever to come of. I thought it would maybe peel off or something based on what I remembered reading.
How do people do this wait to clean up method?
I've only tried cleaning the spatula so far and I had to use my nails to scrape some and broke two nails.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

People who leave it tend to scrape the worst off with kitchen roll and then leave it. Then the bits that are left become soap and then you can wash it off - it's soap, after all.

Personally, I don't do it, so I can't be too specific. But it looks like a lot of stuff still on there.

 

[jenneelk]

Yeah there is.. That's why I decided to try that method. Was a lot to scrape off with paper towels and I didn't want to waste so tried the 'let it sit'. :/ figured it would
Scrape off like I'd read and not as much waste.
I ended up not piling as high so had more left over than usual and wasn't in the mood to do samples.

But even the thin amount on the spatula and another container is awful stuck.

 

[Seawolfe]

I would throw all that in a big bucket or sink full of hot water and let it soak a bit. But my drains are very cooperative, so I would let someone else chime in if yours aren't. Though if the bits are saponified I don't see the harm in a good soak.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Is it not dissolving off in hot water?

 

[cmzaha]

I even clean up all buckets and utensils including sb even between batches. I wipe everything out the best I can, put the degreaser in the soapy water and wash everything. Don't get me wrong, I am not the clean freak I was in my younger days, hubby will vouch for that , but I cannot stand dirty dishes or utensils. I have to be extremely sick to let a dish go dirty overnight.

 

[boyago]

I do the wait method but mostly just for my mixing bowl and batter covered utensils. I try to leave the batter as even as possible with out caring too much then use an old gift card or such type of plastic to scrape everything off. I started doing this with the thought of re-batching or using all the shavings as confetti imbeds. I now have about 3 pounds of shavings without a real plan to do anything with them. At this point I just keep having something more exciting to experiment with.
-
oh and depending on how big your sink is just let as much as you can soak in hot water and it will half dissolve and come off in chunks WAY easier. I've found it takes about as much time and way less effort than trying to scrub until it's gone.

 

[seven]

i used to do the 'let it sit' method until my mom complained about the pile of dirty sh*t in our tiny kitchen. nowadays, i just made sure i pour everything till there was almost nothing in the containers. if i'm feeling extra tidy (which is a rare occasion), i wiped the containers first with kitchen paper, otherwise i just threw everything at the sink and washed the hell out of them. i made a special mp base with lotsa detergent in it, and just placed a small towel around it to wipe off the residue.

 

[MirandaH]

I put everything I can in the container that I mixed the soap in and let is sit for two or three days in my glassed in patio, so it is not a mess in the house. But before I do that, I take the scraper and scrape as much of the batter out that I can and put it in small molds for samples or guest soaps. There is hardly anything on them when I am done. Then when it is time to clean it, I fill my sink with hot water and I also fill the mixing container and I let everything soak. Most of the time I don't have to scrub or scrape anything. If I were you, I would be sure that is all saponified and then let it soak in some really hot water. With it being so thick, I might even rinse as much as I can off after the water cools and then let it soak again if it is still really thick. That is an awful lot and it reminds me of when I tried a peacock swirl and had to clean the awful chunked up, super thick soap left in the squirt bottles. Oy!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I find that putting some washing up liquid in to a batter container (mixing bucket, for example) but no water, wiping it round and then putting it in to hot water and washing it works well. I don't worry about stuff going down the drain as it contains stuff used to clean drains...............

 

[jenneelk]

It is all saponified now as it's been several days. The pot was on a back rack out of sight since it was driving me nuts in my sight. Lol
I usually use every bit then wipe out and wash since I'm already in the process of wiping and cleaning. Finishing up while it's loose just seemed normal.

There was so much this time I thought the let it sit would be good. Ha! I was wrong.
I have it filled with piping hot water right now as best as I can. The small containers I'm scraping in a minute.
Lesson learned I guess! Lol

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Hope it doesn't give you too much trouble. But I think we're seeing a pink and white soap in the near future?

 

[jenneelk]

It's already done and I posted it a bit ago I the photos. It was a simple love spell design.

And the water is pretty cloudy.. Think it's working by just letting it go back
To the state it was before.. Soft. Ironic. Lol

 

[paillo]

I too scrape out as much as possible using a pretty hard, double-sided silicone spatula thingy, and into individual molds for my use or samples. I waste very little soap batter.

Then I put as many utensils, smaller cups, etc. into the main pot and let it sit about 24 hours. Then into the sink with a little dishwashing liquid, let it dissolve a while, then hand-wash everything but the glass and plastic paint containers, which go into the dishwasher.

 

[clhigh29]

I could never do the waiting the "let it sit." I have to clean everything up right away. But I have heard of using old torn towels to wipe up and place them in a plastic bag for a few days. Then throw them in the washing machine. Personally, I'm a big fan of paper towels. I use as much soap as I can possibly mold, even using paper coffee cups, then it's clean up time.

 

[ilovesoap2]

That's a pretty mess btw

 

[Candybee]

Looks like you need more practice with a rubber spatula. I've got to where there is very little left to scrap out of my bowls. Then I wipe out everything with paper towels. Lots of paper towels. I don't consider that wasteful. I buy them cheap and by the armload. Everything I wipe off I know won't be going down my drain. Paper towels are a darn sight cheaper than a plumbing bill.

Then when its wiped out I can clean it or pile it up and clean it later.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I can't let it sit either. I just scrape as much as I can in the mold, wipe the excess of with a paper towel and than run hot water over everything. It does become a bit greasy, but it's a soap making equipment it doesn't have to be squeaky clean. I try and wash of as much oil and batter as possible. I have a very nosy cat and 3 kids so leaving everything to sit is a no no.
And I'm glad I never did seeing you mess.
I did have to actually wash of set soap, but from a crockpot after making HP batches. And it's a such a pain. I had to soak and scrub and then soak and scrub again for one whole afternoon.

 

[Obsidian]

I use the let it sit method, it does take a hour or two of soaking in hot water to dissolve the mess away. Then I use a long handled brush to scrub any remain bits away. You do really need to remove all the batter you can though, I don't wipe stuff with paper towels but I do scrap the bowls very well.

 

[grayceworks]

If I need the stuff for another batch I will rinse with hot water and wipe, but usually, I let it sit overnight. I don't try to scrape it then, I just run the soap pot full of very hot water, dump the utensils in it, and let it sit for about a half-hour while I do other stuff. This gets a good start on dissolving the soap, and then I take my scrubbie to the utensils and then the pot and containers, and it just takes a light scrubbing to clean it then, since it's soap, and the hot water has loosened it. TIP- don't put soapy stuff in the dishwasher with soap still stuck on. Or containers or stirring utensils that have TD still on them.