How do you clean up after soap is made?

[The_Phoenix]

I use cheap white hand towels to wipe out all containers and tools while the batter is still quite wipeable.

I just leave everything out on my soaping counter in my garage for the next day.

Then it’s a just matter of using a scrubby pad with minimal cold water to thoroughly clean them. The cloths go into the washing with any load of laundry. I use a low sf% so a greasy washing machine is never an issue.

 

[Cat&Oak]

I'm so ocd it would drive me crazy to put all the dishes in a garbage bag for a few days but that is a fantastic idea!

 

[JuLeeRenee]

You have a dishwasher, but not a washing machine?

Yes, I have a dishwasher. I rent and there is no hookup for a washer nor a dryer. I won't go into all the details but I have been waiting for 5 years for hookups.

 

[wilymama]

I use dedicated soap making towels to wipe down the bucket & then go ahead & wash everything. Not had a problem with pipes. I figure enough lye goes down the pipes that it keeps them clean.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Cleaning the stick blender is the biggest drag IMHO, especially when it comes to making sure the back of the blades are spotless. I usually use a toothbrush to scrub while holding the blade in place with my finger (on the side with the dull edge), but it’s awkward.

 

[dibbles]

I usually use a toothbrush to scrub while holding the blade in place with my finger (on the side with the dull edge), but it’s awkward.

I usually do this too, but when I'm washing my soaping dishes I put the stick blender in the sink first and let it soak while I do the rest of the dishes and wash the stick blender last. By then the water has softened the soap residue and it's easier to clean.

 

[AliOop]

I usually do this too, but when I'm washing my soaping dishes I put the stick blender in the sink first and let it soak while I do the rest of the dishes and wash the stick blender last. By then the water has softened the soap residue and it's easier to clean.

I also soak mine and then I whir it in hot water with Dawn, right after making soap and before anything can harden.

It is the one greasy item I wash immediately, bc I don’t like digging into the crevices for the dried soap. Plus, I often let a couple batches of soapy dishes pile up in a large storage tub before washing the whole lot… but I only have one good stick blender so it has to be ready at all times.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I hate that my dishwasher isn't reliable in washing off soap residues. Particularly bad with silicone parts, they are covered with an ugly coating of whitish stuff that appears to be a mix of oils, fatty acids, soap and soap scum, even after repeated washing. PP and PE too tend to “soak” oils if left too long, and surfaces get slightly greasy again after cleaning them. This makes me nervous for some reason, particularly when working with red palm oil, lol.
I found it best to rub off all plastic/silicone parts that had been in contact with oils or soap batter, as soon as possible, with dish soap (commercial syndet-based stuff, boooo!!!) and a dishwashing brush, and rinsing under hot water, twice when in doubt.
The kitchen was clean when I finished my last batch, after pouring the soap the only two parts still left were the pot and spatula which I mixed the batter with.

I don't know if I'd be that cleanly if I had dedicated soapmaking equipment, but then again, I better should be.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@ResolvableOwl After reading this article, I was able to eliminate the lime scale in my dishwasher and soap scum on my soap making dishes by adding a couple of tablespoons of 33% citric acid masterbatch along with the dw detergent. I thought I would start off on the low side to see what happens. The GE website provides precautions for using the high amount they recommend. I haven’t had any issues with stainless steel tarnishing or noticed any deterioration of the measurement lines on glass measuring cups and beakers.

 

[AliOop]

@ResolvableOwl After reading this article, I was able to eliminate the lime scale in my dishwasher and soap scum on my soap making dishes by adding a couple of tablespoons of 33% citric acid masterbatch along with the dw detergent. I thought I would start off on the low side to see what happens. The GE website provides precautions for using the high amount they recommend. I haven’t had any issues with stainless steel tarnishing or noticed any deterioration of the measurement lines on glass measuring cups and beakers.

I did something similar with a dishwasher in a prior home with suuuper hard water. I just started using straight citric acid in the wash compartment. After about a month, huge sheets of caked-on minerals began flaking off of everything - the inside walls, the racks... even the washer arms suddenly had what sounded like rocks inside of them. We ended up taking those apart to remove large chunks of mineral deposits, and using a putty knife to encourage the remaining layers to come off the walls and door. And then we bought a water softener.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@AliOop We have a water softener, but we also have high tds that the water softener doesn’t remove. The price of citric acid may be going up, but it’s still a lot cheaper than a whole house RO system.

 

[user 49910]

I fill one sink side with straight 120F water and let them soak for about an hour. Then program the "Elbow Grease" function in the master computer and start to... wash, wash here... wash wash there, rinse rinse here, rinse rinse there, in the Merry Ol' Land Of OZ! Using a bristle brush and thoroughly scrubbing well.

 

[Soapynana]

I get every drop out I can using spatulas, then I wipe everything with microfiber towels. It gets them so clean, many of them dont need washing after. THey really grab the oil. You can get a huge pack at Costco cheap. Dont throw them in your regular laundry, though. I have an old palm oil bucket I throw them in until I get a whole load. Then I wash them all by themselves with hot water, no additional soap, no fabric softener, once in a while I'll add a scoop of oxyclean.

 

[Susie]

I'm fairly new at CPing soap (I love my HP) so I have some nasty habits that work in HP but certainly don't with CP. Plus as I age, my grip and agility get worse as time goes by. I think I will always have a lot of batter to clean up. Either that or I'm a real slob when I soap! LOL With using microfiber, I have a lot easier time cleaning up...enough that I can put them in the dishwasher and they don't come back with sludge on them.

I have developed grip issues lately as the arthritis in my hands really kicks in. I have begun using a red plastic (maybe Betty Crocker?) dough scraper I bought from Dollar Tree when I first started soaping. I have more surface area to scrape with, and it bends, so I can get more soap out with less swipes.

 

[Quilter99755]

I have developed grip issues lately as the arthritis in my hands really kicks in. I have begun using a red plastic (maybe Betty Crocker?) dough scraper I bought from Dollar Tree when I first started soaping. I have more surface area to scrape with, and it bends, so I can get more soap out with less swipes.

I'll have to look for that! I have several sizes of different silicone spatulas and use them, but still use the microfiber cloths after the spatulas. I think it would also help to get better containers. Mine are all cast off from oils and don't always have smooth sides or bottoms. Since it appears that I might start more CP soap, I should invest in better containers...just as I did when I made the decision to continue soaping and invested in what I needed for HP soap. It will go on my list when I start up soaping this fall. Thanks

 

[Vicki C]

I am daydreaming about getting an outdoor sink station - I could clean my soap dishes without squatting on the ground with a hose. If I were handy I would build one, but it would take me forever. They do have these fish cleaning table things that might work. Coldcreek Outfitters Ultimate Fillet Station with Faucet | Academy

 

[Quilter99755]

I am daydreaming about getting an outdoor sink station - I could clean my soap dishes without squatting on the ground with a hose. If I were handy I would build one, but it would take me forever. They do have these fish cleaning table things that might work. Coldcreek Outfitters Ultimate Fillet Station with Faucet | Academy

OMG! This is something that would work for a potting bench or a soaping table! I want one! Thanks for sharing!

 

[earlene]

I have a topless sippy cup of water that is the perfect fit for my SB, which I keep & use everytime I make soap (at home). The SB'er goes into the cup of water and sits there until the soap is in the mold and insulated (as needed.) Then comes the preliminary clean-up of the vessels utensils and so forth. As others, I wipe out what little (hopefully, but not always little) residue in my containers, then leave them all for a couple of days before a complete wash-up.

EXCEPT for my SB. It gets cleaned immediately. The soap batter will damage the rubber-ish washer or whatever that thing is that stops the soap from traveling up inside the body of the SB. (Yes, it has happened in the past to my first soapmaking SB.) The stint in the water prior to washing up, helps to loosen the soap somewhat, depending on the recipe, of course. I also use a small scrub brush under the blade, but I don't find it difficult. In the past I used to run the SB in water prior to washing, but that seemed to make no real difference, so I don't bother anymore.

Some things I clean as I go, because it is the wiser thing to do (for me) and prevents the spread of some things that would be even more messy if left for later (plus clean-as-I-go is a habit). Colorants are a mandatory clean-as-I-go thing. I use rubbing alcohol on each utensil used to measure/weigh any colorant, particularly micas, TD, oxides, AC, etc. I don't leave them until later, because alcohol removes all possible colorant mess & I don't have to mess with it later. I have never had a big spill of AC, but I have with some bright micas, and alcohol does an excellent job of getting everything up. I always have my spray bottle of alcohol handy when making soap.

I also highly recommend covering your work surface with protection prior to measuring out any of your ingredients. It makes clean-up so much easier (for me, anyway.)