How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap?

[Genny]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Just remember that if you have a septic system, don't rinse active lye down the drain.

I do what most of these soapers do, I wipe down my bowls & equipment with some old washclothes (they don't get washed until the next day), set my stuff aside and wash it the next day.

We recently had our septic tank pumped & we had our plumbing inspected (for a whole different reason) and I asked them how our pipes looked. He said there was no buildup on our kitchen ones, which is where I do all of my soaping. Which made my husband feel better. He was always under the impression that washing my soap batter down the drain was going to cause buildup and clogs. :roll:

 

[sperry]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Koshka... How much help do you have? If you are making 100 pounds a day, then the only work you should be doing (guessing here, but I bet I'm not far off) is inspecting the work of others. Train, delegate, train, delegate. If your systems don't allow that, pay someone to look at your systems. If I was making 400 bars a day, my facility would be 4 states away, so that I COULDN'T work.....I don't like work.....lol.

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Koshka... How much help do you have? If you are making 100 pounds a day, then the only work you should be doing (guessing here, but I bet I'm not far off) is inspecting the work of others. Train, delegate, train, delegate. If your systems don't allow that, pay someone to look at your systems. If I was making 400 bars a day, my facility would be 4 states away, so that I COULDN'T work.....I don't like work.....lol.

Sperry, right now its only myself and my understanding boyfriend. We don't really work that much, it just seems like a lot! The process is the same as if I would be making a 2 lbs batch of soap. Measure out ingredients, (I do the oils, he does the lye, just because I'm clumsy, hehe) I make about 2 batches at a time, 20-22 lbs each, depending on the recipe. While the lye is cooling off (we mix it in small containers so it cools off faster) I'm heating my oils up to about 135-140. While everything is cooling off/warming up (maybe 40 minutes max for that stage), I look through my recipe book and get my additives/scents/colorants ready. Then I mix everything up (the recipe that I use makes my soap reach trace within 5 minutes), pour, insulate the molds and clean up (10-15 minutes). Next day I take soaps out of the molds (I usually do that in the morning while my tea pot is getting hot), let them sit for a bit to harden up and then cut the logs with my epic homemade soap cutter (made out of an old metal frame and a bunch of guitar strings, ya ya, I'm cheap lol) and then move all that soap to the designated drying area. So, from Start to Finish it takes me about 1.5-2 hours to make soap. It's not bad at all, because I can dedicate the rest of my day to playing World of Warcraft (gamer here!), or do accounting, or work on my website, which hopefully should be up before Christmas. I'm a lazy person by definition and thus I try to make my soap making process easy and without any extra running around.

The End!

Oh, forgot to mention: I always wear gloves, goggles and a mask, especially if I'm working with essential oil. They can cause quite a headache!

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Just remember that if you have a septic system, don't rinse active lye down the drain.

I do what most of these soapers do, I wipe down my bowls & equipment with some old washclothes (they don't get washed until the next day), set my stuff aside and wash it the next day.

We recently had our septic tank pumped & we had our plumbing inspected (for a whole different reason) and I asked them how our pipes looked. He said there was no buildup on our kitchen ones, which is where I do all of my soaping. Which made my husband feel better. He was always under the impression that washing my soap batter down the drain was going to cause buildup and clogs. :roll:

Haha, Genny, I think our men have united against us with their precious plumbing systems!

Thank you for advice, I am wasting so many paper towels, I feel like a tree killing maniac. I promise to use washcloths from now on! Is it safe to wash them in washing machine separately from the rest of the laundry? Or do I have to do it by hand?

 

[mechanolatry]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I doubt I can add anything new to the conversation, but I thought I'd add my own thoughts and routines.

- I currently soap every other day, so when I'm done with my soap dishes I let them sit out overnight. In the morning they've become soap which is so much easier to clean up than the oily unsaponified batter, IMHO. I rinse them well in super hot water, give them a quick scrub if needed and then I dishwash them. If you add some citric acid to your dishwasher detergent, it will cut down on that nasty soap scum that can form on your soap dishes.

- Anytime a container has had just lye in it without the oils, I always place it right in the sink and fill it with 1/2 white vinegar, 1/2 warm tap water. The way I see it is lye is used as a drain cleaner, so the little bit that might not have been neutralized by the vinegar is perfectly fine to be going down your drain.

- When it comes to colorants and fragrances, I always add a bit of the soap batter to them before they are added to the whole batter. I feel they will blend much easier this way. And sometimes depending on how a fragrance oils reacts, I may add it to the oils before the lye water. Either way, there is only trace amounts left over in the containers, and I feel (as others have said) that these amounts are so miniscule they wont cause environmental harm or plumbing issues.

- When I saw the topic title it made me think of this, so I wanted to share.... Before I figured out how to measure how much soap I need for a mold, I always had extra soap batter left over. What I did then, (and still do to this day) is pour the extra into empty paper towel rolls that I've sealed off at the bottom with cardboard and tape. The next day I unwrap it and I use these as my soap samples. Works perfectly.

Also I'm so impressed that the original poster makes 100 lbs of soap a day! That's wonderful! I hope I can get to that point with my business

 

[Genny]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I promise to use washcloths from now on! Is it safe to wash them in washing machine separately from the rest of the laundry? Or do I have to do it by hand?

I wash mine when I wash all my regular towels. I don't use as much laundry soap when I do those loads.

 

[soap_rat]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Ooh, you're using PVC for molds, and you can unmold the next day? I'd gotten the impression that they take awhile to harden. Now I'm interested in them again! I hope you post some photos of your soap, setup, etc..

I am unconcerned for my septic tank, as I was blissfully unaware I had one for 3 years (house was listed as having city sewer!) and did what I liked. The septic guys told me not to worry about using bleach or lye, as my septic tank gets a new dose of bacteria every day. I hope they're not wrong, but it has now been another 4 years.

I do wonder about fresh soap batter going down the drain, the lye getting diluted and unsaponified hard oils cooling and sticking to the pipes. I will sometimes let the pots sit until saponified, or I run the dishwasher right after soap cleanup to send plenty of hot water through the pipes.

 

[Lilahblossom]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

A healthy dose of Dawn in your handwashing dishwater helps keep those drains open too.
Stockinette: It comes already in a circle made of cotton like material. Perfect for pvc pipe. You can leave both ends open or tie a knot in one end. Just thread it thru and drape an end over the top of the pipe (like when you fold over your garbage bag in the waste basket). I think Walgreens will have it as they carry medical supplies.
I don't buy paper towels often as they are a great expense. I use the cheap ones to drain bacon and use the Viva for when we have colds (they are so soft on your nose). Instead I have those shop towels from Sam's or Walmart.

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I doubt I can add anything new to the conversation, but I thought I'd add my own thoughts and routines.

- I currently soap every other day, so when I'm done with my soap dishes I let them sit out overnight. In the morning they've become soap which is so much easier to clean up than the oily unsaponified batter, IMHO. I rinse them well in super hot water, give them a quick scrub if needed and then I dishwash them. If you add some citric acid to your dishwasher detergent, it will cut down on that nasty soap scum that can form on your soap dishes.

- Anytime a container has had just lye in it without the oils, I always place it right in the sink and fill it with 1/2 white vinegar, 1/2 warm tap water. The way I see it is lye is used as a drain cleaner, so the little bit that might not have been neutralized by the vinegar is perfectly fine to be going down your drain.

- When it comes to colorants and fragrances, I always add a bit of the soap batter to them before they are added to the whole batter. I feel they will blend much easier this way. And sometimes depending on how a fragrance oils reacts, I may add it to the oils before the lye water. Either way, there is only trace amounts left over in the containers, and I feel (as others have said) that these amounts are so miniscule they wont cause environmental harm or plumbing issues.

- When I saw the topic title it made me think of this, so I wanted to share.... Before I figured out how to measure how much soap I need for a mold, I always had extra soap batter left over. What I did then, (and still do to this day) is pour the extra into empty paper towel rolls that I've sealed off at the bottom with cardboard and tape. The next day I unwrap it and I use these as my soap samples. Works perfectly.

Also I'm so impressed that the original poster makes 100 lbs of soap a day! That's wonderful! I hope I can get to that point with my business

Adding vinegar to wash water is a great idea! You guys are all so helpful, I'm so glad to be a part of this community!
I started my soap company with a goal: to be able to make money and support myself. Every day I'm working towards that goal. As Michael Gerber once said "Go work on your business, not in your business". I believe that everyone has the same opportunity as I do to make their craft profitable. I always listen to my customer's need and work for my customers, I think that's how I have become successful Plus, I give a lot of stuff out. For example, I've sent about 200lbs of soap to the victims of hurricane Sandy without expecting anything in return and got 3 wholesale accounts out of that situation

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

Ooh, you're using PVC for molds, and you can unmold the next day? I'd gotten the impression that they take awhile to harden. Now I'm interested in them again! I hope you post some photos of your soap, setup, etc..

I am unconcerned for my septic tank, as I was blissfully unaware I had one for 3 years (house was listed as having city sewer!) and did what I liked. The septic guys told me not to worry about using bleach or lye, as my septic tank gets a new dose of bacteria every day. I hope they're not wrong, but it has now been another 4 years.

I do wonder about fresh soap batter going down the drain, the lye getting diluted and unsaponified hard oils cooling and sticking to the pipes. I will sometimes let the pots sit until saponified, or I run the dishwasher right after soap cleanup to send plenty of hot water through the pipes.

Yeah, I usually unmold the next day, I guess I'm just impatient I'll try to post pictures once I move to a new place I'll be happy to share.

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

A healthy dose of Dawn in your handwashing dishwater helps keep those drains open too.
Stockinette: It comes already in a circle made of cotton like material. Perfect for pvc pipe. You can leave both ends open or tie a knot in one end. Just thread it thru and drape an end over the top of the pipe (like when you fold over your garbage bag in the waste basket). I think Walgreens will have it as they carry medical supplies.
I don't buy paper towels often as they are a great expense. I use the cheap ones to drain bacon and use the Viva for when we have colds (they are so soft on your nose). Instead I have those shop towels from Sam's or Walmart.

Yup, I just went to Walgreen's and got a bunch of stockinettes! Will try them out today.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I am wasting so many paper towels, I feel like a tree killing maniac.

I've been cracking up over this line for hours.
Signed,
A Fellow (Struggling to Reform) Tree Killing Maniac

 

[Koshka]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I am wasting so many paper towels, I feel like a tree killing maniac.

I've been cracking up over this line for hours.
Signed,
A Fellow (Struggling to Reform) Tree Killing Maniac

Shawnee, I no longer feel alone in this world. We should form a Tree-Killing Maniacs Anonymous group, cry on each others shoulders and wipe our tears with paper towels

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Re: How do you get rid of waste after making a batch of soap

I am wasting so many paper towels, I feel like a tree killing maniac.

I've been cracking up over this line for hours.
Signed,
A Fellow (Struggling to Reform) Tree Killing Maniac

Shawnee, I no longer feel alone in this world. We should form a Tree-Killing Maniacs Anonymous group, cry on each others shoulders and wipe our tears with paper towels

At TKMA (Tree-Killing-Maniacs-Anonymous) it is part of our honorable creed, in order to reform our murderous ways, to use reusable cotton wash cloths to dry our tears. Let the cotton seed murderers worry about their cotton crimes. We shall not judge. We have our own issues to deal with.