How often can one person wash in a day?

[Cookie]

Or to put it another way, what do you do with all your soap? I've only just started soap making, am totally addicted already, and already have more bars than I can use in a month of Sunday's!

I have a soap buddy who I plan to swap soap with while in the early stages. And some friends and family who will be happy to be guinea pigs. But that still leaves me with heaps of soap.........

I read somewhere here that it's best not to make too small a recipe when you're starting out because it can make any problem you have worse.

What's considered too small a recipe? I just ordered a silicone loaf mould from Aussie Soap Supplies which is for 1.4 kilos. I've been using a long skinny wooden mould so far and it feels a bit tricky to play with colour and make swirls in.

I sacrificed myself for my new obsession and ate a can of Pringles so I can use that for a mould :shh:

Suppose I can start washing the cats....hahaha

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I somehow try to control my obsession and production.
I get busy with other stuff and that kind of helps a bit. I don't go to SMF or youtube or soap-making blogs regularly.
I also made a habit of making more soap when soap stash gets smaller or if I know I will be busy with studies etc for few months, otherwise I sometimes go for months without making a batch. I give out some to friends and family, but not many.
As for the mould, I have same one, since the beginning of my soap making and size never caused problems. If case any of your ingredients are not measured properly, you get a false trace, you put in way too much something that will heat it up, you use naughty FO, etc, size of the mould won't matter, it will most likely fail anyway.

 

[Cindy2428]

The storage dilemma... I started with a ventilated linen closet; didn't last long. Then I took over the kitchen table; ran out of room there as well. I slowly filled the garage, living room and hallway with soapy supplies. My very supportive husband was starting to get cranky. We were blessed with some Christmas funds from his Mom and Dad and have been remodeling our basement since the week of Christmas.

I keep at least one bar from each batch to use as a control bar to monitor for weight, DOS, EO/FO changes, but yes Cookie you will have lots of soap to store. I've read here about people using shoe boxes they have modified for ventilation. I'm looking at stackable curing racks which can be placed on a moving dolly from www.soapequipment.com Small footprint - 31"x16" and each rack will hold almost 100 bars. I look forward to hearing about your solution, Cindy

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Oh yes, I forgot about the storage. Depending on where in Sydney you are, I would keep them somewhere really airy and without covers, etc.
My parents live on Northern Beaches and humidity there is horrendous at this time of the year.
I have a little storage room with bookshelves and my supplies barely occupy one shelf. I keep all the FOs, soda, colours, oils etc in Ikea tubs, those smaller ones that fit in kids storage. They were perfect size for my bookshelf. On the top of my bookshelves are soaps. I cure them on cookie racks and those storage organising racks you can find in $2, so it's kind of on 2 levels but there's plenty of airing in between.
Some of the stuff is in husband's shed, like moulds, etc, but not many. I am thinking of moving them inside since I got bitten by a redback last time I went to get them.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

A 500gram batch is probably better than a 1400gram batch, especially for testing. 500grams should yield about 10 bars depending on how you cut, which is enough to play with but not so much that they cause a backlog.

500g is also more than big enough for taking measuring issues/sap averages in to account.

Until you are totally settled on a recipe, I'd steer clear of the 1.4kg mould unless you can actually stop making soap until you have more room free

 

[Cookie]

Thanks for the feedback.......maybe I need a 500g mould, I have a square Pyrex dish that would work I think. As long as I line it and allow extra to provide a kind of handle to pull the soap out I guess that would be ok.

I got a couple of organising racks from the Reject Shop yesterday and they should work well. At the moment the soap I've made is curing in them on top of the washing machine but it's not at all practical. I have a drop sided table in the garage that should be fine for curing, just have to reorganise things a bit better. If I start to get too much there I'll have to slow down......boo hoo....,:sad:

Once they've finished curing what's the best way to store them? Do they still need to be ventilated? I will make sure to keep a couple from each batch as control bars.

Yikes....a redback, that's no joke, I'd be moving the moulds soon :shock:

Hope your basement remodel is smooth and gives you the space you want, sounds great

This better be the last craft I get obsessed with.....I have patchwork and quilting, knitting, crochet, cross stitch and card making.............:shifty:

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I cure mine in open shoe boxes, spaced to allow air flow, then after 4 weeks I pop the lid on. With my recipes it doesn't cause any issues (so far!) and allows me to stack the cured soaps up.

At the moment, this is fine, but I will be making a curing and storing frame in the near future.

 

[Cookie]

Good to know, that doesn't take up so much room, thanks.

 

[Susie]

I live in a high humidity area, so I keep my soap well ventilated at all times. I had one bar grow mildew when I tried storing it in a plastic tub with a lid. Lesson learned. I found a couple of plastic trays with ventilated bottoms to move my soap to after it is cured. They fit nicely on a shelf in the spare room. I just lay some tulle over the top to keep dust off.

But the best way to not have to store all that is to control the amount you make. I am with Craig in that you don't need to make more than 500g at the time.

 

[Cookie]

We have high humidity here too so I'll keep that in mind Susie. One good thing, it's cheaper to make smaller batches! And I certainly do need to try a few different recipes before I make any big batches. It's a good thing that the set up and clean up takes so long (I use my kitchen) because otherwise I'd be wanting to soap once a week.

 

[new12soap]

500g is a little over one pound (and will yield 4 full size bars), IMO that is too small. I recommend starting with 1.5 to 2lb of oils. 1.5k is 3.3 pounds and yep, too big.

Once your bars are cured and you are satisfied with the quality, you can donate them to a church group, homeless shelter, etc.

 

[Cookie]

Thanks for the feedback, and that's a great idea

I have been creating a barrier in my long skinny mold and making a loaf about 2 pounds. Maybe I'll keep doing that when the silicone mold arrives.

 

[Jstar]

I use my 1/2 lb molds while testing new things, or don't need alot of soap at once..only break out the big one when I need alot or running low {rigggghhhttt..running low...ha!}

I cure mine on open air cardboard in a 'fallen domino' pattern and flip them weekly until 4-6 weeks then into a open tote they go..I get the stackable ones if I can find them so no need for lids, they are covered by the topmost tote, but still get plenty of air.

It's almost time for me to start planning my separate soaping room...wont be putting indoor walls..instead Im going to leave the spaces in between the frame walls to make shelves...and its all the way to the ceiling on 4 sides babay hehehehe

I've just heard that at Lowe's they have 66 gallon totes for $6.88 each.....I'll be making 'yet another' trip to Lowe's

 

[Cookie]

Hahaha, I can so see that soaping room it sounds fantastic :clap:
Sounds like your addiction to soaping is too far gone for any help :wink:
The organising trays I bought aren't stackable but I can cut pieces of cardboard box big enough to make a lid so I can stack them. They'll still be ventilated on three sides so hopefully that should be ok, I'll just keep an eye on them. It'll have to be in the garage, when I can't put the car in I'll know it's time to stop!

 

[Rowan]

Don't worry, once every thing is cured you start giving out sample bars to friends and family for feedback. That cuts down supplies dramatically! The trouble is it kind of back fired on me. Everyone came back for more and they happily cleared out virtually everything.

I actually felt quite sad for a bit. Where were all the soaps I lovingly crafted, sniffed and fondled daily (that definitely sounds wrong, but my brain is too tired to think of other words!). But every cloud has a silver lining, I now have an excuse to make more.

 

[SpringLily16]

Hey Cookie,

Take 2 or 3 bars of different scented soap into the shower at a time like I do....you'll use them up in no time.

 

[Jstar]

Sounds like your addiction to soaping is too far gone for any help

Oh yes.I passed that bridge a loooonnngggg time ago..I'm hopeless now

Don't worry, once every thing is cured you start giving out sample bars to friends and family for feedback. That cuts down supplies dramatically! The trouble is it kind of back fired on me. Everyone came back for more and they happily cleared out virtually everything.
.

Heh, wait till you get to the point that you are trying to give them away and nobody wants any because they haven't ran out yet {learned from experience}

Hey Cookie,

Take 2 or 3 bars of different scented soap into the shower at a time like I do....you'll use them up in no time.

That's what I do too! I have no less than 4 bars in my shower at any one time..one must test you know

 

[Cookie]

I actually felt quite sad for a bit. Where were all the soaps I lovingly crafted, sniffed and fondled daily (that definitely sounds wrong, but my brain is too tired to think of other words!). But every cloud has a silver lining, I now have an excuse to make more.

Totally understand what you're saying, I've just started and already feel attached to my soap....nothin' weird about that right? :wink:

Several different bars of scented soap in the shower at one time.....that sounds decadent. Can't wait till I have enough batches made and cured to qualify. You guys are funny
:wave:

 

[lenarenee]

Don't worry, every soaper quickly develops the skills and imagination it takes to deal with copious amounts of soap. Just fill your need to make soap...and let nature take its course!

Btw...I love your kitty!

 

[Cookie]

Thanks for the go ahead to soap, soap, soap lenarenee :wave: