My First Attempt...

[Badger]

It was my weekend plan to make soap, then I found my dead scale :-( I will make laundry soap tomorrow most likely and bemoan the fact that I don't have a scale to make soap NOW! lol I will have to wait til a new scale arrives.

 

[three_little_fishes]

Awww man! I hate that it didn't work out this time. Can't wait to see your next batch though! You'll get it!

 

[Badger]

Do you have hard water? If so add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of borax to your laundry formula, it really helps soften the water. Excited to see what you do next, isn't it your weekend plan to make soap? Shannon made a great point about making sure you're using Noah in soap calc so double check and let us know what you do next!

To answer the question about the water, most likely. I have not tested it. I also did check soap calc and I was using NaOH. Thank you for double checking that It would be annoying if I did that and kept making the same mistake. When my scale comes in, I might try the same recipe again, just with better measurements as I will hopefully not have a scale that is inaccurate.

 

[TeriDk]

Yep, sounds like it's a bit lye heavy.
I have a reverse osmosis filtration system for my tap and I am still leary of using it. I will when we run out of drinking water (I never drink from the tap, we always buy from a windmill that is filtered pure water) but otherwise I will soap with the drinking water, because our tap water is so hard.

Read that you can use water from a reverse osmosis but haven't tried it yet. Maybe all is not lost. You could try to rebatch it. Shred the soap, heat it with additional oil and maybe a bit of distilled water. You can search rebatching soap to find more info. Hope this helps.

 

[Maythorn]

I wonder if there was enough water with too many hard oils. Laundry soaps sounds like a great idea so it's not wasted.

 

[AngelMomma]

Badger I'm sorry it didn't go how you wanted it for your first try I hope it goes better for your next try!!!

 

[Smee]

Ah, just d***, Badger. It's discouraging when your first batch doesn't come out fabulous.
BUT! You did it! And the lye didn't eat a hole through the floor or anything awful!
And I don't want to be telling tales out of school here, but truth be told,
I've got a whole BOX full of "make this into laundry soap" soap :mrgreen:
I'd be willing to bet I'm not the only one, either! :clap:

 

[Badger]

*grins* Well, I get to make laundry soap which was also on my list of things I wanted to make, so I am not upset. I will be happier when I have a scale again though ;-)

 

[AngelMomma]

And at least you didn't spill 3 cups of fresh soap batter down the front of the cupboard and onto the floor......AND onto your legs and feet! Oh my word! I 'think' I MAY know someone who did that And a word of warning after you have soaped for awhile and you have lard containers with the little removable handle. Ya, don't hold the bucket by the handle when it has fresh soap batter in the bucket.

 

[Badger]

D'oh! That sounds like quite the disaster there! I will be sure to remember your sage advice

 

[Smee]

FWIW, Angelmomma, when that bucket with a handle is still full of lard, it
makes a most satisfying PLOP when it hits the floor.
/just sayin'....:mrgreen:

 

[AngelMomma]

D'oh! That sounds like quite the disaster there! I will be sure to remember your sage advice

Truely the worst part was having my kid come home from school and say that it looked like I was surrounded by diarrhea! LOL! It was a coffee/chocolate soap, hahahaha! :evil:

 

[Badger]

OMGs, I can only imagine what it looked like! I am glad you can laugh about it though, much better then being upset about it, although I bet you were pretty frustrated at the time!

 

[AngelMomma]

Pretty decent adreneline rush for sure. But I was NOT 'surrounded' like she made it sound. SMH! Jr. High kids sure know how to make things sound the grossest possible, right?


But I WAS embarassed by my careless mistake for sure.

 

[Ruthie]

And at least you didn't spill 3 cups of fresh soap batter down the front of the cupboard and onto the floor......AND onto your legs and feet! Oh my word! I 'think' I MAY know someone who did that And a word of warning after you have soaped for awhile and you have lard containers with the little removable handle. Ya, don't hold the bucket by the handle when it has fresh soap batter in the bucket.

You should not be talking about me, Angel Momma! LOL! Once DH's nearly grown son was visiting and I was making soap. He was talking (one of his best talents!) and I ended up doing this very thing. I should have sent him in the other room BEFORE I spilled, not after the damage was done!

 

[cliff]

Sorry to hear about your first CP batch not turning out well. I know you've been looking forward to it for a while. Like someone else said, you can only get better.

Don't be discouraged. I'm sure your next batch will turn out fine and then once you are able to actually use a soap that you made yourself it makes it all worth it.