Poll: Which of the following is your least favorite when soaping?

[LunaSkye]

I rather stop a semi-apocalyptic soaping disaster than face the aftermath of dishes. :neutral:

 

[Consuela]

First I wipe clean the soapy utensils and bowls with the kitchen towel so raw soap doesn't go into the septic tank, then fill the bowl with hot soapy water to wash the scent off of everything before popping it all into the dishwasher; lastly I wipe the counters with homemade vinegar cleaner... does a great job.

Any problems with putting soaping things in your dishwasher? I was using my dishwasher too at first, but hubby threw in one of my measuring cups with beeswax (there wasn't much either) - essentially screwed up the dishwasher after that. So after we bought a new one, I stopped using it. (Even though it was probably just the beeswax! Though I couldn't be sure, because I'd been using the dishwasher steady, I thought it could also be buildup and was too scared to risk it again haha.

But we just moved, and our place has a brand new dishwasher - (we've been without one for 2 years So I've gotten used to doing cleanup by hand). I am SOOO tempted to start using the dishwasher - but the last thing I want to do is be responsible for the nice shiny kitchenware having any sort of issue related to my not wanting to wash soap dishes by hand! LOL

 

[lenarenee]

Consuela, I did that once. I wiped off as much excess soap batter as possible, rinsed, then put the plastic bowls in the dishwasher with normal daily dishes. Everything came out covered in a white dusty residue that had to be hand washed to remove it.

Never did that again.

 

[Lbrown123]

Beeswax is the worst! I did the thing where you stir melt and pour in the cups but it still left some around the top of the rim. It helped a lot! I used SOS pad for the rest.

 

[goji_fries]

I rather stop a semi-apocalyptic soaping disaster than face the aftermath of dishes. :neutral:

The mountain of dishes afterward is truly evil

 

[SplendorSoaps]

I don't mind the dishes so much. Lining the mold is definitely my least favorite part. I use tape to secure the parchment paper to the mold, and it never wants to stick to the freezer paper!

 

[sagehill]

Any problems with putting soaping things in your dishwasher? hubby threw in one of my measuring cups with beeswax (there wasn't much either) - essentially screwed up the dishwasher after that.

So true, I never put anything with beeswax in the dishwasher, or clothes washer, or the bathtub for that matter, lol. When I work with beeswax in balms etc, I use soaping pans and utensils for the project, then make soap afterward. Soaping cleans up beeswax nicely. On the other hand, I'm not a candlemaker, so don't use it a lot.

Everything came out covered in a white dusty residue that had to be hand washed to remove it.

Did you rinse with plain water before stacking in the DW, or hot soapy water? After wiping off as much soap as I can with the towel, I fill the wiped-out bowl or pan with hot soapy water to wash everything very quickly, to remove excess scent and lye, then stack it all still soapy in the dishwasher and go. This cleanup takes me less than five minutes, excluding time to run the dishwasher.

I have not had any powdery residue, but then I have well water. Maybe that makes a difference?

I use tape to secure the parchment paper to the mold, and it never wants to stick to the freezer paper!

I'm confused... are you lining twice, once with PP and once with FP? Have you tried spraying Pam on PP to help FP to stick better?

 

[grumpy_owl]

It's not in the poll, but the part I hate most, even more than cleanup, is designing and printing out labels. I love packaging soaps--I put on a BBC drama, plug in the hot glue gun, and I'm set. But making sure the labels are right-side up, or have enough room for a hole punch and ribbon, or have all the proper information. Ugh ugh ugh. Office Depot should make me customer of the year just for how often I have to buy ink, paper and wire racks.

 

[evilnurse]

It's a tie between using the soap and waiting for supplies to ship

 

[Seawolfe]

I don't mind the dishes so much. Lining the mold is definitely my least favorite part. I use tape to secure the parchment paper to the mold, and it never wants to stick to the freezer paper!

Yeah tape doesnt stick to parchment - I use a rubber band or a loop of them to hold it down - like this:

 

[IrishLass]

It's not in the poll, but the part I hate most, even more than cleanup, is designing and printing out labels.

LOL That's actually one of the things I love doing best.


IrishLass

 

[Franne]

For me it's definitely the dishes!!! and MORE dishes! HA!

 

[newbie]

I have often left my soaping tools out for a few days (I have multiple bowls, spatulas etc.. dedicated to soaping so I'm not obligated to wash up immediately if I want to make more soap) until they are not zapping and then run them through the dishwasher. Helps if they're wiped off some. I have occasionally not wiped down well enough and had suds running out of the dishwasher and then every thing can kind of smell like the FO you used. If that happens, I run the rinse cycle again. I will say that the dishes come out super clean when I included batter bowls and molds!

 

[green soap]

My least favorite thing....you know when you are weighing the coconut oil and just realize you don't have enough? then open another 35 or 50 lb pail which requires a special too, where did I put that tool? in the meantime I better write down how much CO is in there, cause the scale will go blank any second and I'll lose my tare....:cry:

Dishes are no big deal since I only have two soaping silicone bowls (and silicon lye bowls) so I have to wash every two batches of soap. Maybe a pain but less of a dish pile up....I use also a silicone spatula, and there is almost no soap batter left to wash.

Lining is not needed anymore since all my molds are silicone. Labels are still a pain in the a$% but I am dealing with them better (lots of practice).

 

[Lbrown123]

Seawolfe I found that 33m electrical tape works great. Get the Scotch brand.

 

[Susie]

Any problems with putting soaping things in your dishwasher? I was using my dishwasher too at first, but hubby threw in one of my measuring cups with beeswax (there wasn't much either) - essentially screwed up the dishwasher after that. So after we bought a new one, I stopped using it. (Even though it was probably just the beeswax! Though I couldn't be sure, because I'd been using the dishwasher steady, I thought it could also be buildup and was too scared to risk it again haha.

But we just moved, and our place has a brand new dishwasher - (we've been without one for 2 years So I've gotten used to doing cleanup by hand). I am SOOO tempted to start using the dishwasher - but the last thing I want to do is be responsible for the nice shiny kitchenware having any sort of issue related to my not wanting to wash soap dishes by hand! LOL

I only use beeswax in lip balm and body butters. When I get done with pouring, I wipe with a paper towel. If the balm has hardened again, I warm it in the micro until it is wipe-able again. Then it goes right into the dishwasher.

 

[DWinMadison]

I use Newbie's method too. I just stick them either outside or in the garage until I'm ready to wash. That works great, and get the other dishes extra clean, unless you leave too much residue and it foams your DW. Otherwise, I use lots of disposables like plastic Solo cups and spoons and pitch them as I go. Since I prepackage my oils, I simply have to refill that container for the next batch and sick it in the cabinet...nothing to clean there.

 

[reinbeau]

Funny, I don't mind the clean up much.

First I wipe clean the soapy utensils and bowls with the kitchen towel so raw soap doesn't go into the septic tank, then fill the bowl with hot soapy water to wash the scent off of everything before popping it all into the dishwasher; lastly I wipe the counters with homemade vinegar cleaner... does a great job.

The towel full of raw soap gets thrown downstairs where it will cure in time for the next batch of laundry... cuts laundry detergent use, boosts its cleaning power, and makes my laundry smell great!

This is what I do too, basically, I use white cotton rags to wipe everything down. I don't worry about the counters and vinegar, I just wash them down, no problem. The rag goes down the chute into the laundry and I wash them up with the towel load - smells heavenly!

I don't know why anyone puts their soaping stuff into the dishwasher, I wash everything by hand the next day - no way I'd chance clogging up my dishwasher, and it will definitely do that. My friend who teaches soap making (and sells tons and tons of soap) had to replace two, count 'em, two, dishwashers because of soap clogs - she's got them side by side in her workroom. I guess I'm so used to hand washing I don't even think about it, but she's got lots more utensils to wash than I do.

Beeswax is the worst! I did the thing where you stir melt and pour in the cups but it still left some around the top of the rim. It helped a lot! I used SOS pad for the rest.

I have a dedicated little crockpot for beeswax, so I never wash it out, I measure the amount I need, melt it down, pour the melted wax right into the batch, then there's really no issue with the clean up. What doesn't come out hardens in there and remelts the next time I use it.

 

[Lbrown123]

I love that idea Reinbeau! I will pick up a small one. No more scrubbing!