What soapy thing have you done today?

[FlybyStardancer]

So I'm just wondering what stages everyone's at. I'm a curious little cat, I am.

For myself, I'm waiting for my most recent batch of bar soap to firm up (trying to give it 24 hours before I even touch it, since the soapcalc numbers put it just shy of the 'ideal' hardness range). In addition I fiddled around with the liquid soap I made yesterday (a good chunk of it didn't dissolved, and I was seeing if that was because there wasn't enough water to dilute it all... sure enough that was the problem so it was diluted and added to the bottle holding the rest of it).

And right now I have a tea going that will eventually be strained and frozen, to be used when I make my shampoo bar. Still need to get to my aunt's to pick her citrus trees... But at least I can have the liquid ready to go! I measured out 1/2 oz of dried marshmallow root, 1 1/2 cups water (both weighed to the gram), and then for kicks I tossed in one bag each of Bigelow's Chammomile Lemon and I Love Lemon teas. I'm going to be infusing both chamomile and lemon into the oils, and needed to use the teas anyways (and I don't drink tea). Win-win, right? I might not need all of the tea for the shampoo bar (I'll only be using about 500g oils after all), but at least I'll have it done.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I cleaned 200 and eleventy million soap utensils, pots, pans and bowls. I may have fudged the numbers there. I think there was more. Felt like it anyway . Cleaning up because the Mother-In-Law is coming to stay. She will be doing her not so subtle inspection. Kill. Me. Now.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Oh, I feel you! I've been having to clean too, though the friends coming over this weekend aren't the taskmasters that your MIL sounds like! And cleaning is my least-favorite thing... Heh

 

[ilovesoap2]

She will be doing her not so subtle inspection. Kill. Me. Now.

You could put her to work

 

[Seawolfe]

Cleaning up because the Mother-In-Law is coming to stay. She will be doing her not so subtle inspection. Kill. Me. Now.

Cleaning before she comes is very selfish of you! You are robbing her of her chance to feel superior and showing you how to do it right.
This worked on my ex MIL until she caught on...

Edit to add what soapy thing I've done today. I fondled my curing soaps, tracked my shipment from SMR and stalked the forum. Oh and.inspected the rosemary and orange peel oil infusions, checked on the orange peel & alcohol extraction experiments. Slow day, home sick.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I hope you feel better soon, Seawolfe! Being sick is no fun.

I just checked on the soap I made yesterday... Still pretty soft. This will probably be a two-day batch, or more. And I strained the tea. Lost about 3 oz to evaporation and rehydrating botanicals, but I still have more than I need for the shampoo bar. Will have to figure out what to do with the rest...

 

[jenneelk]

Did soap nuts tea... gross gross gross. Smell is awful. Lids been on the pot all day until I decide to deal with it. Sure hope it turns out good and soap is bubbly in the end. LOL

 

[wolfsnaps]

I am waiting for my second batch ever to harden...going on 48 hours. I can see how addicting this could be though.


when you wash stuff, don;t you just do it right away or is it better to wait?

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I am waiting for my second batch ever to harden...going on 48 hours. I can see how addicting this could be though.


when you wash stuff, don;t you just do it right away or is it better to wait?

It's a good addiction!

Nope to washing up straight away. Wipe off as much batter as possible then leave everything until it's saponified. Much easier to clean and better for your drains. Throw any rags in the wash after waiting too. Just don't wipe bulky bits up with rags. Use paper towel for that and toss em. I feel so Martha Stewartish right now.

 

[MzMolly65]

I cut a loaf into bars, stalked the forum and did the most important thing I could do with soap .. took a bath!!!

 

[Susie]

I have a 2lb batch of Lavender/Peppermint soap sitting on the counter wrapped in a towel going through gel phase. I am not fond of the scent, but my daughter requested it. I made both of us some lip balm also. Hers has peppermint EO in it.

I will probably get lots of flack for this, but this is how I clean up my soaping. I make sure my sinks are free of dishes that we eat out of and the dishwasher is also.

I pour about half a sink of really hot water with about a pint of vinegar added to it. I scrape every last gram I can get of soap out of my bowl, and off my SB, and off the spatula. I then wipe everything down with paper towels to remove all possible residue. Then they get rinsed with LOTS of HOT water at full force. Then into the vinegar sink they go. They get swished and washed thoroughly with a plastic scrubbing brush. All of this with gloves still on. Rinsed again, then run through the dishwasher.

I am making liquid soap when my new pH meter comes in, so I am going to do some testing of the vinegar water before and after washing my soaping stuff just to see.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I have a 2lb batch of Lavender/Peppermint soap sitting on the counter wrapped in a towel going through gel phase. I am not fond of the scent, but my daughter requested it. I made both of us some lip balm also. Hers has peppermint EO in it.

What does lavender and peppermint smell like together? I'm not a big fan of lavender, but I don't think I've ever smelled it mixed with mint, and I love mint. (I'm just in a bigger citrus kick right now. lol)

 

[Sagebrush]

Today, I made a rose clay and peppermint EO layer of what will be a two-layered soap bar (the other half will be oatmeal stout and cocoa powder). It's a perfect V-Day soap, but a little late. Oh, well.
I also bought some trays for the metal shelving unit my husband bought me for Christmas to store my curing soaps on.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I have cut up BB wasabi loaf and made WSP Verbena FO soap today. I used CM and calendula petals. I tried to color it with yellow but FO gave it a pretty lime green tinge which I really like. Whole house smells amazing but of course I can't cut until tomorrow.

 

[Susie]

What does lavender and peppermint smell like together? I'm not a big fan of lavender, but I don't think I've ever smelled it mixed with mint, and I love mint. (I'm just in a bigger citrus kick right now. lol)

I do not care for either scent, to be honest. But, she loves them. I used peppermint on a 2:1 ratio to the lavender. It smelled too "what the heck is that?" with a 1:1 ratio. This way it is peppermint with a hint of the lavender.

 

[Ruthie]

I delivered 5 bars. Does that count? It is a pretty big deal, since
1) this lady begs me for my shampoo bar and
2) I've been trying to get it to her for over a week but things keep getting in the way. Parent conferences at work, ice storms, sick hubby, etc.

 

[karenbeth]

I received some new supplies. Yay!!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Checked out activity on my facebook page and blog, trawled (hopefully not trolled!) the forum. Might well work out the recipe for the walnut oil soap and pumpkin seed oil soap.

 

[seven]

had a few batches of lavender soap which my mom requested for her friends. she was adamant that i put the buds inside the soap coz she likes it. i told her it wasnt a good idea, yet i complied. now i gotta deal with lotsa bars that has these disgusting drag marks that i gotta clean up! pissed!

other than that, got quite a few eos to try, a couple of new molds, and my single wire cutter has arrived. i have a lot of things to play with, yay!

oh, and a 100 piece guest soap order that i gotta finish in a week. thank god it's mp!

life is quite busy in my lil soapy kingdom

 

[shunt2011]

Unmolded my ice cream soap that I made on Monday along with some cupcake soaps. Had to work late so wasn't able to get any other soaping in.