Hi, I’m cleaning out my laundry detergent bottle. I think it’s clean, then it seems there is always more in there. Any tips for cleaning out the bottle?
Woulda,Coulda,Shoulda Nightmare! Wrong Stuff?
- Thread starter Shirley-D
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Hi @Georgeandstella. There is no trick to it, just rinse, rinse, rinse, till there are no more bubbles. Wish my soap was that bubbly
@Shirley-D I’m sorry you had so much trouble with your first batch, but the next soaps look great. I put your original recipe through the calculator and it looks fine to me. GW415 is less expensive, but you would need to use 2x as much to achieve the same “longevity” without adding a butter or palm. That’s because the combined percentage of palmitic + stearic is about 44% in GW415 (my calculation) versus 98% in the fully hydrogenated soywax. I have not worked with fully hydrogenated soy wax, but I can’t think of a reason why using it should be a problem as long as your fats are fully melted and you keep the working temp on the warmer side.
When I use GW415 I’m usually also adding shea or cocoa butter to get the longevity number up without adding >25% GW415. The 25% limit is based on something I read early on about a higher percentage resulting in slightly waxy feeling soap. To avoid false trace in my recipes, I like to have the oils at around 120-125F when I add my slightly warm lye. The temperature initally goes down to ~110-115F before it starts to go up again and the batter stays fluid enough to swirl as long as I watch the trace closely and use a friendly FO. This is with sugar or sorbitol added, 40% lye concentration, and longevity of 29-30 for otherwise normal looking recipes. I use a heating pad to ensure that my soaps gel.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
When I use GW415 I’m usually also adding shea or cocoa butter to get the longevity number up without adding >25% GW415. The 25% limit is based on something I read early on about a higher percentage resulting in slightly waxy feeling soap. To avoid false trace in my recipes, I like to have the oils at around 120-125F when I add my slightly warm lye. The temperature initally goes down to ~110-115F before it starts to go up again and the batter stays fluid enough to swirl as long as I watch the trace closely and use a friendly FO. This is with sugar or sorbitol added, 40% lye concentration, and longevity of 29-30 for otherwise normal looking recipes. I use a heating pad to ensure that my soaps gel.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Hi Mobjack, I wrote about this experience about a year ago, so this thread is a trip down memory lane. I have come a long way in my soaping since then. And yet I learned something from your post. Thank you! I had not been able to do good swirls with my GW415, mostly because I didn't try. Seems there was not enough time before it was too thick. So, if I watch my temperatures carefully I should be able to give this a go. Recently I used Citrus Shower FO from Fragrance buddy and it really slowed trace and I was thinking...Hmmm, I should try some swirls next time.
Oh, and I (and all the other soapers) will always be grateful that you figured out the more accurate info on GW415 for the lye calculator.
PS there is a ton of great advice in this thread for newbies, well worth reading again.
Sorry, can't seem to separate what I wrote form the quote above
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Yes, I rinse, rinse rinse and then there are more bubbles. I will rinse some more!Hi @Georgeandstella. There is no trick to it, just rinse, rinse, rinse, till there are no more bubbles. Wish my soap was that bubbly
Oh gosh, I need better glasses! I’m happy to hear that GW415 is working out for you.Hi Mobjack, I wrote about this experience about a year ago, so this thread is a trip down memory lane. I have come a long way in my soaping since then. And yet I learned something from your post. Thank you! I had not been able to do good swirls with my GW415, mostly because I didn't try. Seems there was not enough time before it was too thick. So, if I watch my temperatures carefully I should be able to give this a go. Recently I used Citrus Shower FO from Fragrance buddy and it really slowed trace and I was thinking...Hmmm, I should try some swirls next time.
Oh, and I (and all the other soapers) will always be grateful that you figured out the more accurate info on GW415 for the lye calculator.
PS there is a ton of great advice in this thread for newbies, well worth reading again.
Sorry, can't seem to separate what I wrote form the quote above
Don't forget the outside of the spout area, scrub that bit with an old toothbrush. Now that I think of it, once the lye is in the jug don't add any more lye solution. I tried to put two batches in, one after another. The second batch heated up the first batch that was already hot, and it made a hairline crack in the seam of the jug. Good thing I had something under it to catch the leak. So, mix it in a stainless steel pot, let it cool down then pour, and keep a big basin under the jug just in case. I don't think the detergent jug was made for hot solutions. Even though it is PP, it has seams that are a weak point. Wear goggles and gloves, no kids or pets around, do it in the sink, have good ventilation, protect your surfaces--I use big lawn and leaf bags. Master batching lye is not for wimps but so worth it.
ETA: Label it as LYE on all sides of the container. Make sure kids or house guests can't get at it. I store mine in a huge stainless bowl that would hold everything if the container leaked.
Thank you! I hadn’t thought about the spout. I have white floaties in my master batch. Could this be left over laundry detergent or just lye floaters? I tried to strain them out of the lye solution as I poured it out but the solution wouldn’t go through the strainer, it just sat on top of the strainer (too tight mesh?)
Also thank you the warning about topping up the lye master batch (I was planning on doing this). To clarify, if you add a cooled lye batch to the batch in the container it will heat the batch? Thank you
Yes, it will heat up again! The floaties are probably lye lint. I shake them back into the mix. Have you tried a search on Lye lint? To take a dive into master batching it might be best to start a new thread. It will help other people find the information. Otherwise it is buried in this old thread.
Happy Soaping!
Try this link
Paging the experts
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Thank you!!Yes, it will heat up again! The floaties are probably lye lint. I shake them back into the mix. Have you tried a search on Lye lint? To take a dive into master batching it might be best to start a new thread. It will help other people find the information. Otherwise it is buried in this old thread.
Happy Soaping!
Try this link
Paging the experts
