Teach Soap

A friend of mine has asked me to teach him some basic soapmaking. He'll be opening a B&B later this year, and would like to provide handmade soaps to his guests. I've agreed to help him out with the learning process. He asked me today if he could use glass molds, made from the bottom of a wine bottle. I know candles can be made with wine bottles, so the temperature range should be okay for the raw soap. I just don't know if you could ever get the soap out. Maybe coating it with mineral oil? Any other ideas?

I wouldn't think a glass mold would work. The only think I can think of would be those postal tube liners that I have seen some people use. They are essentially a plastic bag that is tubular in shape, but I would think they'd bunch up and make a lot of wrinkles in the finished soap. Why does he want to use glass? There are so many better options that would still be inexpensive. If his B&B is going with a wine theme and that's why I would encourage him to use a more appropriate mold and have a custom soap stamp made instead the end product will be much nicer and more personalized.

With glass, you won't be able to get the soap out. I would go with plastic or silicone.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Probably very few people have used glass molds, for good reason. The temperature probably wouldn't be an issue, but lye is corrosive. Even on glass, yes. If the glass corrodes even a little bit, you might get tiny shards in your soaps. It's a Very Bad Idea.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.