Teach Soap

Hi all! My daughter (she's 7) has become obsessed with wanting to make soap. She read a few books and I agreed to help her get started. Here's my problem -- she's seven! So, I want to keep my up front costs as minimal as possible in case she doesn't actually like it and stick with it. We got a complete kit at AC Moore (which I know won't be great quality, but with coupon it was an amazing deal -- 2 lbs of soap, plus molds, colors and fragrances for about $10); I have cooking spray, rubbing alchohol and extra spray bottles -- but when it comes to kitchen equipment I'm not sure what to do.

It seems to me that my mixing cup, silicon spatulas etc should be fine to use, wash well, and cook with again. But I'm not sure. Some resources say you need to have extras of everything just for soap-making; but when we're just talking a handful of soaps is that really going to be necessary? In the long term if she becomes a soap maker she can get her own molds and equipment but right now I'd rather not lay out any extra $$ if I don't have to.

What do you guys think? thanks!!

I completely get it, my 5 year olds want to help w/ soap ALL the time!

I think the paper cups idea is a great one. Another stirring idea I use is wooden craft sticks. They work great, and you can throw them out when you're done. If she stays interested and wants to keep making soap then thrift stores are a great place to buy old measuring cups, cookie cutters, etc.

I read in one book that you technically CAN use kitchen stuff for melt & pour soap and then use it for food IF it's either glass or metal. You just have to be very careful that you have washed and sanitized it completely (and even then there might be a film like Connie said). Everything else is porous and can't be used again for food.

Thanks! those are some great suggestions. I will do my best to scrounge up stuff for her to use, and I will definitely NOT use any plastic or silicon for soap that I want to keep in the kitchen.

Do you think it's as much of a problem with finished soap as it is with melted soap? For example, cutting soap into bars -- if I use my metal bench knife for that, would it probably clean up fine?

Besides thrift stores, dollar stores (Dollar Tree) are a great place to get some things.

Cutting the batch with a stainless knife will be fine. Just rinse off well and you can use it for food again.

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

Another good tip if you plan to use something for food after soap use - hand wash it, and then run it through the dishwasher. Make sure that ALL the soap residue is off the kitchen tool before putting it in your dishwasher otherwise you'll have a sudsy soapy overflow!

How about glass? I have a big pyrex batterbowl that I'd like to use for melting soap, but we also use it for .... batter. LOL!

You can use it. Just be sure to wash well when you're done by hand, and then a trip through the dishwasher before you use it again for food.

thanks for all the suggestions. I hadn't thought of dollar stores -- I've been in Family Dollar and it was actually not cheap, but I think Dollar Tree has opened around here recently. I'll check them out!

Hopefully I can get her going this weekend -- she's determined to make shaving soap for her dad's birthday and that's just a week away!