Teach Soap

I'm getting ready to make my first soap batch tonight. Got the stainless steel pot, digital scale, gloves, goggles, etc. Now I'm thinking, what if I spill lye or new soap? I'll have rags, newspaper, vinegar. But then I realize, you aren't to use vinegar on granite counters. Anyone suggestions or am I worrying too much? (I'm being cautious with the lye & just trying to think ahead.)

_________________
Everyday I wake up is a good day!

Have a big bottle of water handy. Do you have any plastic you can cover the counters with? If not, you can get a cheap plastic painter's cloth at any hardware store.

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

Mix your lye in the sink and leave it there until you're ready to add it to the oils. This way if it does get spilled, it won't hurt anything andyour drains will get cleaned at the same time.
If you do get raw soap on your counter, wipe it up with a paper towel (wearing gloves!) and then rinse the area with water. You should be fine as long as the soap doesn't sit there for a long time.

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

_________________
***************
Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

Just finished my first batch successfully! I laid down newspaper on the counter and remembered I had an old mattress protector/sheet (about 4'x5') and laid that over the newspaper. Mixed the lye in the sink (& glad I read about measuring/mixing lye and static). Went slow mixing the lye water (I partially froze the water 1st) and took my time. Worst part is I don't have a stick blender...yet. It took 1 hour to come to trace, but I got a good workout & was able to see what false trace looked like. Learned how some FO's (the cheap one) can cause soap to seize while some don't (the better quality). Soap is in the molds, wrapped in blankets & hoping it gels. It's exciting! But maybe it's 'cause it's my first batch.

_________________
Everyday I wake up is a good day!

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Congrats on your first batch! Keep us updated on unmolding and cutting....and maybe even pics!

_________________
Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Thanks for so much advice and encouragement! I appreciate it! Soap is unmolded. I divided it into two and used color liquid (crafters choice) and two different FO. The batch that seized I put in a cardboard box mold lined with parchment so it came out good...looks interesting because of how the color mixed in it when it seized. (I added the FO then the color and it started seizing before I added the color.) It's somewhat soft. The other half I was able to pour into a plastic mold and as of this morning was still too soft to release from the mold so I put it in the fridge for a couple hours and it released from the mold. Tonight it feels soft so I think it's just a matter of the butters/oils I used. If anyone is interested, here was the recipe I used...it gave a hardness of 42.6, cleansing 16.9, conditioning 54.2, bubbly 24.4, creamy 33.2, iodine 54.5 & INS 154.
Recipe: 2 oz each Castor Oil, Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter, 4 oz Palm Oil, 6 oz Coconut Oil and 8 oz Olive Oil pommace. (for reference purposes I used 3.6 oz lye and 8 oz water...I ran it through 4 diff calculators to be safe.)

I'm excited to try my next batch!

_________________
Everyday I wake up is a good day!

Congrats on your batch! Make sure that the soap that has seized has no lye pockets. I would check for zap.

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

Here are some pics. I think they're developing ash; at least there is a white/grey haze on the surface of that which was in the mold. not so much on that which was in the block mold that I cut (The batch that seized). I admit I probably didn't wait long enough for the lye to cool down. This is also my first time using photobucket - so another first for me!
http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 7.jpg.html
http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 5.jpg.html
http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 3.jpg.html
http://s1288.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 1.jpg.html

_________________
Everyday I wake up is a good day!

Congrats on your first batch. I tried to click the links and was not directed to your photo(s). Doesn't seem to be working. You might try doing this instead. Go to your library. You will see what looks like a gear in the upper right corner. Put your cursor over that gear and you will see a list pop up. From that list click on "Get Media Links". Another list will pop up on your screen. Look at the very last one that says IMG code. It will start with [IMG]. Click on that and it will say "copied". Now come back to this message and in your reply box right click your mouse and click on paste. The code will paste into your message. You can preview your message to see if the image appears. If it does then hit the submit button.

_________________
Lisa
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul” ~ Yiddish proverb

Hi Lisa, I figured that out about the photos about the same time you did. I was able to edit the post and I think the new links work.

_________________
Everyday I wake up is a good day!

Yes, they work now. The soap looks good. Don't worry about ash. It's no big deal and won't hurt you or the soap. If you want you can wash it off or some say you can "polish" the soap with alcohol and a clean pantyhose. Some even recommend taking the pantyhose off first (Coolah!). I still crack up at that post!!

_________________
Lisa
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul” ~ Yiddish proverb

Uh. Who said you can't use vinegar on granite counters? I do, all the time, and there's nothing wrong with my counters.

Your soap looks great! I agree with Irena. Make sure you zap test the batch that seized. As for the soda ash, it's no big deal. My soaps have been getting a lot of that lately cause my soap room was an addition to our house and the people who owned our house before us didnt extend the heat in there so my soap cools really fast even if I insulate. I just wash them under some cool water and use panty hose to scrub it off. Washing your soap off also gives it a nice shine and a smoother, cleaner look. It doesn't hurt my swirls at all.