# My Soaping Experience



## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

I just made soap for the first time. I made a goat milk with lavender EO. I used the Walmart recipe and had to substitute Saff-flower oil for Sunflower as I could not find Sunflower oil anywhere locally or at our Walmart. I used frozen goat milk for my liquid which I nuked a little to make it have some liquid to start off with. I used granulated lye that I had purchased along with another local soaper. There was a few large pieces of lye and these did not disolve that I kept them out of the oils. Anyone else had this experience?

Anyway, the soap made trace and I poured them into the round molds that Sheryl gave the idea for. I finally figured out (after reading Sheryl's post again) how to make the soap come out with a plastic bag wadded up inside. (Thanks Sheryl). I had sprayed the molds with Pam spray but will use more next time. I cut them up in 1/2 bars.

How long will the curing time be?

I have stacked them alternately in a clean bucket and thought I would try putting a small fan on them for air circulation and rotating them daily as I didn't have a curing rack ready for them. I have a place in my garage to cure them but the barn kitchen gets too dusty with the animals coming in the adjacent milk room. Any suggestions on this? What kind of climate control is needed for soap?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Congrats on your soap! I cure about 3 weeks. I stand them on end, on plastic shelving that is in a spare bedroom. Works for me. I don't use a fan, but it isn't hot and humid here, either.

I don't often get the lye clumps, but I stick blend the lye/milk mixture just to be safe. Some also strain the mixture before adding to the oils.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

That's good to know about that some strain their milk lye mixture. 

The only real problem I had with the molds is that I found it difficult to pour the soap into the molds. Also I got a few air bubbles - any suggestion here?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

When you say "round molds", do you mean pvc pipe? 

And the air bubbles, you mean you got them when you poured or when you were stirring or stickblending. If stickblending, you just need to be careful not to lift it out of the soap when blending. Or if stirring, stir slower, don't whip it.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes - pvc pipe molds.... The bubbles were from pouring the soap into the molds. I had to spoon it into the molds - I really couldn't pour it from the 2 gallon bucket. 

Good tip though on stirring slower and not lifting the stick blender.


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

When I pour soap into my pvc mold I use a canning funnel because it has a bigger diameter than the pipe. Be sure to pour the soap into the mold BEFORE you hit heavy trace (when the batter is like runny gravy and not like custard) and then with saran over the mouth of the mold bang it onto the floor a few times to release air bubbles. Oh, the real secret to easier release is using mineral oil, which will not saponify like other oils will.

Great job on your soap!!!
Linda


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Yes, I use a canning funnel, too. Works great.


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

Tim - how did you cut your soaps? Long wise or across? I have seen the pvc soaps cut long wise sometimes and they turn out nice!

Just wondering......


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

I cut them to be circular bars. 

What does people do with left over end pieces and other fragments of left over soap?


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I sell the ends bundled together as soap stacks cheaper than full bars. I sell all I take to shows. Not sure what fragments of left over soap would be.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

Could they be melted down and remolded?


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

That would be rebatching. You can grate or chop up into small pices and put in a crockpot and melt and mold. Add a tiny bit of liquid ( I use milk) Won't be pretty usually but it will be soap. If I have a batch seize on me before I can get it into a mold, I stick the stockpot on the hotplate and melt it down and then pour it into a mold. I love to use hot process soap. It just seems milder to me but I cannot make pretty rebatched soap or HP soap.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Or shred it and add to your next batch. Or shred it and use it for laundry soap.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

I use a potato peeler and a small knife to cut them into interesting pieces of confetti. I add these colored confetti pieces to new batches. It's an artistic thing. Search confetti soap on the net. The freezer is your friend when it comes to PVC pipe molds. Put them in the freezer for a couple hours and they slide out easily. I never spray my mold with anything.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I tried CP soap for laundry and ruined my laundry. We have super hard water and everything turned a lovely gray even using borax and washing soda with the ground up soap. Just be aware that it may not be the best use of it.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

adillenal said:


> I tried CP soap for laundry and ruined my laundry. We have super hard water and everything turned a lovely gray even using borax and washing soda with the ground up soap. Just be aware that it may not be the best use of it.


Really!?! Wow, that stinks. We have hard water, but our hot water line is hooked up to a water conditioner. Maybe that's enough to make the difference.

How long or how many washings before they turned grey?


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

It wasn't instant. I think it took a couple of weeks before it was real obvious on the items that had been washed several times. Dh was not happy with all of the gray T-shirts and underwear and socks. Ended my laundry soap business. :/ Everything that was colored was real dingy and dull looking. Not sure what I did wrong but decided to keep buying Arm and Hammer Laundry Detergent.

Our water is so hard it eats through plumbing fittings.


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