# Loufa soaps



## Patty13637

OK got the loufa got the pvc and got the ingredients ...now what ? I think I have to soak the loufa s right ??/ do you grease the tubes ? How long do you let them sit before pooping them out ?


Thanks , Patty


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## NubianSoaps.com

Yes grease or spray your molds, or use freezer paper. Soak your loofa in hot water, let the water out and bang out the seeds really well, let the loofa drain while you get everything ready, you want them damp but not wet. Now put them into your PVC, some will slide right in others you have to squish them into themselves to get them in, no biggy either way. Now make your soap, non darkening soap or GM only near trace works best, otherwise it's so dark you can't see the loofa when you cut. Pour your soap at very light trace. Place a wash rag over the top of the PVC and bang it down or tape it with something on the side to settle the soap and get out the bubbles in the loofa sponges. Be careful the lid on the bottom will not hold the weight of the soap! I then put plastic wrap over the top of my tubes, which are in a 5 gallon bucket, I stuck towels amoungst the tubes and over it to insulate it. I don't even look at it for 36 hours. If they won't come out freeze them for about 20 minutes....let them set for another 12 hours...mine is a castile (all olive) so perhaps this is the reason I have to let mine set. Cut through them about 1 to 1.5 inches with a serated knife...my husband can just press through them with a regular knife, Ican't. While he cuts I mold the soap back over the places where the knife snags the loofa. Let set, the longer the cure the better with these. Mine are about 3 ounces when done and still sell for $5 eaisly. Vicki


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## Sondra

Vicki are you using a 7lb recipe for 3 pipes? or is there extra.


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## NubianSoaps.com

My 3 pipes hold more than the 7 pound recipe. I make a 14 pound recipe...I can't pour my 25 pound recipe into the PVC or martha molds, so I go down to 14. I fill the 3 pipes and then pour martha molds and penises with the extra. My loofa and my eucalyptus soaps are the same recipe, just different shapes. Vicki


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## Patty13637

How long are your pipes or loufa's ?


Thanks for the info


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## NubianSoaps.com

My pipes are 18 inches long and I buy 8 inch loofas. When you pour you will have to use your bamboo stick (I teach folks to swirl with them, sold in packets to make shish-ka-bob) because they want to float up with the soap. Vicki


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## GallopingGoats

I thought for just a brief second when I saw the p in pipe that she was going to ask how long something else was. Shannon


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## Patty13637

:crazy :rofl


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## NubianSoaps.com

:blush


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## Sheryl

penises :/ :blush2 did I miss something????

Sheryl


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## NubianSoaps.com

Yep 6 inch penis....showers, gag gifts, can't keep them on the shelves. I started a couple of months after starting to sell soap with a tattoo parlor, and just took off from there. I wrap them in the soap savers, and name them all sorts of cute things like...Slippery When Wet amongst other things Vicki


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## KUrby

Vicki has secret baskets..... :biggrin :blush :rofl
KK has seen them


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## Sheryl

OMG :rofl lol is there anyone in your area that ya don't sell too :rofl


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## NubianSoaps.com

I actually have many more out of state accounts than in state. Seems that Texas folks want California and New York products, and other states want Texas products. I never intended to do some of the stuff I do, but when asked "Sure I can do that"  Vicki


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## Guest

What is the longest luffa that one can use? I have some down stairs drying right now that are very long and big around.


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## Sondra

cut it with serated knife while dry so you can use it in a 18 in pvc pipe


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## Guest

Thanks, new to this area also. I would like to make this a business worth having. With the three does we have I could stagger thier breeding to have milk all year round.


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## Narrow Chance

Okay.. I'm game for something new.. so I tried the loufa sponge in the tube this weekend. 
I KNOW I did something wrong.. just don't know what.. cause it was almost impossible to get that darn thing out of that tube!!! 
It's funny now... but it wasn't then. Only consilation.. is I have wonderful louga soap. 
I greased the tube.. soaked the loufas.. while the lye was doing it's thing. 
Made sure I got all the water out of the loufa.. stacked 3 in my tube.. then figured the soap needed to be at light trace to get into all those nooks and crannies.
It went through gel really fast.. I let sit till next day.. as usual. 
Nope.. sucker wasn't coming out. was a little soft.. like you said Vicki..so I let set over the weekend.
Nope.. so.. in the freezer the tube went.. for a couple of hours.. nope.. still not budging.
I won't go into detail on the different things I used to get that stuff out with.. but lets just say we will be having a bean soup this week.
Anyway.. figured it didn't stay in the freezer long enough.. so left it overnight.. and most of the day.
Well.. it was froze now.. lol
Still could not get it out.. so.. grabbed it by the hair of it's head.. and hauled it to hubby's shop. 
Had to cut a large metal washer off some peices parts of hubbies.. hope he didn't need THAT.. :rofl
Put that tube in his vice.. and with a ballpin hammer and a metal pipe.. along with the large washer in the tube next to the soap.. it didn't have a choice. That was NOT easy.
Soooo.. 
Next time.. would it work if I placed freezer paper in the tube.. and let the loufa's sort of keep it's shape.. then when the soap is poured.. sort of making it go to the sides.. will that work? 
I know there had GOT to be an easier way!!!


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## KUrby

This is why I haven't made any yet. :/ First batch of soap I did in my MM mold. Just grease her down and it will come out.... NOT!! Man I banged on that thing.. but I got it out, but.. alot of trouble so I use the ugly trash bag liner.. I mineral oiled the heck out of that thing too! LOL
k


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## Guest

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble. I made loofa soap for the first time a few weeks ago. They were super easy to get out of the PVC. What did you grease your pipe with? I used mineral oil and mine just slid right out. 

I had a little trouble getting the end cap off but after some 'coaxing' it came right off. 

Sara


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## NubianSoaps.com

I mineral oil also, although I have used fake pam, no way of getting the cap off easy I just bang it with a hammer, one side the other one side the other and then it slips off. The only way I can get them out is to use a canning seal, like your metal washer...place it on the end, and using a 2 inch round dowel that is about 3 feet long, I put it against the seal and push down, clamping the stick between my feet, and looking like and idiot, but once you get movement it slides right out  The freezer did not work for me...I think the loofa is the reason. It swells with soap. Keeping your pipes short is a must, trying to get out long ones is almost impossible.

I try to pick out the skinniest loofa's I can find...if I can. Vicki


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## Sondra

OK well I had the same problems that Narrow Chance had. kinda figure it was the loofas as I bought separate ones at the dollar store and not all exact same size. Had a horrible time getting it out. I greesed the pvc with vicks as I had no vasaline or mineral oil. Just finished getting the dumb thing out of the pipe after being in the freezer 2 days total. Finally ran hot water over the pipe. Now this thing looks like xxxx with some soap on the out side and some not. It is laying and will let dry before cutting. Just hope someone wants it looking this terrible.


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## Sondra

Just look at Vicki's pretty loofa soaps

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## NubianSoaps.com

Sondra cut it before it's dry. That way you can smooth the soap with your hands to make pretty round disc's. The end pieces are always ugly no matter what you do, just use them for yourself. I always smooth out the outside of the tube of soap as it rests and dries some, and roll it over onto it's other side so it doesn't get flat from the weight. Don't give up on it, it's soo beautiful! Vicki


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## Sondra

Oh I have to let it dry some as I scrubbied on the outside trying to get some of the soap off. Will cut later tonight.


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## Narrow Chance

Well... my soap doesn't look near as good as Vicki's.... :rofl 
guess my problem was I didn't read directions very well. I didn't use Mineral oil... used plain old pam... or the generic pam.(what a mess that was too!!) 
I didn't use the same size loofah.. how do you get them all the same size.. he he
I ran hot water over that sucker.. till it was melted. 
My friend suggested I use a piece of firewood.. since I smashed at least 2 cans of soup and one of corn trying to get it to 'give'.
I am going to try another one though... cause your right Sondra.. thier to pretty not to.
I couldn't wait till cure... I had to use the end piece.. man oh man.. am I ever going to be using these!!!
Rett


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## Sondra

Well I cut it and they don't look too bad so far. Can't tell the difference right now between the loofa and the soap. Hopefully it dries a little different.


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## Guest

Take a canning jar lid, the flat peice and use a small piece of broom stick and push it out... Greasing with mineral oil will work, also will freezer paper, if you use freezer paper, I still grease the mold and the paper will stick to the mold much easier..


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