a few questions

[madwitch58]

I have a few questions for the list.
1. I am confused about some of the terms and abbreviations, I have seen people use.Is there a site or what ever I can go to, see what these mean?
2. I would really like to avoid getting my supplies on line, can someone give me some hints about finding them where I live.
3. We have an old refrigerator stored in our back room, would that be all right to store my soap in wile it cures?

That's all for now, thank you.
Madwitch58

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

I buy as many of my oils at the grocery store, Walmart or one of the club stores like Sam's or Costco as I can. I can get the basics, olive, coconut, castor, lard and tallow. I do have to order my lye as I haven't found that locally, and any FO's, EO's and anything I want to use to color. I don't sell, just make it for the fun of it and to keep my friends and family in suds.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome!

I have a few questions for the list.
1. I am confused about some of the terms and abbreviations, I have seen people use.Is there a site or what ever I can go to, see what these mean?

You can find our list of abbreviations/meanings here: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... php?t=4437

2. I would really like to avoid getting my supplies on line, can someone give me some hints about finding them where I live.

Ditto to all the stores KansasFarmGirl mentioned, and if you have a Smart & Final near you, they sell beef tallow. Also- you might even be able to find lye at Ace Hardware. I believe they sell Rooto brand lye (100% sodium hydroxide) which many soapers say they are still able to find stocked on the shelves.

3. We have an old refrigerator stored in our back room, would that be all right to store my soap in wile it cures?

Will the refrigerator be plugged in/working, or will you be just using it like an out-of-the-way storage closet of sorts (turned off)? I think it'll be fine if it's turned off for curing, and with the door opened a crack for air circulation.

IrishLass

 

[madwitch58]

Thank you for the link, it will help alot.
I live in a small town so there are lots of small hardware stores still open. My main problem is finding the fragrance oils I want, the hobby stores near where I live are more for scrapbooking and home decor than any thing else.
The refrigerator is one my husband used to cure resin when he had his own business going. It does not work , but is still air tight but can be propped open if need be.

Anther question, is there any thing I can add to my soap to keep it from spoiling? I heard that homemade soap does that after it sets for too long. All so what about adding superfats to my soap?

 

[birchcoulee]

You can try a health food store for Essential Oils, they may have some for fragrance.

The refrigerator has to be open, air must circulate for the soap to dry/cure.

Properly made soap needs no preservatives. I have soap that my great Grand Mother made in 1956. Fabulous soap, hows that for aged/cured! I have soap that is several years old, it just gets better. The only soap I have ever had DOS in was a batch of Olive Oil Castile. I make over 500 pounds of soap a year, spoiling is very rare IMHO.

Welcome to soap making!

 

[IrishLass]

Ditto to all that birchcoulee said, although I can only wish I had soap made by my great grandmother. What an awesome treasure that would be!

I've only ever had one batch DOS on me, too. Mine was a canola oil batch. I made a fatal weighing error and ended up with a whopping big superfat that no canola soap should ever have in this lifetime or the next!

If you formulate well and weigh everything properly, your soap should last a verrrrry looooooong time in wonderful condition without preservatives. The scent may fade over time, but the soap should still be good. I've only been soaping for a little over 6 years, but the bars that I've saved that date back from my very first year of soaping are still in perfect shape.


IrishLass

 

[majstor]

What an awesome treasure that would be!

I dont know... talked to some older people how soaps were made and stuff they put into it together with some rough ballpark "measurements" surly created some wild soaps
Here is one soap from a soaping blog i found. It seems its about 30 years old, they head to cut it with saw for metal

http://manufakturamiletin.files.wordpre ... c01303.jpg

 

[JaimeC]

If you live in a small town, particularly farming areas, check out farmers co-ops and supply stores. I live in a big city but right smack in the midwest corn country so we have tons of co-ops and supply stores around here. You can find lots of incredibly cheap oils in horse/livestock sections. I get ricebran oil, glycerin and pine tar from the tractor supply co. I've also found lye there, but I can not justify 6 bucks a lb for it.

Id be afraid of sticking soap in an airtight container like a fridge, it will likely retain the evaporated moisture from the soap and just make a mess. I've been known to cure bars hidden in pretty open cardboard boxes around my house, just cause I like the way it stinks up the room with its scents hehe.

GL!
Jaime

 

[vance71975]

Try your Local Ace Hardware for Lye, Rooto brand 100% Lye if they dont have it in stock they should be able to order it, still cheaper in bulk online tho, Comes in both Liquid and Crystals, i have only used the crystals. Also try a farm supply store, ours has the rooto brand liquid.