Another question please.......

[Nona'sFarm]

so I’m looking to make a “mechanics” soap and want to use an exfoliatiant. There’s a few to choose from. I’ve used corn meal on the past and like it purdy good however just wanted to see what it is that all y’all have used.

Guinevere

I have used:
Crushed walnut shells
Pumice
Shredded loofah
Coffee grounds
Poppy seeds
Green Zeolite clay
My favorite for hand soap is the crushed walnut shell. However I would think the coffee grounds would have an added advantage of neutralizing smells. I like the idea of a recipe high in CO for sudsing and cleansing.

Also, definitely use distilled water which is not the same as boiled tap water. Any tap water can contain minute quantities of minerals and metals that could react unfavorably with the soap product.

 

[Megan]

I have a french press that I use exclusively for making coffee for my coffee soap. If you use a coffee maker, even with distilled water, the tap water has already built up hard water scale in your coffee maker that could end up in your final product...they aren't water soluble, but in my head I'm imagining something like an erosion effect hahaha. I'm probably too nit-picky, but I don't like adding variables into my craft.

 

[Arimara]

When I've brewed strong coffee to sub for my distilled water, that's what I do--use distilled water to brew it. I've also dried leftover spent coffee grounds for a speckled effect in other soap, some are used my coffee soap. I've read that using grounds that haven't been brewed can cause streaks but I wouldn't know since I haven't done that.

@Carl "I then have been using the used grounds. I've read somewhere (can't remember where) that you should use the used grounds (can't remember why). I just remember reading it, LOL."

"This soap also contains used coffee grounds. It’s important to add used rather than fresh coffee grounds. Fresh coffee grounds may bleed in the soap. The bleeding doesn’t hurt the bars in any way, but it is a cosmetic issue. It’s also a great way to use up leftover coffee grounds!"
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/how-to-make-coffee-soap/

I tend to add the grinds to the water before the lye and use it that way. As hot as lye can get, you can't tell me that coffee ain't brewed (possibly cooked though). I'm also just lazy with coffee. But with a mechanic's soap, wouldn't pumace powder be more effective if used in conjunction with the recipe?

 

[SeaSuds]

If you use a coffee maker, even with distilled water, the tap water has already built up hard water scale in your coffee maker that could end up in your final product...

Aw nuts

 

[dibbles]

@SeaSuds I don't think you will have scent from the coffee - at least not enough to cover stinky fish. Anise essential oil is supposedly attractive to fish - maybe add that.

 

[Michele50]

I have a french press that I use exclusively for making coffee for my coffee soap. If you use a coffee maker, even with distilled water, the tap water has already built up hard water scale in your coffee maker that could end up in your final product...they aren't water soluble, but in my head I'm imagining something like an erosion effect hahaha. I'm probably too nit-picky, but I don't like adding variables into my craft.

That's best. I'm kinda like you but I blame it on my OCD. I clean mine first, and brew a bunch and freeze it.

 

[TheGecko]

That's a good question. I would let the Chemistry experts chime in. I've always thought that if you didn't have distilled water, you could just boil tap water and then you have distilled. But that leaves two or three open questions. How hot does tap water need to get (and for how long) to become distilled water? And how hot does the average coffee pot heat the water up?

Uh...boiled tap water is just boiled tap water. To make distilled water, you boil the water in a closed pot, the steam rises, goes through a coil of pipes where it cools and turns back into water...distilled water.

so I’m looking to make a “mechanics” soap and want to use an exfoliatiant. There’s a few to choose from. I’ve used corn meal on the past and like it purdy good however just wanted to see what it is that all y’all have used. What you liked about it it didn’t. I just want to say thank you for taking time to read and answer my post.

Most guys I know use one of those orange-based soaps and most of them don’t like it because yeah...it cleans their hands, but it can be too rough, too drying and it stinks. By accident, some of my nephew’s friends at a powder-coating shop tried one of my original recipe soaps (I had given some to my nephew). Except for the ‘rose’ color, they liked it.

So I made another small batch, added Chromium Green Clay, some Pumice and they liked it even more. I gave a bar to my BIL who works on cars and he liked it.