CP soap making gear?

[llineb]

I am researching how to make CP soap. I have currently been making M&P for the last 2 years. The girl I used to buy my soap from several years ago would make CP soap. I remember her having a window open, fan on and she wore thick gloves, eye protection, an apron and a face mask that looked like it was a gas mask. Is all this necessary? Also, what kind of gloves are you using? Mask???????

Thanks!

 

[Bubbly Buddha]

Check out some of the tutorials online for a proper reference, but I like my neoprene gloves and I use a N95 mask when I handle the lye. :wink:

 

[IrishLass]

-Rubber Gloves (I use plain old Mr. Clean rubber gloves from my grocery store)

Goggles (I actually use these : http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... 8kcn5vgf_b They work great. I wear them when mixing my lye solution and also when actually making the soap, and cleaning up from making soap.)

-Apron (just a regular cooking apron)

-Mask (only needed when dissolving the lye into the water, to avoid breathing in the resulting lye fumes. Not needed when you are actually making the soap with your cooled down lye solution because all the lye fumes are way gone by then. My 'mask' actually consists of a very thick, tightly woven cotton diaper (clean :wink: ) that has been folded over on itself 3 times so that it's many layers thick. I hold that tightly over my mouth and nose with one hand while mixing my lye solution with my other hand.)

To me, an expensive gas mask and extra thick gloves are not necessarily necessary, but goggles, some kind of mask or makeshift mask to protect your lungs while mixing the lye solution, and gloves are very necessary. Lye is caustic and needs to be handled with respect.

IrishLass

 

[llineb]

I have some of the N95 masks from the hospital I work at so I will use one of these and I only have Latex gloves so I guess I will get some from the store. I am reading a book on CP making but will watch some of the videos. My internet is slow b/c we live out in the country so sometimes these forums and the books are better. Thanks for the help. I want to be safe b/c I have 4 year old twins. They won't be home when I make it but I wasn't sure how long the fumes would stay in the air. Sounds like they go away when the mixing is done....Perfect!!!!!

Thanks again!!!!

 

[Soaplady22]

I wear vinyl gloves from the drug store. A box of 50 costs $10. And I reuse them several times.

 

[TessC]

You'll find that the definition of proper soap making safety gear varies wildly from person to person. Some suit up from head to toe, some don't take any precautions at all, most fall somewhere in between.

My personal list is:

• 
  Safety goggles, they go on before I open the lye container and don't come off until I'm done cleaning up. Spent a couple dollars more to get comfortable pair since I'm going to spend so much time with them on my face, and I'm really glad I did.
  
  Closed shoes
  
  Hair pulled back, usually into a bun or a braid.
  
  Gloves, I wear the unpowdered vinyl gloves (like these) most of the time because I'm too klutzy in heavy bulky gloves. The thicker rubbery dishwashing gloves are reserved for messing with stuff where it's really likely that I'll shred the thin gloves.
  
  Dust mask when I'm working with any fine powders like TD or micas, my lungs already aren't the world's happiest so I try not to take many chances with stuff like that.
  
  

And that's it for me.

 

[steffm]

I love those Onion goggles! We have three pair here . We wear gloves from the home improvement store (blue and yellow, don't remember the brand). I wear old clothes and try not to wear long sleeves, they seem to get in my way . I pull my hair back with a clip. I wear shoes or slippers that completely cover my feet. I have a 3M P95 mask, too.

 

[llineb]

Glad ya'll told me to pull my hair back and wear closed shoes. I hadn't thought of this and my book didn't mention it....and sooooooo glad I don't have to wear the gas mask! :0)



Thanks!