kryse13
Well-Known Member
I think this is batch #6 which is technically 2 different soaps in one mold. Had my recipe ready, oils ready, new wooden mold I made was all freezer papered up and ready to go... then it all went wrong... *insert dramatic music*
I threw out my old water/lye container from the last batch and needed to look for a new one. My mother suggested that I use this sturdy peanut container. Looked good enough. I looked at the recycle number on the bottom and it said 1. I remember reading somewhere about the numbers and how certain numbers are ok to use with lye water. I momentarily remembered #1 was one of them (mostly, I didn't want to delay my soap making any longer and actually look it up, so I convinced myself that this was right.) I've had the itch to make a batch of soap for 3 weeks now and was unable to do so because of Christmas and time restraints with work.
Gagged up (gloves, mask, glasses, smock) and measured out my water and lye. Carefully contained my lye for transport (a walk up the stairs to the outside garage). It super cold out here in slippers and no jacket. I begun to add the lye to the water. Mixing rapidly. I then noticed the container getting shorter... I put it on the cold concrete and noticed it started melting sideways. I hold on to the container and desperately look for something to control my soon to be unleashed evil. Nothing. I managed to balance the melting peanut container in my small lye container. I RAN to the door, flung it open, ran to the utility room sink. In the sink was a pail and a plastic basin. Grabbed the plastic basin and dumped everything out, accidently sent a bleach bottle flying (luckily it landed in the sink). Sprinted to the lye mixture and noticed it was already starting to run all over the concrete and out the garage door. Grabbed the containers (lucky I had my gloves on) and placed it in the plastic basin. Evil contained.
My dad always calls me 'the mad scientist' when I am making my concoctions, now I see why.
There was a cloth in the garage right next to my lye mess. I used that to block the flow of lye water to the outside world. Which is out the front of the garage to the driveway where the animals roam (2 dogs and a cat). I have contained the mess, now for cleanup. Time to call in the HAZMAT team! "MOM" I yelled, "I need vinegar".
I filled a bucket full of cold water and brought it outside with a mass of rags. Started wiping up the lye water, which actually had become a kind of gel. All the rags went into the bucket of water. Vinegar was spread all over the concrete and worked in the best that I could. I later went back and touched it with my exposed hand and there was no burning whatsoever. I will need to wait till spring until I can clean this thoroughly.
The new lye basin was taken inside the utility room and put in the sink. I pondered how much water I needed to run to flush this lye out to make it safe. Would I need vinegar? I was also washing laundry at the time. Water should be good enough. Filled the basin and let it run over to dilute the lye. Then left the water running for quite some time after just in case. At this time I wondered why I smelt bleach. I looked in the sink next to me (there is 2 sinks) and the bleach container is flipped over from my frantic attempt at grabbing a container for the lye. ok, need more running water. I hoped that lye and bleach mixed together, even in diluted amounts, did not make some kind of gas that would kill me in 2 minutes. Yes, I freak out about these things on a regular basis. I won't allow ammonia in the house if there is bleach being used. I don't care if there both in sealed containers.
Now looking at my mess. This is what I saw...



I love how the peanut container ended up looking like a triangle. And what happened to the rags? They have a gel like feel (gloved feel) to them where I sopped up the lye water. Interesting.
Ok so now that is all cleaned up, I have made more lye water in a sour cream container which I knew wouldn't melt.
Mixed my soap, split it into 3 batches to add color. My colors were, yellow brown, yellow and brown. I wanted to make a pie colored soap. Apple and lemon to go with my FO's. That went well. Got my mom to help me with stirring as the 'mad scientist' went to work. Colors turned out beautiful. Just like I wanted. Then I had this idea that instead of using the oven to CPOP I would use the heat from the wood furnace. Nice and warm, not too hot, or so I thought.
Keep in mind that I used sugar in the recipe. I did not think about sugar and overheating and burning. Well I gave it a thought but decided to go with it anyway. My colors were very nice. After an hour of being on the furnace the soap developed oily spots on top. I have read about this and it wasn't a mass amount of oil so I believed everything was OK. Left it there for another hour. Checked the tops and this is what I saw...

DARK DARK BROWN! I knew it was going to turn dark but there should be a bit of color variation.
I decided that this was overheating (never experienced by me before) and moved the mold to the outside garage to cool. Once cool I put it back in the basement where it has sat till this morning. I am assuming that I will not be able to cut it today and that I may have to tmrw. DARN! I really wanted to see the mess I made. I will be sure to post pix when I finally do cut it.
I threw out my old water/lye container from the last batch and needed to look for a new one. My mother suggested that I use this sturdy peanut container. Looked good enough. I looked at the recycle number on the bottom and it said 1. I remember reading somewhere about the numbers and how certain numbers are ok to use with lye water. I momentarily remembered #1 was one of them (mostly, I didn't want to delay my soap making any longer and actually look it up, so I convinced myself that this was right.) I've had the itch to make a batch of soap for 3 weeks now and was unable to do so because of Christmas and time restraints with work.
Gagged up (gloves, mask, glasses, smock) and measured out my water and lye. Carefully contained my lye for transport (a walk up the stairs to the outside garage). It super cold out here in slippers and no jacket. I begun to add the lye to the water. Mixing rapidly. I then noticed the container getting shorter... I put it on the cold concrete and noticed it started melting sideways. I hold on to the container and desperately look for something to control my soon to be unleashed evil. Nothing. I managed to balance the melting peanut container in my small lye container. I RAN to the door, flung it open, ran to the utility room sink. In the sink was a pail and a plastic basin. Grabbed the plastic basin and dumped everything out, accidently sent a bleach bottle flying (luckily it landed in the sink). Sprinted to the lye mixture and noticed it was already starting to run all over the concrete and out the garage door. Grabbed the containers (lucky I had my gloves on) and placed it in the plastic basin. Evil contained.
My dad always calls me 'the mad scientist' when I am making my concoctions, now I see why.
There was a cloth in the garage right next to my lye mess. I used that to block the flow of lye water to the outside world. Which is out the front of the garage to the driveway where the animals roam (2 dogs and a cat). I have contained the mess, now for cleanup. Time to call in the HAZMAT team! "MOM" I yelled, "I need vinegar".
I filled a bucket full of cold water and brought it outside with a mass of rags. Started wiping up the lye water, which actually had become a kind of gel. All the rags went into the bucket of water. Vinegar was spread all over the concrete and worked in the best that I could. I later went back and touched it with my exposed hand and there was no burning whatsoever. I will need to wait till spring until I can clean this thoroughly.
The new lye basin was taken inside the utility room and put in the sink. I pondered how much water I needed to run to flush this lye out to make it safe. Would I need vinegar? I was also washing laundry at the time. Water should be good enough. Filled the basin and let it run over to dilute the lye. Then left the water running for quite some time after just in case. At this time I wondered why I smelt bleach. I looked in the sink next to me (there is 2 sinks) and the bleach container is flipped over from my frantic attempt at grabbing a container for the lye. ok, need more running water. I hoped that lye and bleach mixed together, even in diluted amounts, did not make some kind of gas that would kill me in 2 minutes. Yes, I freak out about these things on a regular basis. I won't allow ammonia in the house if there is bleach being used. I don't care if there both in sealed containers.
Now looking at my mess. This is what I saw...



I love how the peanut container ended up looking like a triangle. And what happened to the rags? They have a gel like feel (gloved feel) to them where I sopped up the lye water. Interesting.
Ok so now that is all cleaned up, I have made more lye water in a sour cream container which I knew wouldn't melt.
Mixed my soap, split it into 3 batches to add color. My colors were, yellow brown, yellow and brown. I wanted to make a pie colored soap. Apple and lemon to go with my FO's. That went well. Got my mom to help me with stirring as the 'mad scientist' went to work. Colors turned out beautiful. Just like I wanted. Then I had this idea that instead of using the oven to CPOP I would use the heat from the wood furnace. Nice and warm, not too hot, or so I thought.
Keep in mind that I used sugar in the recipe. I did not think about sugar and overheating and burning. Well I gave it a thought but decided to go with it anyway. My colors were very nice. After an hour of being on the furnace the soap developed oily spots on top. I have read about this and it wasn't a mass amount of oil so I believed everything was OK. Left it there for another hour. Checked the tops and this is what I saw...

DARK DARK BROWN! I knew it was going to turn dark but there should be a bit of color variation.
I decided that this was overheating (never experienced by me before) and moved the mold to the outside garage to cool. Once cool I put it back in the basement where it has sat till this morning. I am assuming that I will not be able to cut it today and that I may have to tmrw. DARN! I really wanted to see the mess I made. I will be sure to post pix when I finally do cut it.
Last edited: