Newbie question about cleaning your tools

[Ephemerella]

I'm a kitchen towel snob. It has to look good, feel good, work good, and take abuse. I have 3 different types of towels on duty in my kitchen:

Williams-Sonoma Classic Striped Towels​

https://www.amazon.com/Williams-Son...3008015&sprefix=williams+,aps,108&sr=8-5&th=1

Zeppoli Classic Dish Towels​

https://www.amazon.com/Zeppoli-Clas...8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
and

Double-Layered Bamboo Cloth​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081F1NBH8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The last ones are the ones I use for soaping clean ups as they're the least expensive. I find washing them a few times before using removes the finishes on the fabric from the factory and really increases absorbency.

 

[TheGecko]

I've tried a lot of different things since I started making soap and what I find works for me is to clean as I go so when I've put the last batch to bed in the garage and walk back into my kitchen, there are very few dishes to do...only the stuff I had just used. I keep a sink of hot soapy water and I use micro-fiber towels...which work better wet than dry. I like them because they clean up all the colorants without smearing it, they are absorbent, and they rinse clean in soapy water.

 

[Shelley D]

@Shelley D, I thought I was the only one who had to wash everything twice! I also have very limited counter space. In fact, I have to go out and wash up right now. Years ago, I bought a dishwasher to take care of my soap dishes, but it wasn’t built-in and after a decade of use it broke and water all over the kitchen floor and into the basement. So now, everything is done by hand. I will try the microfiber cloth trick from @dmcgee5034. I’ve used paper towels, but still end up, needing to wash my dishes twice to get the oil off.

These are the microfiber cloths I bought. They don’t cause the same sensory issues for me that some of the terrycloth type do. Amazon.com

Thank you! I bookmarked your suggestion! Maybe they will feel better for us too For me, I don't like that they snag on my skin, it seems they catch on any little flaw of the skin, or a hangnail, or nick in my fingernail and even the texture feels unnatural ~ my husband calls it "plastic-y" and I get what he means, like it's fake. So I'm always grateful for great advice ~ that's why I love this forum!

 

[Shelley D]

I'm a kitchen towel snob. It has to look good, feel good, work good, and take abuse. I have 3 different types of towels on duty in my kitchen:

Williams-Sonoma Classic Striped Towels​

https://www.amazon.com/Williams-Son...3008015&sprefix=williams+,aps,108&sr=8-5&th=1

Zeppoli Classic Dish Towels​

https://www.amazon.com/Zeppoli-Clas...8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
and

Double-Layered Bamboo Cloth​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081F1NBH8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The last ones are the ones I use for soaping clean ups as they're the least expensive. I find washing them a few times before using removes the finishes on the fabric from the factory and really increases absorbency.

The Zeppolis remind me of the smooth ones I used to get ~ I loved those

 

[Shelley D]

I've tried a lot of different things since I started making soap and what I find works for me is to clean as I go so when I've put the last batch to bed in the garage and walk back into my kitchen, there are very few dishes to do...only the stuff I had just used. I keep a sink of hot soapy water and I use micro-fiber towels...which work better wet than dry. I like them because they clean up all the colorants without smearing it, they are absorbent, and they rinse clean in soapy water.

Aah ~ use when wet noted!

 

[Ephemerella]

I don't like that they snag on my skin, it seems they catch on any little flaw of the skin, or a hangnail, or nick in my fingernail and even the texture feels unnatural

I get that too, and I thought I was the only one! Mr. E's nickname for me is Princess but seriously little things like that irritate me to no end, and honestly life is too short to use sub-par towels.

 

[johnnyusa]

Leave all your dirty stuff in a sink full of scalding bubbling water, except the dirtiest items. They need dawn & alcohol applied directly, undiluted, using my fingers n spray bottle w 80% alcohol 20% vinegar. Highly dirty jars are cleaned individually then poured down the drain and not allowed to sully the clean sinkwater.
I'll go thru 3 sinkfuls of soapy water to get stuff successively cleaner, then I use another two sinkfuls of clean water to wash the nasty dawn off.
One pass thru clean water won't get the detergent off. One pass thru soapy water won't get the oils off. Usually I wash my big pots in the backyard w a hose after I fill it up halfway w hot water n Dawn.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I clean up right away. I thoroughly rinse all dishes in hot water to start removing soap batter, colorants and other ingredients. Then I wash everything with a cotton dish cloth and Dawn dish soap.

I am also a kitchen towel snob. Since I sew, I buy this fabric and just hem the ends. All Linen Fabric
The fabric is 100% linen and after a few washes absorbs really well. I have been using these towels for 4-5 years and they get better and better with use. Initially the fabric has a light grasslike smell. It didn’t bother me but my husband wasn’t a fan. The smell did go away with several washes.

 

[Shelley D]

I clean up right away. I thoroughly rinse all dishes in hot water to start removing soap batter, colorants and other ingredients. Then I wash everything with a cotton dish cloth and Dawn dish soap.

I am also a kitchen towel snob. Since I sew, I buy this fabric and just hem the ends. All Linen Fabric
The fabric is 100% linen and after a few washes absorbs really well. I have been using these towels for 4-5 years and they get better and better with use. Initially the fabric has a light grasslike smell. It didn’t bother me but my husband wasn’t a fan. The smell did go away with several washes.

Ooo ~ linen!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Ooo ~ linen!

I have bought from them several times and been happy. Their linen isn’t super high quality but then it’s not super expensive. My sewing skills don’t require super high quality fabrics. Best to sign up for their mailing list and watch for sales. They also have a doggie bag section where you can get smaller cuts at a discount.

 

[AliensrReal]

I think I have some linen yarn. Maybe I’ll knit some linen washcloths.

 

[Jorah]

I'll have to try the wet microfiber towel idea. I hate how many paper towels I've been using to clean my soap equipment. I learned most of my techniques from this forum, so it's not surprising that my work approach is similar to those listed, but that won't stop me chiming in, will it?

So:

1. Oil pitchers get a quick washing with the Dawn Power Dissolver stuff; it's even better than regular Dawn at cutting oils. They all go into the dishwasher, too.
   
   
2. Immersion blender stalk gets a good wipe-down and right into the washer.
   
   
3. Lye pitcher gets a rinse and joins the other stuff in the dishwasher.
   
   
4. The soap pot and all the spatulas, scoops, ladles, etc... anything that has soap batter on it, gets wiped thoroughly with paper towels, and then they sit for 24 hours to finish saponifying. After reading the horror stories about stopped-up plumbing, I don't wash these until that 24 hour minimum wait. Once or twice I just set them aside, but having 3mm of soap coating everything is a recipe for frustration, and I learned my lesson! The only thing that helped those times was filling the sink with hot water with a half cup of washing soda mixed in; that cut the soap quickly (another trick I learned here).
   
   
5. The thing I haven't figured out yet is how to clean the containers I use for holding the scents during the prep for soap mixing; if I wash 'em in the dishwasher, I end up with perfumed everything. :-| Even wiping the containers out with the Dawn Power spray doesn't cut the scent. I wish it stuck in the soap as nicely as it does in the measuring cups. I think I'll have to start using paper cups for this purpose.

As for cleaning the workspace; the best thing I've done is cover the whole workbench with newsprint or kraft paper. Once I'm done work I just roll it up and into the rubbish. That reminds me that I need to get a new roll of newsprint. I used to be able to pick up end rolls for a few cents at the local newspaper, but there is no such animal here any longer!

 

[AliOop]

Immersion blender stalk gets a good wipe-down and right into the washer.

I find it so much easier to put hot soapy water into one of the greasy soap containers, and then run the SB in that for a minute. Dump it out, rinse both items, and repeat the blending/rinsing with just hot water. That cleans both items, and doesn't leave any strong alkaki hanging around on parts of my SB (gaskets, silicone caulk, etc.) that could be prone to degradation over time.

The thing I haven't figured out yet is how to clean the containers I use for holding the scents during the prep for soap mixing; if I wash 'em in the dishwasher, I end up with perfumed everything. :-| Even wiping the containers out with the Dawn Power spray doesn't cut the scent. I wish it stuck in the soap as nicely as it does in the measuring cups. I think I'll have to start using paper cups for this purpose.

Consider using some glass jars for this purpose. The ones that hold curry paste are the right size for my batches; I also have varying sizes of mason jars and SS pitchers that work well for my occasional larger batches. The glass and SS are super easy to clean in the sink with Dawn and hot water.

As for cleaning the workspace; the best thing I've done is cover the whole workbench with newsprint or kraft paper.

Such a great idea! Once that paper is folded up or wadded up, could you use some of that to wipe out your greasy containers, as well?

 

[Zing]

For measuring spoons that I used for micas, I spray with alcohol over a garbage can. For the jar and spoon that I used for essential oils, I spray with alcohol, wait overnight, and put in the dishwasher. I immerse the stick blender in a cup of water with Dawn and give it a few blasts.

When I started, I would wash up all the soap dishes right away but it was hard work with so much oily residue. So I learned -- guess where -- to just leave the dishes overnight and let saponification do its thang. Those dishes go in the dishwasher in a day or two. I do right away wipe all dishes and utensils with old newspapers (I don't know how old you are -- newspapers are like CNN.com, except on paper, and the news is several hours old).

You were worried about gnarly things growing. Don't worry -- lye and saponification will take care of that. The main thing is to prevent DOS (dreaded orange spots) so use in-date ingredients and avoid soap contacting metal. I think the crafters that most have to worry about gnarly things growing are those that make products with water, like lotions and potions.

Welcome to the Forum and good luck on making soap.

 

[melinda48]

Welcome to the forum. I don't clean cartons/cans used as molds, if any soap batter spills on it I just wipe it off immediately. Containers used for mixing and measuring the lye solution and lye, I rinse them as soon as they are used and later wash them like usual with soap and water. As for the stick blender, blend hot water with it to remove the raw soap batter from it and dry it with a tissue then finally blend hot, soapy water to remove any residual soap batter. You can leave the other utensils used for about 2 to 3 days to allow the soap batter on it's surface to saponify and you can wash it with just water then.

Please watch Lisa’s YouTube video on cleaning up. She is “I Dream inSoap” and covers all aspects of soaping from start-up to clean-up!

 

[Tammyfarms]

I think I have some linen yarn. Maybe I’ll knit some linen washcloths.

Linen yarn sounds lovely.

 

[melinda48]

I'll have to try the wet microfiber towel idea. I hate how many paper towels I've been using to clean my soap equipment. I learned most of my techniques from this forum, so it's not surprising that my work approach is similar to those listed, but that won't stop me chiming in, will it?

So:

1. Oil pitchers get a quick washing with the Dawn Power Dissolver stuff; it's even better than regular Dawn at cutting oils. They all go into the dishwasher, too.
   
   
2. Immersion blender stalk gets a good wipe-down and right into the washer.
   
   
3. Lye pitcher gets a rinse and joins the other stuff in the dishwasher.
   
   
4. The soap pot and all the spatulas, scoops, ladles, etc... anything that has soap batter on it, gets wiped thoroughly with paper towels, and then they sit for 24 hours to finish saponifying. After reading the horror stories about stopped-up plumbing, I don't wash these until that 24 hour minimum wait. Once or twice I just set them aside, but having 3mm of soap coating everything is a recipe for frustration, and I learned my lesson! The only thing that helped those times was filling the sink with hot water with a half cup of washing soda mixed in; that cut the soap quickly (another trick I learned here).
   
   
5. The thing I haven't figured out yet is how to clean the containers I use for holding the scents during the prep for soap mixing; if I wash 'em in the dishwasher, I end up with perfumed everything. :-| Even wiping the containers out with the Dawn Power spray doesn't cut the scent. I wish it stuck in the soap as nicely as it does in the measuring cups. I think I'll have to start using paper cups for this purpose.

As for cleaning the workspace; the best thing I've done is cover the whole workbench with newsprint or kraft paper. Once I'm done work I just roll it up and into the rubbish. That reminds me that I need to get a new roll of newsprint. I used to be able to pick up end rolls for a few cents at the local newspaper, but there is no such animal here any longer!

I bought cloth diapers and use them to wipe everything out after soaping. I also use old washcloths. I then place them in a small bucket. I then wash out all of my containers/utensils in hot water using Dawn. I dry everything and put them away so i am ready to go the next day. When it is time to do laundry, I pre-soak those cloths and then wash them in the washer. This works exceptionally well. No wasted paper towels, no “special” cloths, just good old “rags” (basically) which can be used and re-used until it is time to recycle them.

 

[melinda48]

I bought cloth diapers and use them to wipe everything out after soaping. I also use old washcloths. I then place them in a small bucket. I then wash out all of my containers/utensils in hot water using Dawn. I dry everything and put them away so i am ready to go the next day. When it is time to do laundry, I pre-soak those cloths and then wash them in the washer. This works exceptionally well. No wasted paper towels, no “special” cloths, just good old “rags” (basically) which can be used and re-used until it is time to recycle them.

For my fragrance/essential oils, I wash out with Dawn Powerwash and then spray with cleaning vinegar and rinse. I use small stainless steel containers (or pyrex cups for larger measurements). This works great for me!