Trying to make first cold process soap

[gurmeet]

Hi everyone. I am a new member with you all experienced people. I was trying to create my first lot but am confused with two things:
First are the oils that we use for cooking ie coconut and extra virgin olive oil same that we can use for soap making.
Secondly, after making the soap and cleaning utensils with paper towels , Can we clean our utensils in our kitchen sink and will the drain not be clogged as it is quite a caustic residue that might be left behind. If anyone could help me giving suggestions on this.

 

[BWt]

@gurmeet hello. Cleaning up is best done with paper towels or crunched up newspapers until utensils and bowls are wiped pretty well. It is not advisable to put leftover soaping batter down a drain. I have a very expensive plumbing bill to prove it. Plumbers had to cut open a wall to get to the drain :/
Now I wipe everything down and let it sit for one day. Then into the dishwasher it goes.
Oils from kitchen? Yes but never use gee or butter (disaster awaits you there). The thing about most kitchen oils is that they can be costly when used in bulk and often difficult to know how long they’ve been in the shelf of a grocery store.
Will let other more experienced soapers weigh in here.
New to soaping? Make very small batches and you will learn much faster and at lower expense.
Best wishes for your soaps!

 

[gurmeet]

Thanks it was quite informative. Have you ever used mustard oil receipes?

 

[MomInWA]

Hi everyone. I am a new member with you all experienced people. I was trying to create my first lot but am confused with two things:
First are the oils that we use for cooking ie coconut and extra virgin olive oil same that we can use for soap making.
Secondly, after making the soap and cleaning utensils with paper towels , Can we clean our utensils in our kitchen sink and will the drain not be clogged as it is quite a caustic residue that might be left behind. If anyone could help me giving suggestions on this.

Hello and welcome! These are questions I can answer, but more experienced people may weigh in. First, yes, the coconut oil and EVOO is the same as what we use for cooking. Second, you can clean your utensils in the kitchen sink, but it is best to let them sit 24-48 hours and then wash. It will help keep your sink from lye damage and from soap scum collecting.

 

[GGMA0317]

Hi everyone. I am a new member with you all experienced people. I was trying to create my first lot but am confused with two things:
First are the oils that we use for cooking ie coconut and extra virgin olive oil same that we can use for soap making.
Secondly, after making the soap and cleaning utensils with paper towels , Can we clean our utensils in our kitchen sink and will the drain not be clogged as it is quite a caustic residue that might be left behind. If anyone could help me giving suggestions on this.

Hello!
I don't clean my equipment until it's time to unmold the soap. Yes, the same oils bought in grocery stores and used for cooking will work for soap. However, they're all cheaper in bulk elsewhere like www.soaperschoice.com

I've never used mustard oil so I have no tips for its use. I use paper baking pans for test batches. I posted a picture of them in the gallery under "Tests or Guests" I wish I'd known about them when I was a little dinosaur

The pans need no liner and make perfect guest size or travel size bars. Amazon is just one place they can be found

Happy Soaping!

 

[gurmeet]

Thanks. Got a new insight using paper baking pans. I didn't think about that. Great help. Thanks. Just one more thing : Have you used stick blender for mixing soaps or a professional mixer for the same? There are actually lot of agitators present in the market that are using different shafts for both solid and liquid soaps. Also the professional stand alone mixers are very expensive. So what do u suggest? Normal stick blender with steel will work since the liquid while mixing soap as liquid will be viscous and the rpm for mixing will also be on higher.

 

[GGMA0317]

Thanks. Got a new insight using paper baking pans. I didn't think about that. Great help. Thanks. Just one more thing : Have you used stick blender for mixing soaps or a professional mixer for the same? There are actually lot of agitators present in the market that are using different shafts for both solid and liquid soaps. Also the professional stand alone mixers are very expensive. So what do u suggest? Normal stick blender with steel will work since the liquid while mixing soap as liquid will be viscous and the rpm for mixing will also be on higher.

Yes, a stick blender is best. When I first started, I used a hand mixer because I was so excited and there weren't any stores open. So in a pinch I'd use a hand mixer. My KA(Kirchenaid) is only for food use.

 

[gurmeet]

Thanks will be in touch as soon as I make my first lot.

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi @gurmeet and welcome . BTW - not everyone is super experienced, you are in good company with other newbies, in-betweeners (that’s me, I guess - today is my 1 year soap-a-versery!), and the master soap sensei category - all willing to help, share, teach, cheer and coach each other on our soapy journey.

You will learn so much here. I would suggest doing some searches on topics in the search bar - and read away. Also, posting a new thread with questions in the beginners forum will help keep track of your questions and replies. This specific thread get a lot of action so your topic may get lost.

For your specific questions here:
Oils/fats - yes, same ones for a lot of them.
Clean up - I wipe everything down with a microfiber cloth and let that sit for 2 days before washing with my towels. After a good wipe, I wash everything with Blue Dawn dish soap and hot water. Others leave their soapy dishes and wash a few days later (or more, lol) after everything has saponified.

Can’t wait to see what you create!

 

[Zing]

Welcome! Nothing to add but if you need confirmation: My beginner soaps were made from ingredients I bought at the grocery store.

I wipe all my dishes with newspapers and then wait a day or two or three. The leftover batter actually turns to, you guessed it, soap, so no worries about caustic lye and oils.

 

[CloudShave1487]

Hi, I hope your soap-making journey has been fruitful. I make my soaps with oils I bought at Walmart, and I get my shea butter from beauty supplies stores. My first soap was made with the olive oil I used for cooking and I had no problems. =) I think I may have a different approach compared to everyone else as I do not have newspaper in my home. But I do use paper towels to clean up the oils, and soap, then I use hot water and dissolve the rest. Once I feel the soap is fully diluted and dissolved, I pour it down the drain. I have not had problems with this, and hopefully not ever. Good luck with your first lot!

 

[gurmeet]

I just bought my ingredients today. Will try my first lot in a day or two. Was just wondering is the distilled water we use for soap making the same as we use for our batteries or inverters at home. Because I bought my distilled water from a wholesale dealer who deals with soap supplies.

 

[Shelley D]

I just bought my ingredients today. Will try my first lot in a day or two. Was just wondering is the distilled water we use for soap making the same as we use for our batteries or inverters at home. Because I bought my distilled water from a wholesale dealer who deals with soap supplies.

As long as the label says "Distilled" I would think so. I use milks more than water but we buy distilled water from Walmart and when the water isle is empty, there is almost always some distilled in the baby formula isle and sometimes in the pharmacy where they have humidifiers, since distilled water is best for appliances because it doesn't leave residue

 

[2lilboots]

Collect rainwater to make your soap

 

[Jorah]

Hi everyone. I am a new member with you all experienced people. I was trying to create my first lot but am confused with two things:
First are the oils that we use for cooking ie coconut and extra virgin olive oil same that we can use for soap making.
Secondly, after making the soap and cleaning utensils with paper towels , Can we clean our utensils in our kitchen sink and will the drain not be clogged as it is quite a caustic residue that might be left behind. If anyone could help me giving suggestions on this.

I'm also new, having just made my first batch on April 1 this year. I've been using lots of oils from the grocery; I've only invested in a couple of bulk purchases so far. Very delayed welcome to the forum!

 

[gurmeet]

Thanks Jorah. I read a lot on this forum and liked your excel sheets. Inspired by you started measuring weights of my soaps everyday and notice them shrinking . On my journey when I made my first soap was very scared since we are not related to chemical engineering or chemistry. Was in dilemma whether will I be able to make soaps that are not harsh for our own usage. I liked making cold processed soaps and reading this forum made me more comfortable and answered many of my questions.

 

[AliOop]

I just bought my ingredients today. Will try my first lot in a day or two. Was just wondering is the distilled water we use for soap making the same as we use for our batteries or inverters at home. Because I bought my distilled water from a wholesale dealer who deals with soap supplies.

Yes, the type of water used for batteries is perfect; it is often called “demineralized.”

Rainwater is good only if you live in an area with low air pollution. In areas of high air pollution, the rainwater will be filled with particulates that will not be beneficial for your soap.

 

[gurmeet]

Ok. Great feedback. Thanks