What soapy mistake have you made today?

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I thought about that also because I looked at some pitchers that had 6 which I know are usually not recyclable or at least that was the latest info I read.
Thanks.

old

The 2 and 5 in the triangle at the bottom of plastic containers indicate the type of plastic used and whether they are heat resistant. 2 and 5 will resist the heat of lye mixed with water and are good for mixing new soap batter.
 
Every now and then, I need this thread. I was experimenting wih embeds. I am too cheap to buy the molds, so I was trying a tube, lined with freezer paper and capped at the bottom with a plastic bag and rubber bands. The soap poured into the makeshift mold just fine, until the rubber bands snapped! The soap oozed out and blended together until my colors became a muddy gray. I tossed it back into the bowl and added extra mica to make the color nicer and poured it into a plain old loaf mold. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow. It might be destined for a future confetti soap.
 
Well, it wasn't today; but the last batch I made was going REALLY, REALLY WELL!


A little info: My recipe traces fast due to the amount of hard oils in it. If I'm not careful it can go to thick pudding in just about 4-5 minutes.
I make soap for my family, and everyone wants something different out of the soap. One wants lots of bubbles, one wants a thick rich creamy lather, and one wants it to be "conditioning and moisturizing". It's not much to ask out of a bar of soap. :headbanging: Anyway, I've come up with a combination of fats that seems to please everyone. Now it's just a matter of coming up with a soaping technique that gives me enough time to do the swirls, layers, design, etc. that I want to do. So I've been experimenting with temperatures, lye concentration, batch sizes, mixing methods etc. Finally, I think I've got a method that works for me. :)

Anyway, I was making a confetti soap. I had colored my base portion white and stirred in my confetti. I then colored another portion orange and added that to the pot for an in the pot swirl. Then I thought, the FO smells really strong in this soap; and I realized it smelled so strong because it was sitting beside the soap pot. I forgot the #$^@^@!@!$^% FO again! I'm beginning to think I should only make unscented soaps from now on.
 
I failed to write down how much water I used total in my EDTA solution. I know I used 50g of EDTA but I used A LOT MORE water. Now I have to dispose of this stuff.
 
I failed to write down how much water I used total in my EDTA solution. I know I used 50g of EDTA but I used A LOT MORE water. Now I have to dispose of this stuff.

Can't you just weigh it and subtract 50g? then you can figure out the concentration
 
Can't you just weigh it and subtract 50g? then you can figure out the concentration

I don't even know how much the bottle it's in weighs. I also don't want to waste money buying a few more bottles just to get an estimated weight either. The best I could do is waste money on food, recycle the containers and pour the edta into a clean container.
 
I don't even know how much the bottle it's in weighs. I also don't want to waste money buying a few more bottles just to get an estimated weight either. The best I could do is waste money on food, recycle the containers and pour the edta into a clean container.
Seriously, you don't have any clean soaping bowl or measuring cup or even an empty glass jar in your cupboard you could use to get a weight? An empty paper cup or something?

Well even if you do toss it and start over, hopefully you have plenty of dry EDTA on hand and it is a lesson learned.

Might I suggest for future reference you write the weight of the empty bottle on a piece of tape (I use masking tape) and stick it to the bottom of the bottle.
 
Seriously, you don't have any clean soaping bowl or measuring cup or even an empty glass jar in your cupboard you could use to get a weight? An empty paper cup or something?

Well even if you do toss it and start over, hopefully you have plenty of dry EDTA on hand and it is a lesson learned.

Might I suggest for future reference you write the weight of the empty bottle on a piece of tape (I use masking tape) and stick it to the bottom of the bottle.

I reuse stuff for holding food. That bottle was my extra. i have plenty of the EDTA left and I'm only out 50g. It's still around but I'm not going to get around to it til next week. By then I should have another bottle cleaned.
 
I read somewhere that folks were using Plastic Easter eggs for their molds.
You don't want to forget to tape the holes. Also I only got one clean whole "egg" most were 1/2 eggs. But I put bugs, frogs etc. for a eco fest. They turned out pretty good. Even have one purple bug that his tentacle stick out. The whole "egg" I had put a long worm in there and it is pretty neat.
Of course I used MP because I needed clear soap :).
Not sure that has any thing workable for you but maybe someone could make Easter Eggs :) They also come in 2 sizes.




Every now and then, I need this thread. I was experimenting wih embeds. I am too cheap to buy the molds, so I was trying a tube, lined with freezer paper and capped at the bottom with a plastic bag and rubber bands. The soap poured into the makeshift mold just fine, until the rubber bands snapped! The soap oozed out and blended together until my colors became a muddy gray. I tossed it back into the bowl and added extra mica to make the color nicer and poured it into a plain old loaf mold. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow. It might be destined for a future confetti soap.
 
I was lining my cylinder mold (leftover pringles can) with the freezer paper. I'm pretty near the end of the roll, and it didn't want to unroll enough to fit properly. I monkeyed with it way too long. I just decided that pouring the batter in would probably push the paper into place. Well, the paper must have crinkled some. And there was a gap where one edge overlapped the other. When I unmolded, I had a thin layer of soap on the outside of the freezer paper. I'm going to tell people the finished soap is "rustic," but really, it just looks beat up... like I dropped it a few times. But the color is good and it smells good. I made oatmilk and used it in place of water and added some honey into my oils. No added colors or fragrance.
 
Well I had my first seized and cracked soap last night! Made 100% coconut oil superfat 20% soap last night. Was taking forever to trace, so like I do with 100% lard, I just leave it for a few minutes. I went to brush my teeth, and when I came back, it was pretty much a solid lump. I put it into a mold (barely), and it started gelling. There ended up being a huge crack in it, which I smushed together. Hope it's still usable!
 
I was lining my cylinder mold (leftover pringles can) with the freezer paper. I'm pretty near the end of the roll, and it didn't want to unroll enough to fit properly. I monkeyed with it way too long. I just decided that pouring the batter in would probably push the paper into place. Well, the paper must have crinkled some. And there was a gap where one edge overlapped the other. When I unmolded, I had a thin layer of soap on the outside of the freezer paper. I'm going to tell people the finished soap is "rustic," but really, it just looks beat up... like I dropped it a few times. But the color is good and it smells good. I made oatmilk and used it in place of water and added some honey into my oils. No added colors or fragrance.


I think a picture might be necessary! I love the "rustic" usage. I might need to start saying that!
 
I think a picture might be necessary! I love the "rustic" usage. I might need to start saying that!

Ask and ye shall recieve! This is my first batch involving oats. I decided to make oat milk and used it as a replacement for my water. I also added honey to my oils. That crinkle on the top is actually from the plastic bag I used between the Pringles can and it's lid. I normally cut that off, but I think it fits with this batch.

1493344933953.jpg
 
Measuring Mishap

I reversed the measurements for my olive and coconut oils, so then I had to figure out how to salvage the recipe. Went to Soapcalc and then got lost figuring out new recipes. Finally got back to the point and made a batch of soap. It's sitting in the mold, and I have no idea how it will turn out. I'm sure it will be usable.

Then I tried rebatching some old soap, but couldn't get it soft enough to look good. I guess I should have added more water. I could try again. It's Very Rustic :)
 
Mistakenly used KOH instead of NaOH while making soap

I need help. I was making castile soap using countertop HP and instead of Sodium Hydroxide I used Potassium Hydroxide. No wonder my soap is not hardening.

How can fix this soap? The soap has been in mould for 2 days.
 
I need help. I was making castile soap using countertop HP and instead of Sodium Hydroxide I used Potassium Hydroxide. No wonder my soap is not hardening.

How can fix this soap? The soap has been in mould for 2 days.

Asmita, I recommend making a new thread in the Beginner subforum to get feedback. It is likely your post will be lost in this thread.

When you make your new post, I recommend giving as many details as you can, including your full recipes in ounces/grams.
 
Asmita, I recommend making a new thread in the Beginner subforum to get feedback. It is likely your post will be lost in this thread.

When you make your new post, I recommend giving as many details as you can, including your full recipes in ounces/grams.

Thank You. I'll do that.
 

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