What's your soaping ritual?

[Sara]

I'm always curious as to how others soap. We all have our own way of doing things - what's yours?

Generally the kids are all off in school so I have the space and time to relax, which is optimum and preferred for me.

- measure and mix my lye in the basement by the sink, let that sit for quite some time, stirring between below stages

- gather my additives and EOs/FOs, molds, colors (mix those and set out) and utensils (sometimes this is done before I mix my lye, but since I like the lye to cool down, I often save this to help stretch time a bit)

- If need be and I haven't done so before I measure out hard oils and gently melt (in winter - usually I RT by putting those putting those babies out on the hot porch).

- I pour those over my semi-hard oils and melt them as much as I can that way, or use some heat if needed.

- Add soft oils (which in winter are nice and cold from storage in garage).

- Incorperate lye - all lye work is done down by that sink.

I mix that a bit then carry upstairs. I wish I didn't have to carry up the stairs because I'm ALWAYS worried of falling. After I've got it up, I bring it to trace, add my additives, color, etc. and pour in the molds.

And I don't forget the music before I do all this of coarse.

[cindym]

Dogs out of the house, if my husband is home the kitchen is a no enter zone.

I measure all my hard oils, I measure my lye in the sink, take out of sink. Put hard oils on low on the stove, measure water, turn oven fan on high , gloves and the face mask my hubby bought me on while measuing lye and mixing. So then I measure water, place it under the fan and mix lye. Yay . When my hard oils are melted I add liquid oils, everything is set up on the counter, SB, color, additives, measuring cup, paper towels, add lye to oils, place lye container in sink under cold running water, stir for a bit, get out the stick blender and have at it. I leave my gloves on during the whole process. Raw soap does burn, ask me how I know. When I am done all utensils go in the pot, into the candle room for cleaning the next day.

[RobinInOR]

Here's what I did today 2 small test batches.

Went downstairs, and lined 2 molds.

Goggles and gloves on, made up 2 containers of lye water. They sit on the windowsill behind the washing machine.

Measured out 2 pyrex containers with my hard oils, and brought them upstairs.

Surfed the web for a bit, waiting for the lye to cool down. Really hard to type with my gloves on

Melted the first batch of hard oils in the microwave, and took it downstairs and put it in the deep sink.

Measured the color, FO, soft oils.

Mixed a bit of soft oils with colors. Goggles back on.

Mixed soft oils into hard oils, lye into oil, stick blend for a minute or so.

Some soap into the colors and stir.

Add FO to soap, stir with spoon.

Pour soap into mold.

Pour colors into mold and swirl with stick. All done.

Upstairs to melt 2nd batch of hard oils in microwave, downstairs and repeat....

Everything sits in deep sink til tomorrow. Except for SB, that's rinsed off, and the lye container rinsed out. Both molds covered with towels.

Use 1 pair of latex gloves and about 5-6 paper towels lol.. DH hates oily fingerprints on the microwave

[TexasBrat]

I make soap anytime of day whether kids are home or not. I pick out all my oils and measure and pour into my crockpot. While waiting for them to melt I get my mold ready and get any colorants measured and ready and pick out my fo. Once the oils are melted I go out to the garage and get lye water ready and bring back in the house and immediately pour into melted oils. Once I have soap pour in the mold and put it out in the garage to set. Then, I don't clean up anything since I'm tired and the crock is to hot anyway. That's it for me. Easy peasy.

[Janis]

I soap in the garage, which is downstairs. Here's what I do:

1. I mix my lye first and let it sit for quite awhile.

2. Then I measure out my hard oils and take them upstairs to microwave. I let them sit for quite awhile as well.

3. I carry the cooled hard oils back down to the garage. I measure out my soft oils and mix with the hard oils.

4. I mix together my eo blend (if that is what I am using).

5. If I'm using colorant or additives, I get that measured out. I mix colorant or clays with a bit of the soaping oil until completely dissolved (I hate spots in my soap, lol)

6. I put away the scale, gloves, goggles, etc. and get everything in place for the soaping (mold, stick blender, paper towels, etc). I don't have to line my mold 'cause it's an Upland.

7. Then I pour the lye water into the oils, add any additives or color, etc.

Walaa! Soap!

[heirloomoriginals]

Since I have only made 2 batches of CP, I am still working on a method, but I might try Janis' method (I would have lots more room to work if I would put my scale and other stuff away first, LOL). It will be so much easier when our addition is finished.

Steph

[Sara]

"Hard to type with the rubber gloves on" - Robin, you crack me up.

I forgot about clean up. My least favorite part. UGH. I usually clean up right away because it works better for me to do so. I've tried leavning it but find it harder to clean after (even though others swear by it )

[RobinInOR]

At least they're latex, though so it's not like I'm trying to type with big ole' yellow Rubbermaids

Hey, Janis, another up-and-down-the stairs soaper

[lbtddr]

i soap only on weekends.my grandson who is two is hear Monday -Wednesdays and i work. so weekends is when i try to get every thing done.but i start with the lye water. then melt solid oils. when the right temp. i bring the lye in the house and make soap.i mix the lye out side i don't wont the fumes in the house.i put the lye water in the barbecue grill out back till i am ready for it.

[Janis]

Hey, Janis, another up-and-down-the stairs soaper

Yeah, I keep telling myself it's good exercise:tongue2:

[Grumpy Girl]

I generally always soap at night since I'm an insomniac who's out of work till Summer. Not only that but DH works nights and once my teenager goes to bed it's nice and quiet. The kid works my very last nerve when I'm soaping so I avoid it unless he's in school or in bed.

First thing is to grab your ipod off the desk on the way to the kitchen.

I am a neat freak, so I gather all my oils, measure them for each batch I plan on doing in separate containers, put all my oils away, wipe up, stick the first container in the microwave and grab my lye, container, spoon, additives that go into my lye, retreave my goggles and gloves from the top of the fridge and get the lye measured and mixed for each batch and put it behind my Kitchen Aid mixer on the back counter to cool. I have a mortal fear of my son thinking it's Koolaid, so I've taken liberty to write all over the lye containers with a Sharpie marker "Lye". I put away all my lye stuff but the scale, and wipe down before putting my gloves and goggles away.

Once my oils are heated, I put them on the stove top to cool while I grab a dozen dixie cups and start to measure out my FO, mix my colors, gather my craft sticks that I use to mix the colors with the soap, plug up the SB and position it on the sink ledge and line my mold/s.

I use 2 gallon plastic buckets to mix my soap in, so I put one in the sink, don my gloves and goggles again, and dump in my oils and lye into the bucket, then I'm bad and take off the goggles. Once the oil and lye are incorporated well, I mix FO and color in the bucket and get it into a mold which is already sitting on a fluffy towel. I like a really light trace to work with. I cover the mold with saran wrap, put another towel on top and cover the whole thing with my lucky red fleece throw.

I'm like Robin, I have to clean up immediately. I toss everything into the dishwasher, and start it up unless I need to reuse something for another batch, then I just keep my gloves on and wash it in the sink.

Unfortunately, I'm a creature of habit and I have my routine. I like my routine, it works for me.

[Carrie]

I soap in the basement at my mothers house.

I make sure that I tell my mom not to let my son downstairs, I'm soaping.

I put on gloves and goggles.

I mix the lye and let sit in another part of the basement.

Take off gloves and goggles.

My son will ask if he can come down, No, I have lye.

I measure hard oils and put in the microwave to melt.

While thats melting I measure liquid oils.

Remind DS he isn't allowed downstairs.

Decide which FO to play with today.

Now what color and what kind of color.

Pick up lye and see if it's still too hot to pick up. If it isn't I take it to soaping area, mix soft oils with hard, SB for a minute to break up the last of the hard oils then put gloves and goggles back on and SB the lye into the oils.

At about this point I remember that I haven't lined the mold yet. That's the other reason I bought a Kelsei. I throw it together really fast. Also, this is usually when my cell phone rings and DS asks once again if he can come downstairs.

I mix the color with some traced soap and add FO to the remainder in the pot. SB until it mixes. Add some color to the mold, pour the soap over the color, add more color, swirl. Put in the cross pieces of the mold and cover with towels.

Go upstairs and have a glass of wine with Mom.

[eugenia]

I have a brand new ritual that I am loving! Weigh my water. Mix my lye. Weigh my hard oils. Melt. Add my soft oils. Stir. Leave overnight. Next day, line my mold, weigh my FO. Mix my color. Add FO to the room temp oils. Stir. Add my lye water and start stick blending. Take some soap out at thin trace and color. Pour and swirl in the mold. Cover with saran and wrap in a quilt.

[OutlandishLady]

I don't have a soap ritual because I can't FIND ANY LYE :cry2:

I have everything else, dang it. My supplies are out, the recipe is standing by, the mold is all lined but no stinking NaOH. I guess that's what happens when you live in a meth-crazy state. It's internet orders for me, I suppose.

I'm with Grumpy though my 'Pod is a MUST HAVE item. Got a new one for Xmas and it's used almost everyday.

[Meridith]

I soap in my workshop so I don't have to worry about my pets or kids since they aren't around. Plus my kids are older and do understand to stay out of my stuff. First, I cover my tables with paper and then make my lye solution and while that is cooling down (I like to soap around 100 degrees). I weigh out all my hard oils and then melt them down. Next, I weigh all my soft oils and add those to my melted hard oils. While keeping an eye on my temps of the oils and lye, I get the rest of my stuff out and ready - this would be my dyes and any other additives I will be using (oatmeal, ground luffa, ground apricot seeds etc). Once I reach my desired temps, I start to soap - adding the lye with my oils & butters. Once finished with that, I put the mixture into my mold, cover the mold and place in a box I have that I have lined with sheep skin. I cover the mold further with old towels and then close the box up and shove it under a work bench to "sleep."

CindyM - I just soaped the Goddess too. I used GM and swirled purple in it. It turned out really cool looking - I can't wait to try it out. I made it for Mother's Day.