Monday, February 23, 2009

Waiting 4 Weeks To Bathe

OK, not entirely. I only have to wait 4 weeks to bathe with this soap. This here is a sneak peek at what currently resides on top of my refrigerator. It's my first ever attempt at soapmaking. The soap takes at least 4 weeks to cure. And with a toddler in the house, just about the only safe place to let these bars sit, is on top of the fridge.

They're not evenly cut, but they smell nice - peppermint, of course. If they turn out well, they'll get us all clean, even in their clunky state.

Through a thrifting treasure hunt, I slowly started accumulating all the necessary soapmaking supplies, including: a stainless steel pot for $4, two utensils at .25 cents each, a hand blender for $2, two soap molds (a mini loaf pan for $4 and a tupperware container for $2,) a pitcher for .77 cents and a leftover pasta sauce jar for measuring the sodium hydroxide.
I found The Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Cavitch at my local library. Essentially, this is the the go-to source for soapmakers. Also handy was this link which showed me how to properly mix my solution to make lye.

We are trying to stay sulfate-free and had been buying fantastic (and highly recommended) Sparta peppermint soap from etsy. But now, at $5 a bar, I thought I'd try my hand at soapmaking. Since 15 bars of soap would run $75 (yikes!) we're coming out ahead with our $50 investment because it includes reusable supplies. And we have soap for a year.

In 4 weeks time, I'll report back to let you know how, and if, my soap turned out. Stay tuned.

4 comments:

Patty said...

I won an apron in a blog giveaway and the blogger also sent me a bar of soap that she had made with lye. I loved it. I hope yours turns out as nice as hers did. And, just think: you will all smell minty fresh. :)

java girl said...

Oh WHAT fun!! If I were you I would be be trying to stop and smell my soap all day long!! I am always inspired by your site!!

This weekend I bought a tube of Tom's Toothpaste at Target and I honestly had to stop and think of your site and all the fun all natural things you make! My mom and I have a goal of someday making our own deodarant :O) I'm hunting for what I need to make it on the clearnace wrack ;O)

Have a wonderful day!!

PS I love the Tom's Toothpaste it is so different than "normal" brands. My teeth actually did feel cleaner the first time I brushed with it ;O)

lera said...

Looking great, Diane!

Pretty soon when you make soap, you'll forget that it's been four weeks and you finally dig it out after 2 months of "curing." lol It's just the first few batches that seem to take forever.

casch said...

Wow, you never cease to amaze me. How DO you find the time with a very busy toddler running around you?

Way to go though! Your ideas are fun and crafty AND inspirational!

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