The Soap Making Made Simple Mini Course...

Creating The Ideal Soap Making Workspace

Welcome To Day 7 of the Soap Making Made Simple Mini Course!

Today we've got some very important information for you about your soap making workspace.

One common question people have about soap making is "Where Should I Make My Soap?".  Well, this will vary from person to person and, of course, house to house.

But here are some very important things you should know...

Safety is essential in soap making, but where you work can be as important as how you work. Caustic lye can be dangerous to you, but it can also wreak havoc on all kinds of surfaces and seriously hurt your children and/or pets.

Therefore, you want to pick a location for your soap making that is not easily accessible. Although the kitchen may seem like a logical place to make soap, there are a few factors to consider:

-Caustic lye will eat laminate, Formica, linoleum, and many other common surfaces found in kitchens. It may also react with carpet, so it is important to either cover these surfaces or choose another location.

-Soap making generally takes at least an hour or two, so pick a location that can be "out of service" for that amount of time.

-You will want some ventilation, especially when dealing with your lye/water mixture. Rendering fat and tallow can also leave some unpleasant scents that may linger.

-Once your soap is ready to cure, you will want to keep it in an out-of-the way place. Having to move it is a chore, and may result in spills or stains.

For these reasons, we recommend that you choose a basement, garage, or outside workspace, preferably with a concrete floor.

A small hotplate can provide all your heating needs, and choosing a location other than the kitchen will ensure that your family still has access to that all-important room.

That should give you some thought starters for your workspace. For more information on setting up your workspace, additional recommendations are covered in our book, "Soap Making Made Simple!"

And keep an eye out for the next lesson in the series, Soap Making Oils.

Regards,

Dave Cushion