I have always wanted to try making soap at home. The main reason we raise goats is to be able to get milk to make soap and cheese and then pretend we are going to sell them. Well, the goats are bred and we hope to get milk soon but I wanted to make soap now. After a little research I ran across a method call Remelt and Pour, this seemed to be able to give me my soap making fix for now. I plan on making my own lye from wood ashes from our wood stove for the process later on and use milk from our goats along with fresh herbs from our garden but that is in the future. It seems like everywhere I looked homesteading bloggers where making soap, I'm easily influenced and wanted a piece of the action. I rounded up some goodies from around the house and got into the process. Here is what sorta, kinda happened.
Grabbed 3 bars of Dial soap that we got at a bulk store. = cheap
Took out my good ole pocket knife and shaved into pieces. This Old Timer has worn a hole in many a jean pocket as you can tell.
Let me say that I should have used a grater for this, these large pieces took a long time to melt. Hey, there's my smoke's, been looking for those.
Placed the soap in my make shift double broiler. = Glass bowl inside of a pot. Add some water and mix and melt. Sorta looks like gravy to me. hehe!!
Found some of this bath treatment stuff under the bathroom sink, yep we got a sink and a crapper in the house. We're big time around here, nothin to good for my woman. Why, the other day we was at the Dollar store and I told her to get anything she wanted. Ain't nothin in there to good fer my woman. lol Anyway added this powder to the mix and stir some more.
Ain't got any of 'em fancy soap molds or anything but Liv had these cupcake trays that she said just didn't work out to good for and was kind enough to let me use them if I promised I'd leave her alone and let her do her cake thing. Deal !! These are plastic or something, they are flexible. (or "bendy" as Katie says ) Pour in the mix that I melted, not real neat like either as you can see. After it sets a bit I can clean it up some.
A couple hours later I removed them from the pans/tray to continue to dry.
Kinda looks like candy of some kind here. lol
The next day that are still not set up good, it takes a few days or so I have read. They look like can biscuit's in this picture. Man they smell good, the bath treatment stuff had oatmeal in it too and you can smell it. Not very pretty soap but, it was a trial run. I had no extra $$ invested and I sorta got my feet wet in this whole soap making thing. I have much to learn I know but this was a good confidence build for me. I will feel a little better when I try to make my first batch of real homemade soap now that I have cheated a little.
Cheaters soap/Canned biscuits
