So several months ago I had a go at making some goats milk soap...ya didn't work. I think I put way too much lye in it because it has a strong smell of lye still. I had greased a tupperware container and had used that as my basic soap mold. Now that I know for sure that soap will not saponify how should I dispose of the bad batch? I just don't know if putting it in the garbage is ok to do? I'm going to try my hand at making soap again since hubby bought a much nicer digital scale for me to use...the other one was pretty old and hard to calibrate!
Maizy-brownswiss/jersey Sassafrass-06/20/10
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts
Posted - Sep 11 2010 : 12:55:48 PM
Leanne- Yes, it's okay to put in the garbage. Lye is a natural occuring compound that is found in things like wood ashes. You soap is caustic but not toxic.
I've made lye soap too and it can smell pretty strong unless it has aged long enough. Did you let it age 30 days before you used it? I made a lavendar scented one and there was a bit of white grainy residue as it hardened which means there was slightly more lye than there should have been but not too bad. I use the soap now in the shower. It's great stuff! There's some great simple instructions online. I made mine using lard, lye, lavendar and water.
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3317 Posts
Posted - Sep 23 2010 : 4:23:05 PM
The white ashy residue has to do with heat loss and inadequate mixing-it is not an indicator of "bad" soap and it washes away.
If your soap fails the first time don't throw it out! You can nearly always salvage a botched batch of soap. Try grating the soap with a cheese grater, add it to a crock pot on low, add some milk and stirring occasionally-It will become a lovely brown color! When everything is mixed and melted pour or more than likely scoop and mash into molds,let it set up (sometimes I just put it into the freezer) and then cut into bars-Leave it alone for a while so that it will harden and last longer.
what to do with bad soap?
Posted - Sep 11 2010 : 12:22:12 PM
