Soap Making Supplies & Equipment

Soap Making Supplies & Equipment
Now that you’ve assembled your ingredients and picked a recipe, it’s time to get all of your equipment. The first thing you’re going to need is an electronic scale, this is convenient because it measures both grams and ounces and recipes come both ways. I use a pitcher, you’re going to want a couple of long handled spoons, they can be plastic, they can be wood, they can be stainless steel. It’s nice to have a spatula, in fact it’s nicer if you have one with a longer handle. We have two thermometers here, they’re common kitchen thermometers. The first thing I recommend you do is you put them in boiling water, let them sit for a while and see if they measure the same, if they don’t measure the same, you don’t have to throw one out or replace it, just murk it and you’ll be able to add a couple of degrees, subtract a couple of degrees. I have a couple of paper plates to pick up spills, I have a container that’s plenty large enough for the lye and water combination, once again this has to withstand high temperatures, so high temperature plastic, a glass or even the stainless will work. This pot is big enough to accommodate the whole recipe and it can be stainless or it can also have a ceramic finish. It’s real important that you don’t use aluminum or iron or tin because each of those will be corroded by the chemicals that you’re using here and some of that will get deposited in your soap. I have some little bowls for putting my prepared additives in, my oatmeal, I’m going to put some buttermilk in one, I have a grater for the beeswax, I have some safety products, I have a pair of goggles, a good pair of rubber gloves, I have some newspaper for the tabletop and some vinegar. Then I have some towels here, you can also use old blankets to wrap this in to insulate it during the curing process. I’m going to be using pvc for molds today. I’m going to use saran wrap or plastic wrap and rubber bands on the bottom to secure the soap and I’m going to use petroleum jelly on the inside. I have a funnel here so that it’s easier to get the soap in and I have a stainless ladle for pouring the soap in. And it’s always handy to have some paper towels. Okay now we’re ready to begin.