Getting Your Soap Making Kit Ready
Author: Mary Published Under: Home
People have been making soap for many hundreds and thousands of years, but over the last century, manufactured soap has become the standard and the home soapier has become far less common. Making your own soap, however, is very easy and uses only normal kitchen utensils. It also allows you to control what goes into your soap, so you can use only natural chemicals and scents.
One of the main requirements for making soap is some sort of heat source. A double boiler can make life easier, but a saucepan and a bowl that is heat proof will suffice. It is also necessary to chop up the soap flakes, which can be done with a mortar and pestle or a food processor, but even this can be done by hand.
One of the other main requirements is a cookie cutter or something that can be used to mold the soap. This is one place that you can get pretty creative, as there is no need to use the standard rectangle shape, although this is certainly an option as well.
However, there are countless other molds and shapes that can be used, so it is possible to have your soap look like almost anything you would like. Many craft stores sell molds that are specifically made for soap making and it is even possible to make your own plaster mold, so the sky really is the limit when it comes to what your soap will look like.
Other tools needed to make soap include, an electric beater for whipped cream soaps, a glass mixing bowl large enough to house all the ingredients, a dropper to add scents and fragrances, and a grater for use grating glycerin soaps. A good set of measuring cups is also needed, with at least one well made heat proof measuring cup. Waxed paper is used to ensure the soap dries evenly ad chopsticks can be used to stir the soap as it is melted. A sharp knife, ruler, fork, and spoon is also needed.
All of the materials that go into a soap making kit are common to most kitchens, so many people already have everything on hand. However, it is important to clean the items after each use and to also keep your cooking and soap making utensils separate.