Well...teaching is slowing down for a bit...the state tests are next week! I always love how the state makes us administer these tests just off Spring Break! I don't understand the logic...if there is any!?
One of my goals for this vacation week is to start blogging again {check} and another goal leads me to the title of this post...making liquid soap! {check} Two birds with one stone :)
Soooo the making of liquid soap...
I decided to try this out for two reasons...{1} the twins use A LOT of soap when they wash their hands and the majority of it ends up all over the sink and on the faucets--boy do they make a mess! {2} constantly buying liquid hand soap for the bathroom is expensive (especially when said twins like to lather...EVERYTHING!)
The whole process is fairly simple...
Here's what you need...
*2 cups of filtered water
*a large pot
*2 bars of soap {shredded}
*3-4 tsp glycerin
*15-20 tea tree oil
*4-5 cups water
*an immersion blender
*whisk
The process...
1. Bring the 2 cups of filtered water to a boil over medium heat. Once you see little bubbles throughout all the water, add in all the shaved soap pieces.
2. Lower the heat and whisk the soap pieces. You want to try to dissolve the pieces in the water, but don't whisk too vigorously--that creates bubbles. You are going to be whisking for some time--until the mixture becomes like paste. Once that happens--turn off the heat.
3. Keep the soap paste in the pot and add the glycerin. Whisk it in.
4. Add the tea tree oil drops and whisk that in as well. The consistency of the mixture seems perfect at this point (other than the soap chunks!), but it's not. {This was where I thought I was done! I walked away from the pot to find some empty soap containers to rinse and get ready to fill. When I went back to the mixture in the pot, it was as thick as thick could be!)
5. Add 4-5 cups of water to the mixture a 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk in between until you get the consistency you want--not too thick, not too thin :)
6. Take your immersion blender and blend the mixture in the pot to get rid of those pesky chunks. It should be cooled enough at this point to then add to your bottles. The remaining mixture can be added to glass containers for use at a later time :)
You can also experiment with adding other essential oils to the mixture. I didn't because the soap I used was already scented.
Has anyone else ever tried this? I'd love to hear what you think :)
