# It's soap! and, lye in Spokane WA



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Amy9999, thank you for posting your pics, tried it again, and it worked this time! Used the Fiasco farms recipe- still trying to read the tables to make own recipes. The lye in Spokane is at General Store- $3 something for 1lb. (rooto) 
Looking for recipes using a mixture of animal & olive or coconut. Can someone reccomend a book? This was such a victory, as the last 2 attempts were not good. 
Is borax bad in soap? 
thanks-
Teri


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i really like using the online calculators. i have never used a recipe, and i am sure there are some good ones, but using an online calculator really gives you a bit of freedom to use what you have.


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

Like meloc, I use an online calculator. My preference is www.soapcalc.com, but you can find one at www.thesage.com and other sites as well.

If you get a recipe out a book or anywhere for that matter always run it through a lye calculator. You never know...human error or even just someone who really doesn't get what they are talking about.

I would go to soap calc and run 20% coconut and 80% olive to start and see what you think. That high in olive will require quite a long cure time to harden up. Do you have other oils like lard, tallow or palm? I prefer lard with coconut and sunflower myself for a good hard great lathering bar.

I try to keep coconut at 20-30% and superfat at 5% (I also have fresh GM in all my soap)


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I have some recipes on my soapmaking page
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com/soapmaking

But I concur - run EVERY recipe you come across through a reputable lye calculator. The two that were recommended are good ones.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks! Finally figured out how to read it. I appreciate your input, kidsngarden, the books I have been reading seem to pooh pooh using animal fats, I want to combine them with other oils to bring down the cost, and use what I have and can get. Why do it if it is outrageously expensive and hard to obtain? Doesn't make sense with homesteading to me. Will check out your recipies at mullerslane- recipes seem to help when first starting, after I learn a bit, will start making my own.


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