#I've tried washing it

[nevermore117]

figured I might talk a little about how I've been making soap so yall can judge my dirty ass workstation

I'm making a new batch this evening so it seems like a good way to show everything from the top. This is a long post, I just like sharing my hobbies and I think soapmaking is fucking cool ok

Part 1:

Essentially, when you make soap you're mixing sodium hydroxide (or another similar base like potassium hydroxide) with water and oils and blending them up. When mixed they go through a process called saponification, during which (from my rudimentary understanding) the fatty acid tails break off from the fat structure because the hydrogen atom in the NaOH (sodium hydroxide) really wants to bond in that spot instead. The Na is an ion and breaks off from the molecule in water anyways, and it and the remaining O bond with the fatty acid tail and make a soap. Don't ask me any more please I'm not out of gen chem 2 yet.

All that means is, you take some water and some oils and some sodium hydroxide and mix it together, let it react, and you get soap. The key is the ratios of oils, water, and sodium hydroxide.

The thing is, sodium hydroxide is a strong base. Which is kind of like a strong acid in how bad it is to touch. You don't want it on your hands, you don't want it in your mouth, and jesus fucking christ it WILL blind you if you get it in your eyes. So PPE (personal protective equipment) is a must. And not just some gardening gloves either, you need proper eye and skin protection.

I have latex gloves, a long-sleeved denim shirt I got from my old job for free, and some decent protective goggles. All of this goes on before the lye is opened and doesn't come off until I'm completely done with everything. PPE isn't a joke.

Anyways. When you're making soap you need stuff like measuring bowls of course, since like I mentioned it's the ratios that matter. I measure everything by the gram with a digital scale. Silicone spatulas are also a must, I have two.

I also have an immersion blender. You COULD stir by hand, but I'm not eager to splash 10M lye around willy nilly so I got the blender. It just makes it easier and gives a better final product. I keep my tools separate from anything I would eat with bc, yknow,

, so no smoothies for this bad boy. Not pictured are plain spoons for adding stuff to the measuring bowls. I use glass bowls bc the lye can corrode metal.

Once I measure out an oil/butter I dump it into a big glass measuring cup. I could use a bowl but the measuring cup has a handle and I'm gonna be heating it up later.

Did you think I was done fearmongeroing about sodium hydroxide? Nope! It isn't just bad to touch, it's also bad to breathe! And it generates heat when you dilute it! That's hardly unique to lye, but it's still a little scary and cool.

The lye comes in little round pellets that I have to dissolve into a specific amount of water to get the right concentration of sodium hydroxide solution, and while that's happening it gives off vapors that SUCK to breathe. Ask me how I know. It's not "gonna kill you, call 911 asap", but it's "OWCH my LUNGS". You know if you breathed some in, it stings for a bit when you breathe in like something irritated the lining of your esophagus. Because it did.

So you have to make soap (or at least dilute your sodium hydroxide) in a well-ventilated area. Hence why I do this in my dirty ass garage instead of a nice clean kitchen. I have a big fan set up right next to my water bath (for keeping the lye cooler as I dilute it plus emergency water for washing), and I open the garage door to get that shit out. No enclosed spaces for me, please.

Now... actually making the soap look and smell nice. I have fragrance oils I add, plus I can also add stuff like soap colorant (NOT FOOD DYE), clay (like a clay mask), exfoliants, etc. I just kinda fuck around with trying new oils together. The appeal of this hobby for me is trying new things and experimenting.

I'll update more with actual in-progress photos once I'm done. I took these after cleaning all my supplies, I have some work I have to do before actually making soap bc it takes a while to measure everything out. Hopefully I'll find some time later this afternoonnnn

#furry.txt #soapdate #yes I know my workstation is a mess #I have to be able to pack everything down once I'm done so I can't really establish a permanent workspace #it's not actually as dirty as it looks this table is just fucking old and covered in speckles #I've tried washing it #it's just damage and not actually dirt #long post

[canisalbus]

Hi, I just read your answer about Machete trying hard to keep he’s appearance neat and clean and as an owner of an all white dog I feel the struggle, my dog looks so handsome right after his bath/grooming but that appearance last about two or three days if I’m lucky, he gets dirty so easily but unlike popular believes he doesn’t get “dark” or dust dirty, he starts to stain “yellow”, of course mud stains are dark and very noticeable but those are easier to brush away once they dry than regular dirt that makes him look peanut butter colored instead of his pretty off white natural color. I can’t bathe him often as he’s double coated so I have resign to have a dirty yellowish dog, but very pretty nonetheless. Last but not least I love your art and your characters… it just occurred to me that it would be very tender and special if Machete let Vasco brush his fur :3

Good to hear input from an owner of an actual white dog! It's nice that I wasn't too off the mark with the maintenance bit. I've met some white dogs that had a distinct beige tint to them and I assumed it was indeed something along the lines of fine dirt, body oils and general exposure to the elements. Your boy sounds lovely, give him scritches from me!

#I've only ever owned cats but once one of them somehow got into our old (unused) fireplace and tried to climb up the chimney #I think the white parts of his fur stayed grey for over a week despite multiple washings and he didn't even get -that- much soot on him #brushing sounds adorable let me see if I can draw that sometime #answered #passportcolor

[peaches2217]

Everyone please drop words of endless praise and gratitude towards my gf in the replies, her attempts to troll me have led me to discovering my new favorite perfume and I once more owe her my life

#I've got so many samplers and she's been having fun choosing a new scent for me to try each day! but she also happens to be chaotic neutral #today's choice (cleopatra by tocca) had all the hallmarks of a scent that I would absolutely despise #musky (every musky perfume I've tried so far I've hated)! heavy grapefruit notes (I have a personal vendetta against grapefruit)! #I even brought a trusted backup to work expecting to wash today's choice off within the first hour #I'm. SERIOUSLY considering getting a full bottle. this shit smells delectable #the muskiness actually plays exceedingly well with the heavier notes of patchouli and blackcurrant #(and coincidentally every blackcurrant-adjacent perfume I've tried I've absolutely adored) #and the sweetness of the grapefruit is made lighter with potent but not overpowering green notes #and then the heart notes! juicy peach and gentle tuberose just - MMN #it smells like fresh-brewed green tea. I'm in tears I love it so much #which means she'll pull out all the stops trying to chose one I'll ACTUALLY hate for tomorrow. I love this woman #peaches screams into the void

[dirtytransmasc]

I have a question for other fibro, chronic pain/fatigue, disabled people, cause I need some help.

I have issues showering, like most of us do, due to pain and fatigue and weakness etc. that makes standing up for long periods and the physical labor of washing myself difficult, and have spent quite a while just making it work.

I tend to just sit on the floor, but because of the tightness in my legs that makes it so I have to kneel or hunch over to avoid pain/stress on my joints (which causes circulation issues in my legs if I kneel or back pain if I hunch), the difficulty I have getting up and down, and the amount of times I've almost passed out from the effort, sitting on the floor is becoming less of a solution and more of a hindrance.

my real problem is that I can't stand shower stools. I have never found one that lets me feel mobile in the shower, I always feel stuck and boxed in because they limit the range of motion I still have.

I have issues turning around to wash my hair out. I have to pick between being in the water or being just out of it which makes washing my hair and body difficult. I can't easily make any major position changes without more effort than I would need by just sitting on the floor. I have a very hard time holding the shower head so I have to leave it up in the holder which leaves the water and me in very fixed positions.

overall, shower stools do not work for me, and I was wondering if anyone had found other solutions to the showering issue, cause I want to rip my hair out.

#the slickness of the bathtub floor has always been my bestie (when I'm sitting down of course) #it made switching from wetting my body and keeping my hair dry to wetting my hair and keeping my body dry so easy cause all I had to do was #spin a bit and all would be well. #the stool doesn't let me do that which means I have to twist my back (which hurts) or stand up. step over the stool. and sit back down- #(fainting/slip risk) back and forth till I'm done washing which is exhausting as all hell #I hate being planted in one place. it drives me nuts #and most stools have a lot of traction so the stool doesn't slip. which in most situations is nice. but then I can't even slide back and- #forth to avoid turning around. #some stools I've tried that on have landed me flat on my ass cause I just tipped it or fell off of #at the end of the day I end up ditching it to either stand (torture myself) or sit on the floor (torture myself in a slightly different way #someone help before I accidentally find a way to die in my own bath tub #fibromyalgia #fibro problems #chronic pain #chronic fatigue #chronic illness #disability #spoonie

[midnight-roses-candy]

Sex in the bath is one of those things that I absolutely wish worked because it would be really hot but unfortunately doesn't.

#i've tried scissoring/grinding underwater and it wasn't very good because all the natural lubrication washes away #i imagine penetration would be actively painful #lesbian nsft #sex in water #bathing kink

[altfire-archive]

they're besties, your honor

#arven fanart #arven pokemon #mabosstiff #rotom #rotom wash #pokemon oc #pls click on it it's huge #alfie #watch your feet #i dont have an art tag #my hand fucking hurts i've been working on this for 7 hours almost nonstop #i made it my desktop wallpaper #i love them sm. alfie was galar champion but moved to paldea when he tried to become a gym leader #but was rejected bc he wouldn't stop obliterating twelve year olds. you know how it is #i rlly dreaded drawing mabosstiff but honestly it wasnt hard its a very cute design i love him

[nowendil]

nothing as stressful on this earth as being a guy who has a System for doing a thing that other people do all willy-nilly and then people try to be thoughtful and helpful by doing that thing for you but they just end up fucking up your System. and then you can't be upset about it because they meant well and you know that you're the weird one here anyway

#in other words my dad tried to help me by putting some of my clothes into the washing machine #but he put them on a wrong setting and it will be fine the clothes wont be ruined or anything but it judt Feels so wrong #Because I Have A System #but I cant even be like hey just so you know for future reference could you please use setting xyz when washing my laundry #because i have tried and he has just got upset with me because it's rude to nitpick things people do for you as a favor #and this is a bit my fault too for leaving my laundry next to the washing machine #i dont usually leave my laundry anywhere out in the open (i keep it in my room) to avoid these kind of situations #but idk. i just feel so stupid for feeling upset because i know that for most people this would be helpful why do i've to be so Particular #but also. it does hurt my feelings unfortunately. why cant people either respect the fact that i have a system and let me do it myself #or even be extra nice and try to ask what i want. that would be nice #idkkk i know i'm ridiculous with laundry but also i'm tired of people telling me how unnecessarily complicated and stupid my system is #it's important to me!!!!! why isnt that enough #disclaimer i am PMSing currently. so if i seem more upset than warranted that might be it. but i also i would be upset about this anyway

[leaving-fragments]

#i can buy dye on monday at the earliest so i have some time to contemplate further #i've already eliminated purple and pink as options this time so now it's just down to these two #trouble is ive been wanting to do henna for years and have never tried but if i get semi permanent green it'll wash out faster #and then i'd be open again for other colours faster yk? henna is like a longer commitment #emma talks #important survey

[its-captain-sir]

Something I think people don't talk about enough about habit building is that. you have to go slow. You can't just try to fix everything in your life all at once cause that'll never work and you'll only make yourself feel bad when you fail. Tbh it's even almost too hard to try to focus on multiple things at all. If you want to do it effectively, you really gotta pick just one thing to work on at a time and focus your efforts just on doing that. for a really long time probably. It may take weeks, or even months, of just focusing on that one thing for you to get to the point you want, and yeah it will feel very slow going (especially if you feel like there's a lot in your life you want to fix that you're not getting to) but I promise you it works, and works great in fact. You'll actually get the results you want without failing or burning yourself out in the process. Maybe you won't see or feel those results right away, but one day in the future you'll be able to look back and realize just how much you were able to change. Just as long as you take it slow <3

#personally been trying to focus on taking better care of my hair for the last month or so #using some better products when i wash it and conditioning good and all that #and thinking back on it it's incredible how much of a difference I've seen now #it looks better and feels better and doesn't get super knotted all the time which makes it easier on myself every morning brushing it #and truly i didn't have to put that much effort in to get to this point! it was very easy! #but i know i would have failed or given up on it if say I tried to focus on that and managing my acne better at the same time #so yeah. gotta go slow and do one thing at a time. finally figured that out hajdhskdnsk #megan.txt

[backslashdelta]

they should invent laundry that puts itself away after you've finished washing it

#I've tried having more laundry baskets so that I can just leave the clean clothes there and still have somewhere for dirty clothes #but then I just have more laundry baskets for of clean clothes #and still nowhere for the dirty ones... lol #and now I need to put away the clean clothes so that I can put the dirty ones into the baskets #so that I can wash THOSE #but since I'll have just put clean laundry away I won't want to do it again #and the cycle will continue :( #personal #mine

[and-stir-the-stars]

"it's your own fault that you have such bad acne if you don't wash your face" okay then explain why every facial cleanser I try dries out my skin and gives me awful painful rashes on my face. Go ahead.

#Tried a fash wash. Have a rash now. Isn't fun. #I don't understand. Should i use like?? Hand soap?? Or smth? #'Just moisturize your face after you wash it' I TRY AND IT DOESN'T HELP #I've been moisturizing my face consistently for the past three days and my face is still dry and itchy and rashy #I should. Mayhaps. Not use that face wash again.

[wildwood-faun]

all right who has advice for how to freshen up (vintage!) white textiles that have either been stained or gone a bit yellow?

one of the items is a shirt whose front and cuffs have been starched to oblivion and I'm hesitant to just soak it but maybe I have to?

#i also have a bow tie that i tried soaking in a bicarbonate of soda bath but that did Nothing #i might end up just going with bleach but they don't even sell that in my most local stores??? #i have this idea of a magical soak but all the advice i've googled up so far is put this or that in your washing machine and :/ #life of kit #textile nerdery

[a-corphish-companion]

It's been a LONG time since a Pokemon game has left me this genuinely tilted

#like #the Elite Four this time is genuinely REALLY difficult for me #and my pride HURTS #Sure my pokemon ARE underleveled #and the team I came up with this time has a big issue with not being able to hit fairies for super effective #but like #they all have coverage moves this time?? #and the doubles format is SO MUCH harder for my brain than singles #So far I've only beaten Crispin #and even THAT took three tries and a max revive #Am I... washed? #pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #the indigo disc

[sysig]

Ughhhhhhh

#I just......wanted to work on some new video editing techniques.......... #Spoiler: It went........so fucking bad lol #Like restart my computer because it basically stopped functioning bad #That seems like a non sequitor but believe me getting from A to Z was an awful ordeal #I've been curious for a while if I could sync up my footage to the audio - y'know cut the video up in time with the music! Classic #Normally I'd fall back on WMM but it has this annoying desync glitch(?) where it renders everything correctly but previews it out of time #So trying to line up the visuals to the audio - well I have to restart and listen through everything so far for it to align properly :/ #Lightworks is being a bitch as well - I guess it just stopped?? having a feature that it had a couple years ago that controls clip length #So I get random-length clips! That I can't stretch or extend! Y'know - The Thing I need to do! #I also tried Openshot and by about the point the advice had me changing my security settings I noped out #Literally would crash if I tried to import one (1) .png >:P #And I'm not about to give my info to Yet Another freeware like DaVinci Resolve since it went So Well with Lightworks #Didn't stop me from downloading and installing the wrong version for like an hour which Greatly lagged out my computer #And then as said it was the wrong version even if I did have access to it so I wouldn't be able to use it anyway! #How come we have such good opensource video capture and streaming software like OBS #And like LibreOffice for word processing and Audacity for audio and just - so many good opensource programs! #But video editing is a step too far #Ugh #Today's been a wash >:/ #At least my uptime is all shiny sparkly new for streaming maybe tomorrow lol #I dunno it depends on how sleep goes - y'know how it is after being frustrated for so long #I really wanted to! I wanted to do a lot of things >:( #I'll see how it all goes #Guess I'm going back to WMM - ugh - once I've properly cooled down and Actually Prepared for the slog #If anyone has any video editing software recommendations I am all ears tho #Obviously not any of the ones mentioned here as they Did Not Work lol #I just want........an intuitive place where I can drag-and-drop images and be able to crop their length up or down to the audio #Hell I'll take a patch for the desync if such a thing exists lol - looks like it's been a problem for like 10 years! Hgg #I just want to Make Thing In Head happen! It is not a lack of will! I am 100% blaming my tools on this one lol #I'm an amateur video editor I have the right to be whiny! I want a tool that isn't hell to operate! JFLHFJKLFHIOSEJF Anyway lol

[wizardlyghost]

yknow i think i would maybe have had an easier time in life if i had been a little less autistic :/

#looking back its just an endless parade of me Caring About The Rules Come On Guys We Need To Follow The Rules Stop Mucking Around #You Should Be Wearing A Hat Outside Even If School Hasn't Started Yet #This Is A Sleepover We Should Be Sleeping Bedtime Was 7:00 Stop Trying To Talk To Me And Go To Sleep #The Code Of Conduct Says No Swearing And So Does The Bible So Knock It Off Please #It's Unhygenic To Cut Different Fruits Without Washing The Knife In Between There Was A Whole Section Of Training About Cross Contamination #honestly far and away the most shocking thing about my life is that nobody has ever punched me in the nose #i just. can't. stop. somehow. despite how much i hate myself for it #it's not even like i enshrine The Rules as their own thing! i've broken so many rules that i thought were stupid or inconvenient! #i guess i just internalised the idea of Standing Up For What You Believe Is Right as a kid. and then tried to practice it. like an idiot. #and it just gets me into trouble time and time again because you're Supposed To Stick To It No Matter The Opposition #which combines with my scots bloody mindedness to turn me into a terrier clamped onto a mack truck #utterly pointless kinda ridiculous looking yet biting even harder any time someone tries to make me let go #it sucks and i hate it but it's also the only way i seem able to live without being completely crushed by shame over Turning The Blind One #:(

[fangs-4-fags]

i cannot believe this im just getting over being sick and now i think i have pink eye! truly i am god's most despised little wretch and he means to let me know. well it'll take a lot more than that to bring me down you holy bastard

#my eye is itchy and a bit on the red side #and when i woke up it was tearing up a lot #and my cousins had an eye infection earlier this month #i've tried so hard to keep my hands washed and away from my face but ig in a house full of small children it's in vain