Cleaning up

Krinic1985

12 years ago

I currently use boiling bags to avoid having to clean up, because I don't know the best supplies to use. I don't want my pots to be ruined by chemicals. Any suggestions?

Comments (5)

Brent B
12 years ago
Krinic1985,

This is a mixed forum, what chemicals are you worried about?
What are you making, and what method are you doing if you're making soap?
Krinic1985
Original Author
12 years ago
I make candles for now but plan on making soaps too.. I don't have too many things to cook in and the things I do have I don't want my other scents and waxes to stick even after I clean. So I use boiling bags. I am not sure what else is best to do. Any suggestions?
Related Discussions
Picking up versus cleaning up
Q
Comments (13)
Maybe the solution is to do either/or but not both types of chores in the same day. Organize a room, then clean it. I was watching Hording Buried Alive last night. They had a woman, a former teacher, who had 2,000 totes in her home, neatly arranged but full of stuff she no longer needed, hobby supplies, many books, school supplies. It was neatly organized but they hit the nail on the head when they said "You have too much stuff for this small house." To add to it, she was reluctant to give anything away. She picked 16 items she was willing to donate, but that made no dent in the 2,000 "organized" labelled tote boxes. Her daughter (an adult) was very upset. No neat, happy end , showing her well-organized beautiful home. They left her with her overcrowded house and her many issues, which included family deaths, isolation, and her shopping addiction. Truly scary stuff.
...See More
Clean up the rough up
Q
Comments (2)
Once the urethane is dry, it's fine to use the mineral spirits. Varnishes don't re-dissolve when exposed to solvents. More potent solvents like lacquer thinner could destroy the finish, but mineral spirits is relatively benign.
...See More
front garden clean-up - Chinese wisteria control
Q
Comments (0)
We are in the midst of fall clean-up in the front garden - it is a mess out there at the moment! It is very dry (only 36mm/1.4") of rain in Sept. - less than 1/2 our usual Sept. rain...) We did a severe cut-back/prune on the Chinese wisteria as it was encroaching on/blocking passage on the path behind it. I planned the cut-back for at least a year but we never got around to it until this week! The mulch that was put on the path this spring has already broken down so I'll be thinking over the winter about whether that needs re-doing in spring... In the clean-up/wisteria pruning we found and removed one root sucker on the Chinese wisteria - that was the first root sucker we had seen on it for at least 5 years. The Japanese wisteria, in contrast, produces several root suckers every year! Garden chores are endless but so is our interest/pleasure in the garden :-) And while they are a constant source of work, we do love the wisterias, particularly the Chinese one (which we planted in 2001) Some pictures...: Chinese wisteria viewed from the road today after yesterday's pruning to (a) lift the 'skirt' (b) distance from the hydrangea (to the left of it and not showing in this picture) and (c) stop it from encroaching on the path behind it. Rear view with the path showing: What it looked like on May 24 this year when the wisteria was just starting to leaf out (note that this year was a bad bloom year for the wisteria!) You can clearly see how much it encroached on the path. For comparison - spring last year was a much better bloom year!
...See More
Suggestions on how to clean up a very dusty garage!
Q
Comments (4)
What kind of garage is it? Stand alone old thing, newer with drywall attached to the house, something else? Sometimes garages get dustier because of that big door on it can let in more outdoors. Sometimes there is damage, or age going on. What kind of dusty are you talking about? Too much housedust for the average person? Years worth of sitting? Dust from a workshop or something like that? How much cleanup you need might depend on the garage and dust. If it's an older unfinished garage, running an air filter in it won't help much. A shop vac is super handy. Not sure if you need a N95 mask, that could depend on your level of dust sensitivity and the kind of dust it is. How old is the garage? I ask because of the asbestos comment. If the house was built in the last 40 years or so, there shoudn't be any asbestos. If it's older than that, you can call in a company that deals in asbestos abatement- they can see if the dust in your garage is asbestos or not.
...See More
Brent B
12 years ago
Krinic1985,

I'm a soap guy, I do not make candles, so I'm unfamiliar with the ingredients needed for such a craft.

Maybe post with a title pertaining to candles, and maybe a chandler will drop by and help ya?

It's been pretty slow 'round here.
LavenderWoman
12 years ago
For soaps, you need to use a stainless steal bowl for the lye bath. For the batter, to which you mix in the lye bath, you can use hard plastic or stainless steal. You will NOT be able to use plastic, it will melt. For cleaning, you either leave gloves on and wipe out while still soft, toss the paper towels and then wash the dish, or just leave sit (this is what I do) and then scoop out the hardened soap the next day and wash the dishes.
You must use silicone, plastic, or stainless steel utensils, including the spatulas. Any other metal will corrode and the glass will etch and then break when you least expect it too.

It has been many years since I did candles, but I never had a problem cleaning when the wax was warm. You just wipe out your pots when the wax is warm by taking a paper towel and removing the excess. If that means heating it back up a bit, that's what you do. The wax and the FO's will not harm your pots, but these should be dedicated wax pots. You can get a cheap one at the good will or a yard sale to save money, or order a melt pot from a candle supply place. Those are nice when money isn't an issue, because they sometimes have a handle, and almost always have a pour spout. In fact, brambleberry.com (a soap supply place)just began carrying one and I think it was 22$ if I recall correctly.

Hope this helps!
LavenderWoman
12 years ago
I reread what I wrote and it appears I left out the word "bag" after I wrote you won't be able to use plastic, referring to soap making. You won't be able to use plastic bags is what I should have said.

Related Stories

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

Full Story

230

HOUSEKEEPING Clean Up Your Cleanup Zones

By Laura Gaskill

Make chore time more pleasant by tidying up your laundry room and updating cleaning tools

Full Story

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: An Eclectic London Townhouse Cleans Up

By Vanessa Brunner

White finishes strategically juiced up with color give a newly renovated Victorian graphic style

Full Story

THE HARDWORKING HOME Mudrooms That Really Clean Up

By Mary Jo Bowling

The Hardworking Home: Houzz readers get down and dirty with their ideas for one of the home’s hardest-working rooms

Full Story

122

KITCHEN DESIGN Graffiti-Tagged Kitchen Cleans Up Well

By Emily Hutchinson

A space that had been occupied by squatters is transformed into an award-winning kitchen

Full Story

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean Your Range and Oven

By Bonnie McCarthy

Experts serve up advice on caring for these kitchen appliances, which work extra hard during the holidays

Full Story

214

KITCHEN STORAGE Get It Done: How to Clean Out the Pantry

By Becky Harris

Crumbs, dust bunnies and old cocoa, beware — your pantry time is up

Full Story

125

KITCHEN DESIGN Design an Easy-Clean Kitchen

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

"You cook and I'll clean" might no longer be a fair trade with these ideas for low-maintenance kitchen countertops, cabinets and floors

Full Story

188

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD Traditional Kitchen Opens Up and Lightens Up

By Jo Simmons

Removing a wall was key to creating a large kitchen and dining space for family life in this London house

Full Story

DECORATING GUIDES Lighten Up — or Brighten Up — With Yellow

By Natasha Saroca

You can use this versatile color to create a buttery backdrop, add a zesty accent or make a bold design statement

Full Story

Cleaning up

Comments (5)

Brent B

Krinic1985
Original Author

Related Discussions

Brent B

LavenderWoman

LavenderWoman

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Cleaning up

Comments (5)

Brent B

Krinic1985Original Author

Related Discussions

Brent B

LavenderWoman

LavenderWoman

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Krinic1985
Original Author