CareBear Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Hi all, I've posted a few times lately, but I"m new to this whole thing and have lots of questions. In reading your posts you all seem like the nicest bunch! And very knowledgable (and patient!) I am new to making B&B stuff, and am starting out with solid lotion bars, then hoping to move to bath melts and bath bombs.What equipment do I REALLY need? *I have a scale - but it ain't so hot - how accurate do I need it to be? *I have a KitchenAide mixer - will I want to use that? Should I buy dedicated stuff for it, like bowls? What kind of mixers - wisk? *Will I want a stick/immersion blender?*I was planning to melt stuff in the microwave - is this really ok or do I need to do on stovetop? Are pyrex measuring cups good or is there something else I should look for? *And what cleans this waxy mess out of the things? Some seems to come off ok in the dishwasher - is this how you clean up or is there something better?I am sure there are 10,000 questions I haven't though of yet, so if you have any other words of advice I would appreciate them - I love reading your posts, they are great!Thanks for all your help! Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc26 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 wow, lots of questions. The utensils you will need can vary.You will definately want a stick blender..I think that they are the most marvelous things since sliced bread. You can never ever have to many pyrex cups, spatulas, whisks, knives, measuring spoons, etc.I don't have a kitchen aid, but many here do and love and swear by them. I just make do with my stick blender and the crappy hand mixer I have.I would also definately suggest upgrading your scale, you definately want it to be very accurate. You don't want to ruin batches of stuff becuase your scale was off. did I get 'em all?adding- I melt most things in the microwave some prefer to do it on the stove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatreats4u Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 for me personally i use a hand mixer or seperate blender/mixer...i dont put any of my bath/body stuff in my kitchen aide. i just can't do that. my other suggestion buy things to organize yourself or have a designated area in your home: cupboards, shelves, baskets etc... for storage...thats my advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 Thank you so much - now the question of the day is - how do I clean my molds and bowls after making solid lotion bars? I know I cannot put my molds in the dishwasher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatreats4u Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Thank you so much - now the question of the day is - how do I clean my molds and bowls after making solid lotion bars? I know I cannot put my molds in the dishwasher...hand wash them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 hand wash themIt seems next to impossible to get the residue from my lotion bars out of the molds - regular hand wash dish liquid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Dawn Ultra dishwashing liquid is what I had to switch to. Before that, using ordinary dish liquid, I could be scrubbing away for 30 minutes and still greasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc26 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Dawn is what I have always used. I never had any problems with grease hanging around. I guess that is why.I also got a huge bowl from target and do my soaping & b&b dishes in that, then dump the water out outside. I am soooo worried about clogging up my drain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted May 16, 2006 Author Share Posted May 16, 2006 I also got a huge bowl from target and do my soaping & b&b dishes in that, then dump the water out outside. I am soooo worried about clogging up my drain.good point - I know oils wreak havoc on the water treatment plants as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannahj26 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Hello! I'm fairly new to a lot of this stuff but I started with Lotion tubes and lip balm.I bought the basics:--pyrex measuring cup--candy thermometer--whisk--middle of the road scale--and some small glass bowls to hold the waiting already measured ingredients.you can find a lot of stuff fairly inexpensively at places like Target. William Sanoma has some wonderful stuff but they are pricy. I would def get stuff that is dedicated to b&b stuff. don't want to accidently ruin something that you use everyday! =)I clean mine with regular dishwashing soap - palmolive or dawn. and I usually melt over the stove. mostly cause I like to watch it as it melts and play with stuff as it melts <---me looking in the pot-- that and out microwave is a piece of crap that I try to avoid!Have fun with everything you try and let us know how it goes!---Hannah:yay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc26 Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Well I figure it this way- it is illegal for a bar or resturant to dump thier fryer grease in the sewer, punishable by HUGE fines and risk of shut down. So, I would rather not dump a bunch of oils down my poor little pipes. I certainly don't want a mondo plumber's bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.