What Soap Machines, Tools are Needed for Making Soap at Home?

07 October 2010 - If you have decided to make soap at home, you will need soap making supplies in the form of raw materials, soap making equipment & tools as well as some basic soap manufacturing machines. However, soap machines will be needed only if you decide to make soaps commercially for sale. This article helps you in understanding about the basic tools as well as soap machines and equipment that you will need for such a pursuit.

Soap Making Supplies & Tools for Homemade Soap Business

This is a list of soap making tools and equipment that you will require for your homemade soap business.

• Accurate scale (that can measure to 1/10th of an ounce) for measuring oils, lye, fragrance, additives, water etc.
• Safety goggles and rubber gloves that can protect your eyes and hands from the lye solution and other harmful soap ingredients like caustic raw soap.
• Two-three quart heat-resistant pitcher (plastic or stainless steel pitcher) with lid to mix your lye solution. If you have planned to make small batches of soap, you can use a large Pyrex pitcher to mix everything in. However, if you will make bigger batches of soap, get 8-12 quart stainless steel pot with lid for melting your oils and blending the soap.
• Large stainless steel, plastic or wood spoon for stirring the lye solution.
• An accurate, quick reading thermometer so that you can monitor the temperature of lye solution and the melted oils.
• Measuring spoons to measure fragrance or essential oils, colorants and other additives.
• Some small beakers and measuring cups to hold the fragrance, essential oils, colorants, separated soap, and additives before they are added to the soap pot.
• Spoons or whisks to blend colorants or fragrance oils with melted oil before mixing them with the soap.
• Stick blender to mix the oils with lye mixture for beginning the saponification process.
• Soap mold to pour the raw soap into.

These tools are needed if you are making handmade soap for selling them in the market or for personal use. However, if you wish to get into a commercial soap making business, you must also purchase some basic soap making machines and equipment.

Soap Making Machines & Equipment for Soap Business

This is a list of basic soap making equipment and machines needed for a soap business.

Soap Molds

You would need to buy soap molds according to the specified size and shape in which you intend to make soap. Soap mold are made of various materials including plastic, wood, stainless steel etc. If yours is a new business and you have lesser money to invest in then you can even buy used soap making equipment including soap molds. You will just need to ensure that there are no cracks and nicks in such used molds so that your end product- the finished soap- come out nicely without any fault.

Soap Cutting Machines

If you wish to make bar soaps, you will need soap cutting machines or the soap cutters. Soap cutting machines can cut large blocks of soap into small loaves or rectangles popularly known as soap bar. Soap cutting machines have different types of cutter blades ranging from wire to a knife like cutter. Select the one according to your specific needs as well as budget.

Other Soap Making Tools

Soap molds and soap cutters are the basic machines that a small soap making business owner needs. However, there are certain other soap making tools that will also be needed for making soap. These include:

• Baster- If you decide to add small amounts of scent or color to your soap., you will also need baster.
• Spray bottles- These bottles can come handy for keeping water, vinegar or similar mixtures in order to manage any lye spills.
• Soap Post and Accurate Scale- A stainless steel pot is used to mix soap ingredients and scale is used to measure them for an exact soap formulation.

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