Friday, July 8, 2016

Once Again, I'm Cleaning Up My Act.



Image result for The Midlife Farmwife Soaps


I am one of those homesteading hippie freaks who makes her own soap, tooth powder, deodorant, laundry soap and cleaning supplies.

I have not always been like this, I in fact, was deeply addicted to The Works for toilets and only gave that toxic stuff up about a year ago. But I still miss it and I admit, still dream about its bright blue color and its ability to strip paint off a submarine or stains out of a loo. You know, like the way we dream about those people who were never good for you but had such amazing guitar skills that when you picked them up on the side of the road it was impossible to ask him to leave your single wide trailer with the blue suede bedspread...like that.

Yes, I have a thing for the color blue.

Image result for The Midlife Farmwife Soaps

Back to all natural cleaners. Today's blog is brought to you by homemade soap. The real kind made with lye not glycerin blocks you get at Hobby Lobby. That's not soap, its just another hobby, from some megastore lobby. I'll talk about tooth powder some late night when the snow is 6 feet deep outside.

Image result for The Midlife Farmwife Soaps


I used to make and sell soap for our retail farm store under the name The Midlife Farmwife .  Now, I have no such fancy label or a webpage for ordering, its just you and me right here right now. Maybe later after I get rolling I'll do a Facebook page again but for now, I'm keeping it simple or if you prefer, ultra exclusive.

All of my soaps  are made with natural ingredients for color (see the picture below) and scent. I use only high quality base oils and essential oils, no fragrance oils, So if you want something in patchouli, cedarwood, geranium rose or lavender for example,  I'm your gal but if want something that smells like bubblegum or White Diamonds, you'll need to visit Walmart.


Image result for The Midlife Farmwife Soaps

Email me at opies99@gmail.com if you'd like prices, or more info.

17 comments:

  1. I'm excited and happy to hear you are making your soaps again. I've missed them. Can we consider your business like a speakeasy? You can only get soap if you know a special knock or password? I'm all over the VIP experience.

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    1. Absolutely. The first password...name one Bernhard bother. Go!

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  2. Hoooray for handmade soap!!!! I've been making my own since I bought the old Reader's Digest "Homesteader's" book back in the 70s. I still use the basic mixture of flaked lye & olive/almond/coconut oils although sometimes I do sneak down to the Soap & Candle supply for a different mix of oils. I did buy a couple of moulds in a half round shape I like better than a flat cake although I've never bothered with color or scent. It lathers better, washes better, makes my skin & hair feel better than any other commercial product I've bought. The only downfalls that I can see are that you have to wait several weeks to use the new soap & it clogs up the drains faster. But, it's worth it.

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    1. Hi Sharon, have you ever tried making hot process soap in a crockpot? You can use it the next day. granted the bars are a bit softer and don't last as long as CP but when you need soap quick its great. My favorite recipe is also coconut, olive, almond PLUS castor oil which is great for lather. My husband made me some beautiful wooden molds but I also use old plastic diaper wipe containers. They hold 2 pounds of soap and are easy to unmold.

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  3. My friends think I am bit looney, but I am just totally in love with making soap. I prefer hot process - have never included castor oil, but now you make me want to try it!!! And now I want to try the diaper wipe containers - so many ideas, so little time!!!
    www.doubleupfarm.com

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    1. It is fun and addictive. I highly reccommend the BrambleBerry site for recipes, tutorials etc..

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  4. Love your blog and planning on reading your archives. Love lye soap for my husband's greasy clothes. Several years ago I found several old boxes at a yard sale, looked loke white nuggets. Inquired, told it was a church project making lye soap. Nobody wanted it, they were selling it for a dollar a box. I just about broke my leg getting it out of there. I will definitely be one of your customers.

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    1. hi Carol. I too love my homemade soap for so many things. Just now I was washing up all my soap pans from two days ago and threw all the soapy water into my washing machine to do a load of towels. They smell FABULOUS! It was lemongrass soap.

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  5. Love your blog and planning on reading your archives. Love lye soap for my husband's greasy clothes. Several years ago I found several old boxes at a yard sale, looked loke white nuggets. Inquired, told it was a church project making lye soap. Nobody wanted it, they were selling it for a dollar a box. I just about broke my leg getting it out of there. I will definitely be one of your customers.

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  6. Awesome! Have sent you an email! I can honestly say I've never had lye soap (that I know of, ha). I love handmade soap and after using the wonderful soap from Kate, now I'm addicted and someday want to try making it as well.

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  7. MMMMMMMm - I've never added Caster Oil although I have sneaked in Tea Tree Oil . . . and I've never tried the Crock Pot!! I did use soap once that wasn't quite 'cured'. I was going on holiday & wanted a whole bar of soap - it was about two weeks old . . about halfway through that first shower I felt the stinging - oops. Looked like I had a bit of sunburn the next couple of days. Face & neck were tender for a week or so & then my skin got so soft & silky!!! Best unintentional facial peel I've ever had!!!

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    1. Sharon, if your soap still had a "sting" on your skin two weeks after making I wonder if your lye content was too heavy for the amount of oils you used? I am a big fan of the "lick test" for my soap. If I get a bit of a charge from licking my soap like when you lick a battery then I know its not "done" Don't worry, all "licked" bars I keep or give to my least favorite relatives. I always use a lye calculator based on types and amounts of oils I used. This one is my favorite.

      https://www.thesage.com/calcs/LyeCalc.html

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    2. I've been 'cheating' occasionally by buying 'packaged' oils - I get interesting combos already measured & use the store recipe that comes with each combo. They recommend aging for 6 weeks. I have no problems if I wait the 6 weeks.

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  8. The pic at the top startled me when I first looked. Honestly at first glance it looked like a flower offering in front of a couple of tombstones. I got worried. I assumed you had a premonition of catastrophe so were 'cleaning up your act' before judgement. Boy was I relieved to see you were just on your soap box - again. I'm happy for you. No lye-ing. ;-D

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    1. No worries Kris. We're good. But speaking of headstones, I will be blogging soon about out plans to be buried here on our property and yes, I already have my headstone!

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  9. I would so love some of your soap (if only so i could show my friends the beautiful soap from the Poor Farm) but i think the carbon miles they would attract getting here makes it impossible. Oh Well.

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Comments are good, as long as you're a real person and not some goof telling me how you were cured of hepatitis by snorting a pulverized neon blue crayon. Your comments don't even have to agree with my viewpoint, I love a good discussion, but civility does matter.