When can I take the gloves off?

by Sherri
(Wilmington,NC)

I hate to wear gloves! I put them on when it is time to start the lye and keep them on until I pour the fresh batch, but.. do I still need them once the soap has cooled and I am ready to cut?

Do I need to wear them when handling soap that is less than 4 weeks old? I do this now to err on the side of caution, but do I need to do so?

Thanks for every thing, Cathy! You are my inspiration!

Answer:

I don't much like rubber gloves either!!!

I purchased plain white cotton gloves that are available at most drug stores and wear them when I am cutting the soap or handling it for extended periods of time before it has cured. They are much more comfortable than rubber gloves and your hands don't sweat in them.

My hands get quite dry if I don't wear the cotton gloves. If your hands are made of sturdier stuff, then you could give skipping the gloves a try...you'll know soon enough if you need to wear some sort of protection.

Another thing I do with the gloves is to buff the soap bars...simply rubbing the soap with the gloves on gets all the bits off that are left over from cutting the bars.

I actually purchase quite a few pairs at a time and they last for quite awhile...they are also washer and dryer friendly.

Good luck,
Cathy