Bad batch...what to do!

As a responsible soaper....your priority one is to create a safe product. When that doesn't happen....your responsibility is to dispose of it safely.

Look at my beautiful loaf of soap in the mold....it started its life with my bad attitude....I ran short on oil....when I realized I was short by 6 oz...instead of running the existing amount thru the soap calculator or saving what I had until I could get the correct measurements for the batch...I flippantly said, "oh...it'll be ok" ...it wasn't. It was caustic mush...took 3 days to get hard enough to cut into bars...which tested at ph 13 in some places, ph 8 in others. This could not be rebatched....could not be used....safely. I was a little weary of the idea of turning it into laundry soap. There was just no safe option other than to toss it.

Tossing it however...whole 'nother set of issues. Regulations, ground water, waste management and such. Then there's the local wildlife, the local nosys...can diggers who will actually go thru your recyclables and trash looking for cans, kids, the sanitation workers....I'm not trying to feel responsible for causing them harm in any way, form or fashion.

If your bad batch is caustic...mushy or solid....and you determined that it can't be saved, repaired or rebatched, get it into some leak proof plastic bags, pour at least a cup of vinegar on it....with gloved hands, massage the outside of the bag attempting to work it in. Vinegar neutralizes the lye. Your goal is to get any touchable surface to a neutral state. Drop a ph strip into the bag....see if it turns green. Don't drain the vinegar...tie a knot in the top of the bag, then put in a new bag. Now you can throw it out. Do this to each bag. Be responsible when it comes to your crafts.

In other news....malfunctioning crossbucks at the tracks...gates down, lights flashing, no train in sight....folks driving around the crossbucks onto the track to cross....and obeying the traffic lights in the process. I watched someone stop ON the tracks with a car ahead of them and a car behind them....no place to go if the train comes. Please don't do that! NEVER EVER EVER stop on train tracks...malfunctioning or otherwise. If there isn't room for your vehicle to clear the tracks with 15 extra feet....stay on the other side.when its time to go....continue completely across. Do not stop or change gears on the track (which can stall your vehicle) and don't put your self in a dangerous situation. Be responsible when it comes to your safety. Always.