Put on your goggles. Gloves are optional goggles are not.

Always pour the lye into the water. Not the other way around

Stir slowly untill all the lye is dissolved avoiding caking at the bottom

Cover your work area with some type of paper. Newspaper is good

Mixing the lye and water outside is optional

I do it this way but some do it under the hood of there range.

Either way do not breath the fumes

Slowly pour the lye/water into the oils stirring briskly all the time

If there are kids in the house put the lye/water

OUT OF REACH while it is cooling. A Mr. Yuck sticker on the bowl in not a bad idea

This one will probably be debated but keep a bottle of vinegar

nearby. It is supposed to neutralize the lye. My kids always

know when I have made soap. They can smell the vinegar!

Clean it all up. Put the lye away a.s.a.p. Run water in your container

at least to dilute it.

Now he wasn't such a bad red devil after all was he?