Hello! I've never posted on here before but I'm no stranger to this stuff. I am however, new to using clay and things similar. I have moved away from the states, and finding private mud in my location is very hard if not impossible. So I pivoted to using clay in my shower. I've used bentonite once before, and it was..ok, super high maintenance and it took forever. I've been looking at maybe using kaolin clay or something similar, but I don't know where to get stuff that's safe for play! It needs to ship overseas. I live in the middle of the pacific. Does anyone have any advice?
There is a UK world map you can use to find suitable locations for private muddy adventures, but for home use I would suggest you use modeling clay - and store it in a sealed tub when your not using it in inflatable pool
Welcome to the mess! I'm sort of a bentonite fan - whether I can find it naturally, or have to make it. Curious what you mean, "high maintenance"? I've never really known it to be problematic.
It does take a while to fully hydrate. But all that means is dumping some powder in a bucket of water 24-48 hours before you intend to use it. Maybe stir once or twice over that time period.
The main benefit, and part I like the most (besides super cheap!) is that it expands many times its volume when fully hydrated. So something like a coffee can full per 5 gallon bucket still makes a good, thick mix.
Be careful of washing too much of it down your drains - clay will block up drains over time, especially if there are any traps along the way. Potters have systems to filter out the clay before sending it down pipes.
Here's a pic from the pottery studio I was a part of when they had to replace their pipes. You can see it's half-full of clay (and that wasn't the trap; that was a straight section.) They had large bins of water that people had to use first to wash off in and only use the sink for final rinse.
Do a search on "washing clay down drains" to learn more.
Love you, too
