Making soap

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Making soap
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chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 11:24 am Post subject: Making soap

I'm getting a grip on the day and making some soap. Just thought I'd mention it and be all positive and creative and stuff. Same old recipe - but haven't done it for ages:

16 oz. lard (or Pura) (454g)
2.15 oz. caustic soda (60g)
7 oz. COLD water

- Put the lard to melt in a glass bowl (I used to stick it on top of the rayburn when I had one)
- Add the caustic soda to the cold water (GENTLY! And never the other way round)
- Once the water is clear again, add it slowly to the melted lard, mixing with a hand-blender with a towel over the top to stop it splashing
- When it's going gloopy and you can see the path of the blender in it ('tracing'), pour it in to your mold
- Keep it as warm as you can for a few hours to help the caustic soda/fat reaction continue
- Leave for six weeks somewhere where air can circulate round it - eg in a tea towel in the airing cupboard
- Slice and use
- Or, grate, add a bit of water and some petals/essential oils and wodge in to the mold again to set for a few days before slicing

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 11:45 am Post subject:

EYE PROTECTION PLEASE

good ventilation and gloves is sensible as well but a bit of lung damage from any caustic aerosol or making a bit of skin soap is pretty minor compared to a poached eye.

apart from that soap making is fun and quite easy .

enjoy

PS for a fully downsized soap using lye concentrated down by boiling and evaporation from wood ash "tea" is a jolly variation on using industrial caustic soda.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 12:00 pm Post subject:
I draw the line at making my own lye. There's downsizing and then there's downsizing. But I take comfort it knowing that post-apocalypse I'll be able to All done!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 12:04 pm Post subject:

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 1:16 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

I draw the line at making my own lye. There's downsizing and then there's downsizing. But I take comfort it knowing that post-apocalypse I'll be able to

I take comfort in knowing that I'll still be able to source soap post apocalypse. Now who's going to make the washing up liquid?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 6:29 pm Post subject:
sulphonation chemistry is part of my skill set , you drain the sump and car battery i will get the fire wood and cast iron pot that one needs eye protection as well

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 6:29 pm Post subject:
If we have an apocalypse, I'm stopping washing.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 6:31 pm Post subject:
not even with horsechestnut leaf tea?

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 6:58 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Chez wrote:

I draw the line at making my own lye. There's downsizing and then there's downsizing. But I take comfort it knowing that post-apocalypse I'll be able to

I take comfort in knowing that I'll still be able to source soap post apocalypse. Now who's going to make the washing up liquid?

The Fairy of course,lol.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 7:58 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

If we have an apocalypse, I'm stopping washing.

Unwise. Post-apocalyptic chafing would be really bad.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 9:10 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Nick wrote:

If we have an apocalypse, I'm stopping washing.

Unwise. Post-apocalyptic chafing would be really bad.

and the infections can be a bit nasty if the nearest surviving medic has no supplies and a training in using modern medicines .

the ability to make soap is a good skill.

strong lye is fairly easy but so is caustic soda if you have a good salt supply, heat and DC electricity.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 16 9:12 pm Post subject:
I'm not intending on hanging round long enough for that to be an issue.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Wed Oct 19, 16 7:22 am Post subject:

Lye isn't so bad as it is not as concentrated as commercial sodium hydroxide. But to make hard soap you then need salt. Of course if you make soft soap you can use it for washing up liquid.

Finding soap in the supermarket these days is becoming increasingly difficult. There are all sorts of shower gel, hand cleaning gels etc. but soap is not so easy, and usually low down where you don't notice it.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 16 1:29 pm Post subject:
It would appear that the horse chestnut tree leave are under threat from some grub, so its soap may become obsolete, dpack. And so conkers may become an obsolete 'game', read it somewhere-Daily Mail I think!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 16 3:37 pm Post subject:

gregotyn wrote:

It would appear that the horse chestnut tree leave are under threat from some grub, so its soap may become obsolete, dpack. And so conkers may become an obsolete 'game', read it somewhere-Daily Mail I think!

by observation about a quarter of horse chestnuts are resistant to the red death disease

i dont know about any insect threat as yet.

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