Soap Making Primer
Steven F. Scharff has retyped and contributed this old Extension
service primer on soap making. (Thanks, Steven!)
NOTICE: This document was originally printed without copyright
notice and is presumed to be in Public Domain.
The contents are in the original format, but corrections have
been made concerning the safety of combining lye with water. Adding
lye directly to water may cause caustic splashing and can injure
both skin and eyes.
(A helpful mnemonic: "Lye into water is what you ought'er.
Water into lye and you might die.")
Also, typographical and spelling errors have been corrected.
The remainder of the formula instructions are as they were originally
printed.
Please exercise caution when following these formulas, and read
all information completely before making any soaps.
I would like to have readers and those with soap-making experience
add to this project for public knowledge. If you have any suggestions,
please e-mail them to: scharff1962@yahoo.com
SOAP-MAKING
A LADIES' PRIMER
Step-By-Step Directions
Clark County
Cooperative Extension School
Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture
University of Nevada, Reno
Dale W. Bohmont: Director J.F. Stein: Associate
Director
April 1975
The publication was prepared by Jean Gray, Clark County Extension
Home Economist with the assistance of the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, Chemistry Department. It was written to present, in
one booklet, the basic facts about making homemade soap.
ABOUT SOAP-MAKING...
At one time every household made enough soap for their own use.
The practice continued until well into the late 1800's. But, as
communities grew into cities and oil or coal replaced wood as
the primary source of heat, old fashioned soap made from wood
ash lye and animal fat was exchanged for manufactured soap.
One of the principle features of making homemade soap was producing
the lye. Homemakers carefully saved all wood ashes and put them
in the "lye barrel". This was a wooden barrel with several
holes drilled in the bottom. The barrel was raised up on blocks
and an enameled pan was placed under it. Rain water was poured
on to the ashes and allowed to drip through. the result was homemade
potash lye -- potassium hydroxide. When the solution would float
an egg so you could see the surface "as big as ninpence"
the solution was the proper strength. If the egg sank, the solution
was too week. If it floated too high, the solution was overly
strong. The rule of thumb for soap-making was to add one pailful
of lye solution to 3 pounds of fat.
Soap-making isn't difficult and isn't dangerous if you take the
proper safety precautions. be sure to read the warning label on
the lye can and keep children and pets out of the area. Wear safety
glasses or your prescription glasses to protect your eyes. Wear
gloves and use only utensils made from recommended materials.
Aluminum, galvanized metal and zinc pans would be eaten away by
the lye. Copper pans would be etched. Ordinary glass would break
from the heat of the chemical reaction. Heat proof glass, enamel
pans and wooden spoons are a safe choice.
Why not capture a bit of the flavor of the old frontier? Make
your own soap by using the recipes and hints in this booklet.
PREPARING RANCID FAT
Boil rancid fat in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water.
Cool and skim off fat or allow to solidify and remove. Re-melt
fat and add 1 quart cold water per gallon of hot fat. Stir, cool
and skim off fat.
PREPARING MEAT DRIPPINGS
Bring to a boil equal parts of drippings and water. remove from
heat. Cool. Add one quart cold water per gallon of hot fat. Skim
fat off top or allow to solidify and remove. Salt and other impurities
sink to the bottom of the pan.
PREPARING RAW ANIMAL FAT
Chop into cubes and cover with an equal volume of water. Boil
until it melts. If you find many small particles that will not
melt, remove them with a strainer and discard. Pour about 1 quart
of cold water on the water-fat mixture. Cool and skim fat from
top or allow fat to solidify and remove.
SOAP POWDER
1 13 oz. can Lye
3/4 cup Borax
2 1/2 quarts Tepid (Lukewarm) Water
3/4 cup Ammonia
3/4 cup Kerosene
4 1/2 lbs. Strained Fat, good and warm
Pour water into heat proof glass or enamel pan. Slowly add lye
and borax and stir until dissolved with a wooden spoon. Add ammonia.
Add the kerosene to the fat and pour the fat mixture slowly into
the lye mixture, being careful not to splash. Stir mixture for
40 minutes, but not steady. The more you stir, the finer the grain
powder will become. Pour dry powder into boxes or jars to store.
Clean 1/2 gallon milk cartons make good containers. They are relatively
moisture proof and unbreakable.
LAUNDRY SOAP
1 13 oz. can Lye
2 tablespoons Borax
5 cups Warm Water
1/3 cup Ammonia
1/2 to 1 cup Chlorine Bleach
9 cups Strained Fat, good and warm
Pour water into heat proof glass or enameled pan. Slowly add
lye and borax and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved. Add
ammonia. Stir Add chlorine bleach. Stir Add strained fat. Stir
until thick as gravy. Pour into mold and cool. When partially
setup, cut into convenient sized bars. After 24 hours remove from
mold and stack so air can freely circulate. Allow to cure for
2 weeks. For use as a powdered laundry soap, grind into powder.
OLD FASHIONED SOAP
1 13 oz. can Lye
1 quart Cold Water
1 tablespoon Ammonia
2 tablespoons Borax
6 lbs. Fat, good and warm
Mix lye into cold water with great care. Stir gently until it
cools. Add ammonia and borax. Pour fat into lye mixture, stirring
constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until it thickens.
When it is quite thick, pour into a mold. Cut into convenient
bars before it hardens completely. remove from mold after 24 hours
and stack so air can freely circulate. Age for 2 weeks.
A FINE HAND SOAP
3 cups Coconut Oil
3 cups Olive or Mineral Oil
4 3/4 cups Mutton Fat
1 quart Cold Water
1 13 oz. can Lye
In a large enameled kettle, mix all fats and heat until they
become a clear liquid. Mix the cold water and lye (add the lye
into the water) in a heat proof glass or enameled pan, stirring
carefully with a wooden spoon until it dissolves and cools. Slowly
pour warm liquid grease into lye solution, stirring steadily.
When it thickens, pour into mold and cool. Cut into bars and age
for at least a few weeks. It makes a rich fine soap which may
be used on the face.
MECHANICS HAND SOAP
3 lbs. Homemade Soap, chopped
6 cups Water
1 tablespoon Borax
3 oz. Mineral Oil
5 lbs. Pumice Stone Powder
Over moderate heat, dissolve homemade soap ion water. Add borax
and mineral oil. When cooled to a creamy consistency, work in
pumice stone and pour into wet mold. Cut into convenient sized
bars before it hardens. After 24 hours, stack so air can circulate
freely and cure for 2 weeks.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON MAKING SOAP
Q: What difference does the temperature of the lye solution and
the fat make?
A: In any chemical reaction, the hotter the ingredients the faster
the reaction will take place. If you have the ingredients too
hot, the reaction might go so fast and create so much heat that
you will burn your fat. on the other hand, if the ingredients
are too cool, the reaction will take place very slowly. A variation
of a few degrees is not critical, but the fat should be about
100-130 degrees Fahrenheit and the lye about 100 degrees Fahrenheit..
- - -
Q: Does it make any difference whether you add the fat to the
lye or the lye to the fat?
A: No. As long as you add the one to the other slowly while stirring
constantly, your mixture should be okay. It is probably safer
to add the fat to the lye.
- - -
Q: What precautions should you take when making soap?
A: Always wear safety glasses or your prescription glasses to
protect your eyes. Lye is caustic and could cause blindness. Wear
gloves to protect your hands. Keep a bowl of vinegar handy to
neutralize any lye that accidentally splashes on you. Then wash
the area thoroughly with cold running water. Keep children and
pets out of the areas.
- - -
Q: What happens when you combine fat and lye?
A: The actual chemical reaction is quote complex. Put simply,
the fat breaks down to release fatty acids that combine with the
lye which is a strong base. You probably remember that an acid
plus a base will equal a neutral substance. This is why the lye
isn't caustic once it is completely combined with the fat.
- - -
Q: What would the addition of borax do? Kerosene? Chlorine bleach?
A: Borax will help the soap to suds better. the reason it does
is that the borax conditions hard water to make it soft. in other
words, the borax doesn't change the soap, it simply conditions
the water.
Chlorine will help preserve the soap. Soap is an organic substance
and will be attacked by mould and other organisms under the right
conditions. Some homemade soap resists mould and other growths
since the lye is not completely "used up" by the fat.
Soap that has small quantities of lye in it might irritate your
skin and should be reprocessed by boiling with water. (See "Why
does some soap separate?")
Kerosene makes the hot soap mixture curdle. If you want to make
soap powder, add kerosene. However, you may make bar soap and
simply grind off what you need if you prefer. Bar soap is a bit
easier to store.
- - -
Q: Why does some soap separate?
A: When soap separates, it means that there was not enough fat
added to react with all the lye. To avoid this, always follow
directions carefully. Usually, a 13 ounce can of lye will need
4 1/2 to 5 pounds of fat to react properly. If the soap does separate,
DO NOT TOUCH IT. It will be caustic and can burn. Chop up separated
soap and boil it with 2/3 pint water per pound of soap. Wear gloves
and be careful -- it boils over easily. Boil until the mixture
drops from a spoon in sheets. Pour into mold.
- - -
Q: What can I use for a mold?
A: You can build a square box out of wood or you can use a sturdy
cardboard box. A box 20" x 4" is about the right size
for one batch of soap. Line the box with a piece of wet cotton
cloth (a piece of old sheet is perfect). If you use a mold made
of wood, soak the box with water before using. The cloth helps
to remove the hardened soap, so be sure to always line your mold.
Cut the soap into bars before it has completely hardened -- about
6 hours after you've made it.
- - -
Q: Would commercially prepared vegetable fat such as shortening
or salad oil make good soap?
A; Some of the finest soaps are made out of vegetable oil. Commercial
shortenings and oils will work well in any soap recipe. be sure
to substitute the vegetable fat by weight rather than volume.
Some fats have a larger volume than others per pound. Coconut
oil makes the best soap.
- - -
Q: Can I add perfume or other things to homemade soap?
A: Yes. We talked about adding borax for quick suds, buy you
can also add fragrant oils to make perfumed soap, oil of tar to
make tar soap, or use part coconut oil to make a finer soap.
- - -
Q: What are the tiny beads of "sweat" one finds on new
soap?
A: Most likely these beads are glycerine and water. Glycerine
is a by-product of soap making.
- - -
Q: What happens as the soap cures and ages?
A: The glycerine and water seep out, making a firmer product.
- - -
Q: What's the difference between hard soap and soft soap?
A: Hard soap is made when you use commercial lye, which is sodium
hydroxide. Soft soap is produced when you use the potassium hydroxide
lye made by dripping water through wood ashes. Old timers used
to make soft soap hard by pouring a brine solution on top of warm
soft soap. The sodium from table salt (which is sodium chloride)
would replace the potassium from the homemade lye.
- - -
Q: What will happen if you use glass or metal pans to make soap?
A: Glass that is not heat proof will break. There is a tremendous
amount of heat produced in the chemical reaction -- enough to
break ordinary glass. Heat proof glass is okay to use, but be
SURE it is heat proof. Most soap making directions recommend enameled
pans. Enamel is always a safe choice. However, cast iron or stainless
steel can be used. Aluminum, zinc or galvanized metal would be
eaten up by the lye. If you're not sure what the pan is made of,
stick with an enameled pan.
- - -
Q: Why does homemade soap have a bad odor?
A: As the soap ages, the fat in it continues to break down. Eventually,
the fat will get rancid and give off an unpleasant odor. However,
the soap does not lose its effectiveness -- it just smells bad.
- - -
Q: How does soap work?
A: Soap is a peculiar substance. Each tiny particle of soap has
a "head" that carries a positive electric charge (like
a magnet) and a "tail" that carries no charge. Oil and
grease have no charge. Water has both a positive and negative
electric charge. When oil droplets are placed in water, they are
attracted to one another since they are the same (no charge).
Eventually, the will all join together and float to the surface
of the water (oil is lighter than water).
The "tail" of the soap which is not charged is attracted
to the oil. But the "head" of the soap is attracted
to the water since they are both electrically charged. Before
long, you have tiny oil droplets with soap "tails:"
sticking in them, and charged soap 'heads" sticking out.
We all know what happens when you try to put two magnets together
-- if you turn them so the ends are both positive or negative
-- they will not come together. They won't let the oil droplets
come together and you can easily wash out the oil or grease. Synthetic
detergents use the same principle, but they use other chemicals
to do the job.
- - -
Q: Are all soaps used for washing?
A: No. Lithium soaps are used for automobile grease. Other types
of soap have uses in industries.
THE PROGRAMS OF THE NEVADA COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION SERVICE ARE OPEN TO ALL WITHOUT
REGARD TO RACE, COLOR OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics,
State of Nevada.
The University of Nevada College of Agriculture and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of purposes
provided for by Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
DALE W. BOHMONT, Director
J.F. STEIN, Associate Director
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