Homemade soap

[Silver_civic]

Hello gentlemen and ladies, and does anyone here use homemade lye soap or real soap? I am currently and have been using homemade castille soap and basic castille soap as well as pure castille soap(it has olive oil and not much else in it). I have noticed a big difference in the feel of this great soap lately. The place I get it from makes their own soaps and has currently over 85 varieties in unscented and scented soaps. I know my grandmother on my real fathers side still uses homemade soap she buys from the Amish.


Adam

 

[oilboy123]

I would love to make bar, or liquid soap. I make laundry soap because commercial stuff makes my skin react.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I would love to make bar, or liquid soap. I make laundry soap because commercial stuff makes my skin react.


I have had good results with Costco's Kirkland "Ultra" Free and Clear liquid laundry detergent in the white container. It says no dyes or perfumes on the label and is the only detergent that doesn't make my back breakout. Unless you can't tolerate any detergents and need a laundry soap, it's worth a try.

 

[ctrcbob]

Originally Posted By: Silver_civic
Hello gentlemen and ladies, and does anyone here use homemade lye soap or real soap? I am currently and have been using homemade castille soap and basic castille soap as well as pure castille soap(it has olive oil and not much else in it). I have noticed a big difference in the feel of this great soap lately. The place I get it from makes their own soaps and has currently over 85 varieties in unscented and scented soaps. I know my grandmother on my real fathers side still uses homemade soap she buys from the Amish.


Adam


Mrs. O'Mally, lived in a valley;
Suffered from ulcers, I understand:
Swallowed a cake of Grandma's lye soap;
Now she's got the cleanest ulcers in the land:

(all sing now)
Oh let us sing, of grandma's lye soap;
Finest product, in the land:
Cleans your clothes, and dirty dishes;
And for your face, and for your hands:

There was a lot more verses, but after all these years, I can't remember them all.

 

[cadfaeltex]

I actually use 'homemade soap' from Chagrin Valley Soaps. They've got a lot of very good choices and got tired of being itchy all winter from what I had been using.

 

[Shannow]

I used to make soap, using various vegetable oils (and sometimes animal fat).

One day my better half came home and found me clothed and stripping off in the shower, and the paint running in the kitchen...I got myself coated in caustic somehow.

That, and having children has stopped my hobby.

Making it yourself keeps the glycerine in the soap. The factories strip the glycerine, so that they can sell it as moisturisers and conditioners.

 

[benjamming]

I bought a couple years worth of soap from Island Soap & Candleworks over the course of a few trips to Kauai. They keep the glycerin in the soap (or did when we purchased the stash). They make it there in the shop.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Easy to make, you can find formulas on line for cold process soap making. I used red devil drain cleaner. Olive oil soap is hard to get to come out OK vs a basic lard and coconut oil soap. I always go over a couple % on the oil amounts as I dont want any free lye in the soap. Instead of 3 bucks a bar it cost about 25c a bar using "cheap" ingredients. I stated making my ownd since I dont want white paint (Ti Dioxide in my soap or my toothe paste).

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I make laundry soap because commercial stuff makes my skin react.


Try to find some "Charlie's Soap". We've used it for years now and it's fantastic stuff. We started using it in preparation for cloth diapers but it works great for all our clothes. Everything comes out fresh & clean without any of the dyes or perfumes and it only takes a tablespoon per wash load. It was originally developed to use in fabric labs as they needed a detergent that would rinse completely clean.

Back OT - I know a few guys who homebrew biodiesel and most have them have made a few batches of soap after extracting residual methanol from the waste glycerin. Fantastic stuff, very mild and good for the skin but will cut through the toughest grease without problem.

 

[kkreit01]

The soap I buy is ~ 50 cents/bar or less. This hardly seems worth it.

 

[volvos_rock]

My wife makes the laundry soap....less than a dollar for 3 gallon tub. She also makes her kitchen cleaner, general purpose wipe up kind of stuff. So glad I married a smart woman!

 

[kkreit01]

Laundry soap I could see. That stuff's expensive! Bar soap isn't for me. I typically used white vinegar/H2O to clean the counters/table daily.

 

[benjamming]

Any links or formulas for the laundry soap?