Hobby or Second Income Homemade Soaps, Sundry, and Remedy Recipes

reply to post by getreadyalready


I hope I have all our members covered...

Where to Buy Lye in Europe, Canada & Australia
(and other soap making supplies)
candleandsoap.about.com...

Where to Buy Lye for Soap Making
candleandsoap.about.com...
www.lyedepot.com...

You can also search on Amazon.com for soap making lye. They have many vendors, and you can do a price comaparison between Amazon's vendors and get some really great deals on small and bulk quantities.

Originally posted by mastahunta
reply to post by Destinyone

 

Awesome thread!

Hey, the video says "congratulations, in just a few weeks you soap will be ready to use"

Does that mean we have to let it sit around and age or something?

Thanks again,


Mas

Yes, you have to use that nasty old store bought soap until your wonderful home made soap is *cured*. But, believe me, your home made soap, with the goodies you put in it is worth the wait.

A bit of info on Curing Your Soap.

Soap Curing - why soap needs to cure
By makingbathproducts, on February 11th, 2011

Cold processed soaps need time to cure and age before they can be labeled and sold. The Hot Process method of making soap does make for a bar that can be sold right away however, their look and feel is not the same as cold process. Cold process soaps are usually smooth and hard bars of soap.
The explanation for why the bars need time to cure is easy to understand. We mentioned hot process above. This is when the soap maker continues to cook each batch of soap over a heat source, speeding up the process of the saponification process (the lye) and continues to evaporate the wax. With cold process soaps nature takes care of the curing process by allowing the soaps sit out in the open.

When the soap is made, the fatty ingredients (coconut, olive, shea, soybean) and blended with sodium hydroxide (lye) along with essential oils and color and spices or herbs. When the lye (diluted in water) mixes with the molecules of the fatty oils – what you end up with is soap. However, the soaping process, known as saponification, continues over the next couple of weeks. As the bars of soap are allowed to sit out in the air, the lye works its way out of the batch and the water continues to evaporate.

A bar of soap CAN be used after only two weeks of curing. It won’t harm you. But, softer soaps melt away faster in the shower or tub. When your bars of soap are allowed to cure a full four to six weeks, the end result is a very hard bar of soap. The basic rule is – the longer it sits, the harder it gets and the longer it lasts.

When you cut your soaps into bars, spread the bars out a bit. A slight space between each one is enough to allow air to reach all sides of the bar. But when the bars are crammed against each other it makes it harder for the water in the bars of soap to evaporate. Room temperature is best. Some customers with little space have even told me that they place the bars on trays and slide the trays under the bed with a small fan running in the room when they are at home. Shelves in the laundry room work well as a curing space for you soaps too. No other options? Clean off a shelf in your closet. True, there won’t be as much air circulating in there but the soaps will still cure and your clothes will smell amazing.

Another reason why some soaps need a longer cure time has to do with their ingredients. Soaps that contain honey usually feel more ‘oily’ in the beginning. If you label your honey soaps too soon it will leave an oily stain on the label.

If you follow the simple rules of how to cure your soap, it will make all the difference in the feedback you receive from customers. Their bars will last longer and they will come back for more. After all, you wouldn’t want to buy cheese that hadn’t been aged properly. Curing soap is similar.

reply to post by Destinyone


Hey, I answered my own question on the Borax, apparently it can be used to make soaps or shampoos!

Here is a Recipe for Borax

I'm checking now to see if it reacts with Lye, and if there is any reason not to use them together.

Apparently Lye-Borax Soap is pretty common.

So, I've learned you can also add Honey, Borax, and other interesting things. This sounds fun!

What about fresh fruits? Can I add blueberries or blackberries with their seeds? Or maybe just the seeds for exfoliating? Or maybe the whole blueberries just to look cool?

My wife thought I was crazy, but now she wants to make "Cowboy Soap" in the shape of a boot, with the peanut oils and shells, and a little paper cowboy hat!

Originally posted by SunflowerStar
Excellent thread idea, can't wait to see everyone's ideas.

Here is mine, the first recipe is powdered laundry soap the second is liquid gel laundry detergent. I work in a bakery and it has never failed me yet! A friend of mine is getting me a laundry softener recipe other than just adding vinegar to the Downy ball, so when it gets here I will add it too.


Powdered Laundry Detergent
# 1 Cup Grated Fels Naptha Soap
# 1/2 Cup Washing Soda
# 1/2 Cup Borax
# For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons.

Homemade Liquid Gel Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of HOT water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Stir the next day and before each use. You use ½ cup per load.

Sunflowerstar...I'm going to make both of these recipes next week. They look great, I will let you know how they worked for me. I think I'll add some lemon EO (essential oil) to brisk it up

reply to post by getreadyalready

You Wife sounds like a lot of fun getreadyalready....

Here are some very nice fruit soap recipes. I've used peaches in some soap I made for myself with vanilla EO...yummmmm

Fruit Soap Recipes
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 11:18

How to Make Soap From Scratch

All of these recipes have pureed fruit in them that has been used in place of some of the water. There are 3 different ways you can do this. You can add the lye directly into the water and fruit mixture. You can add your lye to your water and then after the solution cools down add the fruit to the lye solution and then mix it in with the oils. Or, you can add your lye to your water and then pour the lye solution and the pureed fruit into the oils at the same time. I tried this all three ways. The soaps all ph tested at 9, and lather really well.

There are a few differences between them though. When I added the lye directly into the fruit, it changed color quite a bit and stunk to high heaven by the time it cooled down. I was afraid that smell wouldn't go away. However, I added fragrance and it smells really yummy! After five weeks, the soap is a beautiful caramel color and the bar is quite hard.

With the other 2 methods there was no color change at all, except for the natural color that the fruit lends to the soap. When I added the fruit to the lye it did start to smell a bit, but not nearly as much as the other batch. When I just added it to the oils, there was no smell at all. The one drawback though is that after 5 weeks, both of the batches are still quite soft. They are getting a little bit harder each week but not nearly as hard as the one in which I added the lye directly to the fruit.
So, I guess you can choose between a longer cure time and soap that will have more versatility in being colored.
Okay…enough technical stuff! On to the recipes!!

Strawberry ~ Peach Soap

One large ripe peach
2 large strawberries (fresh or frozen)
puree the fruit and weigh it.
Add enough water to bring your liquid amount up
to18.1 oz

6.3 oz of lye
31oz palm oil
12oz coconut oil

Heat oils to 130 degrees. Add liquid to oils.
When it reaches trace add:

1oz of mango butter, melted
1oz jojoba oil ~warmed
1 oz of avocado oil ~ warmed
4 tsp peach nectar fragrance---it's a good idea to mix these together a day ahead of time (At first the peach nectar will climb all over the top of strawberry, but then in a day or so the strawberry comes into its own.)

Pour into molds

**Note
Strawberry seeds can be a bit scratchy so if that concerns you, just peel the berries before you puree them

Cucumber Melon Soap

½ of a small cucumber (peeled or unpeeled)
1 small slice of a cantaloupe, peeled
(you can also us honey dew melon or seedless watermelon or all three)
puree the fruit and weigh it. Add enough water to bring your liquid amount up to18.1 oz

Heat oils to 130 degrees. Add liquid to oils.
When it reaches trace add:

1oz of mango butter, melted
1oz jojoba oil ~warmed
1 oz of avocado oil ~ warmed
4 tsp cucumber fragrance

Pour into molds

Kiwi Lime Soap

2 large, ripe kiwis peeled
Cut one kiwi in half and set it aside. Take the rest of the kiwis and remove the middle section with the seeds and discard that section. The seeds are kinda scratchy so you don't want a lot of them in there. You can opt to remove all of them if you wish. Puree the seeded kiwi and the half with the seeds. Weigh it. Add enough water to bring your liquid amount up to 18.1 oz

Heat oils to 130 degrees. Add liquid to oils.
When it reaches trace add:

1oz of mango butter, melted
1oz jojoba oil ~warmed
1 oz of avocado oil ~ warmed
4 tsp Paradise fragrance

Pour into molds

I Like using really simple, familiar recipes when I am doing something different. It is easier to tell the differences when it is a recipe I have made often. Feel free to try these with your favorite recipes. www.soapcrafters.com...

reply to post by Destinyone

The FelsNaptha is a bit strong medicinal smelling. If you use a pure soap flake or Ivory grated you will get a more appealing aroma. Just make sure its a pure soap, not one that has added skin conditioners. The point is you are washing body and environmental oils out of your clothes, not imparting them in to them. However Essential oils do quite well, just use a soap flake that doesn't overpower your oils. Low sudsing occurs during the wash doesn't mean its not working. Commercial detergents have added ingredients, cause we have been sold that suds mean clean, not the case. The detergent is an emulsifier that breaks down debris and body oils. I also swear by Lysol brown bottle!! Ever accidently leave towels from the beach too long, or forget a load in the wash? And you just can't seem to get the smell out, even with bleach? A small splash, say 1/4 c. to a full size load eliminates it completely. No more ruined, or stinky towels.

I have a request, what is the proper process for caring for cloth nappies aka diapers? Will be looking this up. My solution for no TP in a SHTF, is to use cut up cloth diapers as hygiene wipes, and keep recycling them over and over. Not that I am up for doing that day to day right now, but I no longer use paper towels in the kitchen. Bought bar towels and car cleaning terry cloths, only buy papertowels about one roll a month. I know some who use a roll a day! I haven't converted the tp issue in my bathroom yet. Seeing how it's not just me at home will have to be ready to convert everyone to the idea, and that ain't happenin yet. Open to suggestions...

I have my Grandmothers hints and tips and recipes book from the late 30's. I'ts a gem of knowledge that's for sure


lol im going to type it as its written, this will be fun

Soap

Thrifty housewives make their own soap.

To do so it is necessary to store kitchen fat into a cool place until several pounds have accumulated.
Prepare fat by melting. A raw potato cooked with the fat will help clarify it.
When still warm strain the fat through cheese cloth.
Dissolve 1 lb. caustic soda in 5 points of water.
This is sufficient solution for 7 lb. of melted fat.
The soda solution should be stirred into the warm fat until the mixture becomes a smooth, creamy mass.
Pour mixture into enamel pan or cardboard box lined with waxed paper.
Let this stand until the soap is well formed - about 24 hours.
Before the soap dries remove paper.
Soap making is a simple process. And the cost is trifling.
When the house wife makes her own soap she is certain of an unadulterated article.
Ammonia and borax may with advantage be added to soap mixture for scrubbing up grease.
Soaps specially strong in alkalis are no good in the wash tub.
Ammonia and borax affect delicate colours and as every housewife knows, too much soda spoils the boiling.


i love this book
there are lots of articles in it, one i love tells a wife how to ask for money from her husband and then hide it away for when she needs to buy cotton for sewing or for time to herself.

love and harmony
Whateva

Hi Des. Love this thread and look forward to following along.


reply to post by SunflowerStar


Another beach towel or skunk spray remedy (seriously) is to add a cap full or two of mint mouthwash to your load of laundry.

reply to post by Whateva69

Whateva...I love that book you have. You MUST share the tip on getting money from hubby...

It's posts like the one you did from your book, I really look forward to. You've inspired me to pull out an old book I have on all the things you can do with apple cider vinegar. Back then, apple cider vinegar cured just about everything.

Des

Thanks for sharing D1

S&F

reply to post by SunflowerStar


Sunflowerstar...I think I might just whip up a batch of floating soap and grate it down, and do a 50/50 with the Fels-Naptha soap. I've used Fels-Naptha soap my whole life for poison ivy rash. Cures it right up. I'll include a link to the Fels-Naptha site for members who might not know the wonders of this soap

DID YOU KNOW

Poison ivy resin can remain on your clothes for over 1 year. Washing with Fels-Naptha® will eliminate the dangerous resin from your clothing. Thoroughly wash all of your exposed clothing including hats, gloves, coats and pants in shaved or grated Fels-Naptha® (about 1/16th of the bar). This will effectively remove the poison ivy resin and prevent further outbreak.

No wonder millions of people for over 100 years have been saying, "Nothing can take the place of my Fels-Naptha®!
Available Size

5.5 oz. barwww.felsnaptha.com...

Every household should have a few bars of this soap stashed away...it lasts forever, maybe longer than the pyramids.

reply to post by SunflowerStar


Sunflower...here is some very good info on the cloth diapers, nappies, you asked about. With the right care, they should last for years. More info at Link. Care of Cloth Diapers.

First Things First: Take a look at the detergent that you are planning to use. You will want one that has no heavy perfumes (you don't need any detergent smell to cover up odors) and no added fabric softeners (like Dreft). You also do not want to use laundry soap. The added fabric softeners and the laundry soap can cause the diapers to become moisture repellent (not what you want in a cloth diaper).

No fabric softeners! No sheets, no liquid, none added to your detergent.

Initial Set up: All diapers need to be washed (with detergent) and dried at least twice before they become absorbent. Unbleached and natural diapers will need to be washed more often in hotter (sometimes boiling water will need to be tossed on them) before they will be absorbent enough for use. Try dropping a few drops of water on your dry washed diapers. If the water does not absorb immediately, the diapers are not ready for use and need to be washed more.
www.cloth-diaper.com...

Ok this is kind of off topic, but ive been going through my Nans book and found this, and so there is no confusion im typing word for word from the book.

Tight Rings

To get a tight ring off a finger, Thread a needle flat in the eye with a strong thread, pass the head of the needle with care, under the ring, and pull the thread a few inches towards the hand.
Wrap the long end of the thread tightly round the finger regularly all down to the nail, to reduce its size.
Then lay hold of the short end and unwind it.

The thread re-passing against the ring will gradually remove it from the finger.
This method will remove the tight ring without difficulty, however swollen the finger may be.


inst this clever

love and harmony
whateva

reply to post by Whateva69


Whateva...nothing that is helpful information is off-topic in this thread. What you posted on removing a ring stuck on a finger, makes me want to try on a ring I have, I know is too small, just to try it out....knowing me...I probably will

Des

reply to post by getreadyalready


Borax is very safe to use. I make my own laundry soap using my grated soap, borax and "washing soda" with water of course. It looks a little like snot - sorry - but it works just find - it does NOT suds the same as over the counter laundry detergent.

Sodium Laural Sulphate (sp?) is Only for the bubbles. It is not even close to Lye.

Hope this helped?

reply to post by getreadyalready


Poppy seeds are good for exfoliating as well. I made some raspberry/poppy seed soap that smelled and felt great. That was my first sell out!

reply to post by chiefsmom


My wife is cooking up the idea of a very strong "cowboy soap" that is disinfecting, deodorizing, and exfoliating from the stuff in this thread.

She wants it to be a very manly soap, made with lye, borax, peanut shells and peanut oil, aloe vera, and lemon oil and lemon essence. She wants it in the shape of a boot, with a little paper hat! Now don't go stealing her ideas, LOL!

Last night, I made 37 fire starters out of old candles, used up toilet paper rolls, dryer lint, and shredded junk mail! I cut the rolls in half, stuffed them with the paper and lint mixture, and poured the melted candle wax in. We tested one, and it burned with a nice 6" flame for over 14 minutes! Perfect for starting a small camp fire, or heating up some coffee or something. Cost us nothing, and was fun to do. Now we're going to try the soap making next.

reply to post by getreadyalready

Do you have a coffee grinder? You can get them pretty cheap at wally world and such. It grinds the shells down real fine, so you don't end up with "chunks" that can cut your skin. I also use mine for egg shells, to add to the garden.

I won't steal your idea, LOL, although I don't think we are even in the same state!
Here is a great tool for creating your own recipes:
www.soapcalc.net...

You put in how much of the main ingredients you want, it will tell you how much lye and scent you need to add. Also helps you control your batch sizes.

so far, I have found that approx 96 oz of oils will give me approx 36 "store bought" size bars.

I know this addition isn't really a diy on soap but may help some people who would like to use a good quality soap. It's called Old Granddads Pine Tar Soap. The stuff is awesome for the skin, you can use it from head to toe including lathering for shaving and shampoo. Also it works wonders on removing grease from working on an automobile. I stumbled on this stuff a few years ago because my one son has really bad skin and I can't stop raving about it. It's simple and it just works.

reply to post by chiefsmom


Don't have a coffee grinder yet, but I will definitely get one before I make the first batch.

I'm in Florida, but I'm from Missouri, and I've been frozen to the bleachers in Arrowhead Stadium many, many times! I had a friend that played there for a year, and played on the practice squad for awhile too! Even saw a few George Brett homeruns back when I was a kid.

Thanks for all the ideas, this is a fun thread!