How To Make Soap

By Lakshmi Ramchander
The sodium salt of any fatty acid is called as Soap. The chemicals required for the preparation of soap are fat or oil, sodium hydroxide (6N - NaOH), table salt and alcohol (ethanol). Before proceeding to the method of preparing the soap it is required to take some precautions like wearing gloves, doing the process in a well ventilated space, cover your eyes with eye-ware and avoid the fumes. In case there is a spill on your skin wash with vinegar and AVOID washing with water.

To start making soap takes about 10gms of fat or oil in a glass container. Add 15ml of sodium hydroxide – 6N followed by 50ml of ethyl alcohol. Place this glass container on a low flame and heat the mixture with constant mixing with a glass rod, until the sodium hydroxide has completely reacted. This process could take around 25 to 30 minutes. After the entire sodium hydroxide has reacted completely add 20ml of water and mix. Now remove from the flame and cool the soap mixture. Dissolve 12gm of common salt in 50ml of water. Add the cooled soap mixture to this salt solution and mix. Allow this new soap mixture to cool completely. The soap gets solidified.

An alternative method of preparing soap as done previously in the age old method is as follows. The ingredients required in this method are 340 grams of 100% lye , 605 gms of ice cold 2.48 kg of vegetable oil. The equipment required for making soap are 1-2 quart Pyrex bowl; 4-6 quart plastic bowl; plastic, wooden or stainless big spoon; shallow cardboard box lined with plastic trash bag and rubber gloves. The method involves preparing lye water by freezing 1/2 of the water into ice cubes. Place the ice cubes and the remaining water into a quart bowl. Add lye slowly to the ice water mixture and mix until the lye dissolves completely. Close the bowl tightly and allow cooling to luke-warm. Melt the fat in a bowl and cool it. Prepare a box with plastic lining. Now start adding the lye water to the fat while constantly mixing in a regular clockwise manner, until the addition is complete. After that mix vigorously till the soap mixture starts cooling and thickens out. Do not stopping mixing at this point of time, but continue mixing for about 50mins. You could blend and cut down the time on mixing to 15 mins. Pour the soap into lined box and stand for 4 hours, later cut into pieces with a knife.

See Also:
More information on how to prepare wine can be obtained.

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