Expert: Terry Knorr - 10/25/2004

Question
Pls I will like you to send me the full procedure for making laundry soap.I have attended a soap making seminar in Nigeria but I still have some challenges in making laundry soap.
Thank you Sir.

Answer
Hi Opeks!

Laundry Soap, like bath soaps, can be a very individual thing.  What one person likes might be very different from what another person likes.  With this in mind, I'll attempt to guide you through making what I consider to be a good laundry soap.

I prefer a very dry, powdery soap which produces very little suds and disolves quickly in water.  (For a bath soap, I prefer one which produces much lather, so my formulations will be different).  

After choosing the formulation which will produce the qualities I'm looking for in my laundry soap, I follow the same procedures as when making a bath soap (I prefer a cold process method for making soap):

1.  measure out ingredients

2.  heat fats and oils so they are between 90 and 120       degrees F.

3.  mix the Sodium hydroxide (or potassium hydroxide) with the water (remember to always add the water to the base, never the base to the water) and cool it to approximately the same temperature as your fats and oils.

4.  pour the lye solution into the fats and oils and mix until a trace appears (you will recognize this by drizzling a small amount of the mixture back into the pot.  If a small trail (mound of soap mixture) remains on top for at least 10 seconds whereever the drizzle landed, then you have a good trace.)

5.  pour the soap mixture into a mold and cover with towels or any other material to provide insulation.  

6.  After 24 hours, check the soap.  If it has the consistance of cheese, it is ready to cut into bars (although this is not necessary, it will cure faster)

7.  Place the bars on a screen to cure (this can take 30 days or longer).

8.  After the soap is fully cured (is dry, hard, and no longer caustic), run it over the fine side of a cheese grater.  This will give you a more powdery laundry soap, which will disolve in water more quickly.

Because this soap will contain glycerine, it is best to store it in an air-tight container in as dry a location as you can find.  The glycerine will attract moisture from the air, causing your soap powder to "sweat".

I hope this is helpful to you.  If you need clarification on any of this information, please feel free to contact me again.  If I can answer any other questions for you, do not hesitate to contact me.

Happy soaping!
Terry