How to Make Soap Using Wood Ash
If you want to make your own all-natural soap, you need to master the art of making lye. The chemical reaction between wood ash and water makes a strong and caustic chemical known as lye. The art of making lye to create soap dates back to the colonial days, and soap artisans still use the process today. Lye soap is gentle on the skin and oftentimes comes with aloe vera and other all-natural ingredients to increase its natural appeal. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Plastic bucket
- Drill
- Nail
- Wood ash
- Water
- Saucepan
- Containers
- Egg
- 3 lbs. hydrogenated lard
- 12 oz. lye
- 3 tsp. borax
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 oz. essential oil
- Baking pan
- White cloth
- Knife
Instructions
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Make Lye from the Wood Ash
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1
Drill a 1/8-inch hole in the side of a plastic bucket near the bottom. The hole needs to be as large as a nail, which you will use to block the hole.
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2
Insert the nail into the hole in the side of the bucket. Place enough cold white wood ash in the bucket to fill it 1/3 of the way to the top. Compact the wood ash into the bucket, so that it stays firm.
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3
Boil enough water to fill the bucket halfway. Pour the hot water over the ashes.
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4
Sit the bucket on the edge of a chair. Place a container under the hole that you plugged with a nail. Remove the nail, and wait for the lye water to come out of the bucket and into the container.
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5
Replace the nail once you have a cup of lye water in the container. Bring the container to the kitchen. Place the lye water in a saucepan, and bring the water to a boil.
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6
Pour the lye water back into the bucket. Place the container back under the hole, and remove the nail to catch the lye water again.
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7
Place a fresh egg in the cold lye water to test the lye's strength. If the egg sinks, you need to repeat the boiling process to strengthen the lye. If the egg floats with a small amount of water covering it, the strength is fine. If the egg floats completely on top of the lye, then you need to add fresh water to dilute the lye.
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8
Place the lye water in the sun to allow the water to evaporate, leaving behind lye crystals. Store the crystals in a clean, airtight container.
Make Soap from the Lye
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9
Heat 3 pounds of hydrogenated lard over low heat until it melts.
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10
Dissolve the lye in a quart of cold water, and allow it to cool. Remove the lard from the stovetop. Add the lye solution to the melted lard, and stir the mixture while adding 3 teaspoons of borax, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 ounce of essential oil and 1/2 cup of cold water.
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11
Keep stirring the mixture until it thickens. Pour the soap into a baking pan lined with a white cloth.
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12
Mark the soap with a knife at the places you want to cut it after it hardens. Do not cut completely through. Marking the soap helps you cut it into the desired size later. Allow the soap to harden uncovered on the countertop.
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13
Cut the soap into pieces after it cools in the baking dish and hardens. The soap takes two to three hours to harden completely.
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14
Allow the soap to cure for a week before using it.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always wear gloves and goggles when handling lye. It can burn your skin, and it can cause blindness if it splashes into your eyes.
References
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Comments
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tootlesmcgee
Jan 13, 2011
You know... I always think that you guys are copying directions from other places on the net. Today I thought these directions for making soap lye had things lacking or missing. I found the directions.. nearly word for word but changed slightly and omitting important points. Sad to say... ehow is a joke and steering the younger folks that don't know any better the wrong way. One also needs to consider when you omit or replace important items that it could potentially cause serious health problems! Chemical reactions are not apparent to the unknowing.... and shame on you for posting and not knowing what you guys are talking about much of the time!
