There are bound to be some readers who can remember when wash day meant heating water in a black iron pot and using strong lye soap and a rub board to get clothes clean.
r glass containers. Dissolve the lye in the water, stirring gently
Empty can of lye in water.
Stir slowly until lye is dissolved. Allow to stand until lye is completely dissolved and the water is just barely lukewarm.
(The lye heats the water.) Pour grease into large stone bowl or enamel container.
Using wooden spoon or stick, slowly stir while pouring dissolved lye mixture into grease, stirring constantly.
Stir for 15 minutes until mixture begins to get thick.
If soap thickens before time is up, pour into molds lined with wax paper.
o a boil.
Pour lye into boiled ingredients being very
Dissolve lye in water.
Heat grease to 120\u00b0 or until all is melted.
When you mix the water and lye, it will become very hot. Allow to cool to about 80\u00b0 before mixing.
Slowly pour the melted lard into the lye mixture, stirring slowly until the mixture becomes thick like honey.
Pour into a plastic pan, cover with a cloth, let set until cool and cut in squares.
I mix my soap in a plastic bucket.
If you have old grease (bacon), melt and strain before making soap with it.
Dissolve lye in water; allow to cool.
Heat grease.
Slowly pour lye into grease.
Stir until the mixture drips from stirrer like strained honey.
Do not stir too long or it will separate, 5 to 10 minutes is about right.
Pour mixture into molds or pans. Cover with a heavy blanket and leave for 2 days.
Now, cut your snow white bars of soap into the desired size.
Melt grease and let cool.
Pour water on lye and let get cool, stirring until dissolved.
Add Borax to the lye.
Stir until dissolved.
Add the lye to the grease and stir 7 minutes.
Then add ammonia and stir 3 minutes longer.
(The more you stir the whiter the soap will be.)
Let set until hard.
Takes about 1 hour.
Make soap on first quarter of the moon.
Put 3 gallons of fat in an old black wash pot.
Add 1 can Red Devil lye.
Bring to a boil.
Boil unti lye eats the meat up.
Pour 1 gallon water in the pot.
Bring to a boil and boil until water boils away.
Dip out and pour into pan.
Let cool.
Cut out blocks of soap.
Put lard and lye in wash pot.
Add water and cook until mixture drips off paddle like fudge.
Pour into porcelain mold. When cooled, put on wooden table and cut.
Makes about 40 bars. This soap is good for acne, ringworm, poison ivy and is excellent for head lice.
Put 3 gallons water in old-time wash pot.
Melt lye, then grease.
Let boil.
When grease melts, gradually add the remaining water.
Cook slow or it will boil over.
Use wooden paddle to stir constantly.
When soap is done, lift paddle from the pot and it will string.
To test, put a little soap in cold water and it will form a ball.
Can be put in molds.
Do not use aluminum.
Make soap outside using an iron pot or enamel kettle.
Put water in kettle and carefully add the lye.
Avoid breathing the fumes.
Pour grease slowly into the lye water, stirring all the time with a wooden paddle or a wooden spoon.
Stir until the mixture thickens.
Let cool overnight and cut into bars.
Store in a dry place.
Melt grease and strain.
Let cool.
Pour water on lye; let cool, stirring until dissolved.
Add Borax to lye water and stir until dissolved.
Add this to the grease and stir 7 minutes.
Add ammonia and stir 3 minutes longer.
The more you stir, the whiter the soap.
(Any scrape grease can be used:
bacon drippings, grease from fish fries, etc.)
Let cool and set.
Cut into desired shapes. Do not use aluminum pans and use only wooden spoons to stir.
Heat fat and strain through a cloth.
Measure 2 quarts and set to cool.
Mix 1 can lye into 1 quart water and stir until lye dissolves.
Do not use aluminum utensils and be careful not to splash on yourself.
Stir.
Let cool for about 1 hour.
Pour lye slowly over fat, stirring slowly until lye and fat are thoroughly blended.
Add 1/2 cup household ammonia.
Add 2 tablespoons Borax dissolved in 1/2 cup water.
Stir until mixture is the consistency of honey.
Soap Making:
To clarify fat, melt and add a few slices raw potatoes, letting them get a golden brown and the grease to bubble.
When this is done, strain through a cloth into a jar or lard pail.
Pour 2 1/2 pints of water in granite pan or any container not aluminum.
Pour lye in water and stir well until dissolved.
Let stand for 1/2 day; melt grease and strain.
Stir in lye mixture and stir until thick and looks white.
Let set overnight.
Cut out.
Mix lye in water.
Be sure to use granite container large enough to leave soap in to harden.
Add melted grease.
Stir carefully.
Let harden.
When it is hard, cut it out in cubes. Grate it up and use as washing powder.
You'll be surprised how white and clean your clothes are.
Prepare grease.
Heat together fat and drippings; strain.
If fat contains meat juices or lots of dark particles, allow to cool, then use fat which rises to the top.
Discard dark particles which settle on bottom.
In large iron kettle, mix lye, Borax and water. Slowly add warm grease.
Stir, stir, stir frequently throughout the day with wooden spoon.
When the mix becomes firm and can no longer be stirred easily, wear gloves and pour soap into forms.
Do not double recipe.
Shave off to wash clothes.
Note:
Always make soap before the new moon.
Mix lye and cold water together.
Stir with a wooden spoon. Use enamelware or glass container for this.
Water becomes very hot.
Set aside to cool.
Dissolve lye in cold water in iron kettle or granite dish pan. Stir with wooden spoon until lye is dissolved.
Do not breathe the fumes from lye water.
When lye water gets cold, pour grease in and stir till it is mixed well.
Sit in cool place until it gets hard.
Then cut and lay on clean wood or cardboard to dry out.
Always make during the old moon.