Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-21
HonsAhnld Scan Making

Mr W. MenZies gives in The Chemist
and Druggist the following prac teal
recipe for making soap without boiling:
Take exactly ten pounds OF double re-
fined 90 per cent caustic soda powder
(Greenbank), put it in any can or jar
with forty five pounds -four and half
gallons) of water. stir it once or twice.
when it will dissolve Immediately and
become quite hot; let it stand until the
I've thus made is cold. Weigh out and
place in any convenient vessel for mix
ing exactly seventy.ive pounds of clean
grease, tallow, or oil mot mineral Oil.
If grease or tallow be used, melt it slowly
over the fire until it is liquid aud just
warm-say, temperature not over 100
degrees Fahrenheit. If oil be used, no
heating is required. Pour the I've slowly
stream continuously, at the same time
stirring with fiat wooden stirrer about
three inches broad; continue gently stir
ring until the I've and grease are thorough
ly combined and in appearance like
honey. Do not stir too long or the mix
ture will separate itself again. The time
required varies somewhat with the
weather and the kind of talloW, grease
or oil used: from fifteen to twenty
minutes will be enough. When the mix
ing is completed, pour off the liquid soap
into any old square box for a mould
sufficiently large to hold it, previously
dampening the sides with water so as TO
prevent the soap sticking. Wrap up
the box well with old blankets, or, better
still, put it in warm place until the
next day, when the box will contain a
block of 100 pounds of soap, which can
afterward be cut up with wire. Re
member the chief points in the above
directions, which must be exactly fol
lowed. The I've must be allowed to
cool. II melted tallow or grease be used
it must not be more than warm. The
exact weights of double refined SO per
cent. powdered caustic soda and tallow
or oil must be taken; also the lye must
be stirred into the grease, not grease or
oil added to the lye. If the grease or
tallow used be not clean, or contains salt,
it must be rendered" or purified, pre-
vious to use, that is to say, boiled wi; b
water and allowed to become hard again
to throw out the impurities. Any salt
present will spoil the whole operation
entirely, but discolored or rancid grease
or tallow is just as good as fresh for
soap-making purposes.
Ii the soap turn out streaky and I'M
even it has not been thoroughly mixed.
If very sharp to the taste, too much
soda has been taken. If soft, mild and
greasy, too little soda has been used. In
either case it must now be thrown into a
pan, and brought to boil with little
more water. In the first case boiling Is
all that is necessary; in the other in
stances very little oil or very little more
of the double-refned powdered caustic
soda must be added to the water. These
things will never happen, however, if
the directions are exactly followed, and
after the soap has been made several
times, with the experience thus gained
the process is extremely easy and the
result will be always q good batch Of
soap. Beef talloW makes the hardest
soap, mutton fat rather softer soap; of
oils, cotton seed is the cheapest and best,
but the soap is much softer, lathering
very freely indeed Ordinary household
fat or dripping will make nice soap,
and in many places can be obtained at
a tritliDg cost, and in exchange for goods
sold. Such grease, however, must be
carefully examined for SALT which it
often contains. 1t will be evident that
any smaller quantity of soap can be
made at time, according to the above
directions, by taking the ingredients in
exact proportion. 1t is not advisable
to make more than double the quantity
prescribed, as it is difficult to work more
by hand.