The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-27
Soap and Toilet Articles and Their
Use in The Home.


Use i'm The Home.
The purpose of this article is not to
go fully into the chemistry involved
in soap and soap-making for that is a
big subject that would little interest
those who have never taken up the
study of chemistry, but to include the
chemistry of it only so far as this
chemistry is closely related to the
common things of life. Soap is one
of the most important Of all house
hold articles, and yet most people are
ignorant of the properties of.various
soaps and consequently they are often
misused. We waste time. energy.
money by the misuse of soap. Before
we take up the kinds of different soaps
and misuse of certain soaps It will be
best to briefly into the manufac-
ture of soap and the common soap
adulterations
Manufacture OF Soap.
Soap is made by the chemical re-
action between an oil or q .Hat and an
alkali Caustic soda is the alkali COM
monty used, while the oil may be olive,
palm or cocoa nut oils for the finer
grades of soap and animal fats and
oils for the cheaper grade of soaps
The alkali is diluted to suitable
bulk with water and is added to the
fat in the proportion about IL.
There are two classes Of water So
luble soaps, the hand or soda soaps
and the soft or potash soaps. Hard
soaps may be made by the hot pro-
cess or the "cold process" For COM
mercial purposes the hot process" is
usually used. The alkali and the fat
ire boiled together until the mixture
Is smooth. This is known as soponi-
hcation (soap making). The product
| Is soap and glycerol. When it IS
smooth salt is added and as soap is
.nsoluble in salt water it rises to tho
,op. The brine at the bottom is drawn
off. This contains glycerol, which is
refined and made into glycerin Water
3 added to the soap, it is boiled, salt.
sd and separated as before, and then
.ur out into mould3 to set thorough.
! or If other things are to be added it
is run into mixing machine and
from there it is run into the moulds
| 1t takes forty eight hours for COM
| plete separation to take place,
that is for all of the fat and alkali
to be changed into soap. The kettles
are ci course in use all of the Tine
and another batch" of soap cannot
be begun until this one is run out into
the moulds. Some manufacturers run
the soap out into the moulds before
complete specialization has taken
place in order that they may have
the kettles to make more soap to
make more money. Consequently the
soap may contain disappointed fat or
free alkali'' or maybe both.
| cOdp nldue Dy the cold process
must have very accurate proportions
of oil and alkali. The ingredient.
are combined and allowed to stanI
several days, until complete sapon.I-
cation has taken place. Soaps made
by this method contain the glycerol.
but this is not Objectionable as
glycerol has healing properties.
Special Soaps.
The best kinds of TRANSPARENT soaps
are made by dissolving the soap IN
alcohol. getting rid Of the undissolved
residue, and then evaporating the al
cohol. Some of the cheaper grade 5
Of transparent soaps contain sugar.
which should be classed as an adu,-
terant as it causes the soap to waste
away SO rapidly.
The modern mOttled SOAPS arc
made by introducing coloring mat
ter into the soap. This does not af-
feet the value of the soap.
! For HoatlnE soaps air is beaten into