Soap Making

Soap making is probably one of the oldest known chemical reactions. Soap making was a chore usually performed by women and children. To read more about the science of soap, see "Soap, Clean Chemistry," Chem Matters, February 1985. 
                          
               A leach barrel was a large barrel on supports 
               with a hole at the bottom.  The barrel was filled 
               with ashes and buckets of warm water were poured 
               through.  When a coffee-colored liquid drained from 
               the hole, an egg was placed in the solution.  If it 
               sank, the solution was not strong enough.  When the 
               egg floated at the correct height, this lye was strong 
               enough for making soap.



               
Lye is a strong base.  This lye is mixed       Hard soap was made by mixing salt 
with melted animal fat  and stirred until      into the soft soap.  The soap  
a thick layer formed on top.  This is          could then be cut into bars. 
called soft soap.
Return to the main page