I know this has been done before, but I thought I would document the latest batch of soap I've made. Hopefully this instructable should give you some practical hints as well as help you with the theory of making soap from leftover fat.
Soap makes a unique and personal gift, especially when it is home made. You can also sell your soap at a farmer's market or just use it yourself. And it's a great way to get rid of old grease and fat that would otherwise find it's way to sewers or landfills.
The process uses caustic chemicals, so it is slightly dangerous. But if you follow general safety guidelines and keep your wits you should be fine. You might make a mess, but it should be easy to clean up because most of the spills will be made of soap!
I got most of my info from this page and this lye table
I was inspired by this instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bacon-Soap/?ALLSTEPS
Note: I would've gotten better pictures, but it's hard to use a camera with eye goggles and rubber gloves.
Soap makes a unique and personal gift, especially when it is home made. You can also sell your soap at a farmer's market or just use it yourself. And it's a great way to get rid of old grease and fat that would otherwise find it's way to sewers or landfills.
The process uses caustic chemicals, so it is slightly dangerous. But if you follow general safety guidelines and keep your wits you should be fine. You might make a mess, but it should be easy to clean up because most of the spills will be made of soap!
I got most of my info from this page and this lye table
I was inspired by this instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Bacon-Soap/?ALLSTEPS
Note: I would've gotten better pictures, but it's hard to use a camera with eye goggles and rubber gloves.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Supplies
Ingredients you will need:
1. A lot of animal fat or vegetable oil.
2. I added some olive oil to my recipe to make it milder.
3. Lye (NaOH) crystals. You can get this at the hardware store next to drain openers.
4. Distilled water. You can use tap water, but I wanted to make sure there were no dissolved minerals that could ruin the soap.
5. Essential oils for a scent. This is optional, but I think it helps. I use tea tree oil and jasmine oil. You can find these at a natural foods or drug store.
Tools you will need:
1. Safety equipment: Rubber gloves, goggles, and an OPEN bottle of vinegar withing easy reach, in case you need to neutralize any spilled lye. Lye (NaOH) is very basic and caustic, and it WILL burn your skin, or any part of your body for that matter. If you've ever seen Fight Club than you know what I mean.
2. A large glass or ceramic bowl to mix everything in. Anything that touches lye must be glass, because lye can react with plastic, wood, and especially metal. I was lucky enough to find a big Pyrex bowl in my attic that an old roommate left behind.
3. An accurate scale. It doesn't matter whether you measure in grams or ounces, but you must be accurate. I have a digital scale that works in grams or ounces.
4. Something to stir with. You can always just use a big spoon, but it will take a long time and you will get tired quickly. I got a stick blender at Goodwill for a couple dollars that worked well until the motor burned out. So for my second batch I just pulled it apart and mounted the business end to a power drill. Make sure that whatever you use for mixing, you wash it very well before using it on food. I have dedicated equipment that I use for mixing soap and nothing else.
5. Some kind of mold to pour the finished soap into. Besides a casserole pan or plastic bin, you can also use lengths of PVC, or paper cups to mold the soap into round shapes (see the main photo).
6. Notepad and pen along with a calculator to make conversions.
7. You will also need a few more tools like bowls and scrapers etc.
Lay down some newspaper on a big table or counterspace. You will need plenty of room to make soap.
1. A lot of animal fat or vegetable oil.
2. I added some olive oil to my recipe to make it milder.
3. Lye (NaOH) crystals. You can get this at the hardware store next to drain openers.
4. Distilled water. You can use tap water, but I wanted to make sure there were no dissolved minerals that could ruin the soap.
5. Essential oils for a scent. This is optional, but I think it helps. I use tea tree oil and jasmine oil. You can find these at a natural foods or drug store.
Tools you will need:
1. Safety equipment: Rubber gloves, goggles, and an OPEN bottle of vinegar withing easy reach, in case you need to neutralize any spilled lye. Lye (NaOH) is very basic and caustic, and it WILL burn your skin, or any part of your body for that matter. If you've ever seen Fight Club than you know what I mean.
2. A large glass or ceramic bowl to mix everything in. Anything that touches lye must be glass, because lye can react with plastic, wood, and especially metal. I was lucky enough to find a big Pyrex bowl in my attic that an old roommate left behind.
3. An accurate scale. It doesn't matter whether you measure in grams or ounces, but you must be accurate. I have a digital scale that works in grams or ounces.
4. Something to stir with. You can always just use a big spoon, but it will take a long time and you will get tired quickly. I got a stick blender at Goodwill for a couple dollars that worked well until the motor burned out. So for my second batch I just pulled it apart and mounted the business end to a power drill. Make sure that whatever you use for mixing, you wash it very well before using it on food. I have dedicated equipment that I use for mixing soap and nothing else.
5. Some kind of mold to pour the finished soap into. Besides a casserole pan or plastic bin, you can also use lengths of PVC, or paper cups to mold the soap into round shapes (see the main photo).
6. Notepad and pen along with a calculator to make conversions.
7. You will also need a few more tools like bowls and scrapers etc.
Lay down some newspaper on a big table or counterspace. You will need plenty of room to make soap.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
lol im watching that movie right now.
It makes a great soap and I like to add other ingredients to make it hard, but it's not necessary for home use. Just make sure to use coconut oil and olive oil (not the extra virgin), it's what makes the soap later well. Here are some links for other info: http://www.ziggurat.org/soap/
http://millersoap.com/index.html
Happy Soaping
Not so sure about the microwave - I know people who have had candle wax ignite in the microwave. But if you keep the bursts short and pay attention you should be fine.
I tried again the next day using vegetable oil, and it looks fine so far. Still has to age before I know how good it will be.
All's well that ends well. I got divorced the day before the mishap and I felt like I didn't care about anything anymore. Turns out I care quite a bit about flaming death and destruction. Got my emotions back online. Effective, but not recommended.
The only real reason I've been making soap from bacon fat is that it is free and abundant, and makes some pretty good soap. And because I saw this instructable before I made mine.
http://waltonfeed.com/blog/showCategory/category_id/64
I've got a good small batch recipesmall batch recipe in the instructable that I used to make little "cake" soaps, but the recipe works in any mold. Alternately, I'd be glad to share recipes with you, or help you fine tune something if you ever want any help. :)
(here's a link to stuff I've written about the pending federal legislation )
Insane.
We have yet to be able to find another underwriter, even though there has never, in the history of tort system in the US, ever been a successful claim against a soap manufacturer due to product liability.
But, this being America, land of the courtroom land shark, it's absolutely insane to sell anything without insurance.
I tell you all of that, because liability insurance is one of those things you may want to consider. Without insurance, if someone slips on a bar of soap, and decides to sue you, they can bankrupt you in legal fees alone before a judgment ever gets rendered. All personal assets are up for grab unless you're a corporation, and even then, they can try to attach personal assets of owners and board members. The tort system is crazy and only the lawyers win, really.
The odds of anything happening are really low. But, for me, I couldn't take the chance, so I stopped selling until I can find insurance. Unfortunately, that meant putting everyone who worked for me out of a job too, and then that rolls into my suppliers needing less people and warehouse space, etc.... The system really is stacked against small businesses.
Just something to consider.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/paul_norman_3/soapmake.htm