Teach Soap

I currently make a laundry bar out of 100% lard, but would like to see if I can make laundry detergent even cheaper. Canola oil is the cheapest ingredient I can get. Do you think a 0 percent superfat, 100% canola bar of soap would work? Would it clean the clothes? To make detergent, I grate the bar, melt it with water, add borax and washing soda, add 2 gal water, and let gel overnight. The bar wouldn't need to be hard.

I get DOS with canola. What about 100% coconut?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Well, if dirt cheap is my goal, coconut is more expensive than lard. I don't think I care about DOS here--I use it for laundry detergent, and grate it up and re-melt. From what I've read, DOS is a cosmetic problem and the soap is still safe to use. Is that wrong?

I am just wondering if canola cleans. I looked at soapcalc and it has the same cleaning properties as most other fats, including lard. Lard cleans. It is just me being a cheapskate. I just was wondering if anyone uses canola and what it does in soap. (DOS -- yeah, no one wants that in soap they sell! Though I did sell a laundry bar yesterday to a friend who swears it is the only thing that gets the funk out of her cloth diapers)

Make a small batch and try it. DOS is oils that have gone rancid and smell bad. I would think that would make your laundry smell bad too.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I like cheap - cheap is good!

How long does your laundry soap last after you've mixed it? If you go through it quickly, then try it and see.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I remember reading about DOS in canola. But with some research, but not experimenting, I've discovered that DOS with canola might be cause more by overheating the canola rather than the oil itself being old or rancid.

I would try a small batch, but keep the canola heated to a very low temperature.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.