The base recipe for our laundry soap

Warning: We assume you have a thorough knowledge of the basics and of the safety issues required for making soap from scratch. The following recipe should not be attempted unless you are familiar with soap making, and is not suitable for children.

The following recipe gives approximately 1.2 kilos (2.5 lbs) of cured soap, which can then be turned into a laundry gel (see recipe) for use in the washing machine. Beef tallow can be substituted with lard or mutton tallow, or with coconut oil if you prefer a 100% vegetable soap, with the amount of required NaOH re-calculated accordingly.

Ingredients:: 500g olive or pomace oil; 500g beef tallow; 250g to 300g (250ml to 300 ml) water; 136g NaOH (no superfatting)

My method:: First, measure the NaOH and prepare the lye solution. I measure the water in a thick plastic jug and slowly add the NaOH, mixing with a plastic spatula. I use plain tap water, because we are fortunate enough to have nice soft water; if your tap water is very hard, you may use distilled water.
I cover the lye solution and set aside. Then, I measure the olive oil and the tallow and place them in my stainless steel mixing pot, and place the pot over medium heat.
While the fat is melting, I prepare the mould. For this soap, I use a rectangular plastic container with no lining, or a sturdy cardboard box lined with butcher or greaseproof paper.
When the tallow is melted, remove the pot from the heat and add the lye solution - slowly, and stirring carefully to avoid splashes. I find a paint stirrer (a plastic spatula with several holes and a long handle) is the best tool.
When lye solution and fats are amalgamated, I mix with the stick blender until thick trace. Usually, a few minutes are enough.
Pour the soap into the mould and insulate. Unmould the following day and cut.
This soap can be used straight away to make laundry gel. Store the remaining soap into a plastic bag if you're planning to use it again for making more gel, or air dry for at least a couple of weeks if you want to save a couple of bars as a pre-wash stain remover.

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last updated 12 mar 2007