Category: Soap

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God’s Soap Making

God's Soap Making
Hand washing laundry with bar soap in Malawi

God’s Soap Making

Years ago, my dear friend Betty Fitzsimmons shared with me the concept of God’s soap making. She talked about the sacrifices in the Old Testament. The ash, the water, and the fat that we see evident in these Old Testament sacrifices.

As a soap maker (lye soap maker) myself, I found this very interesting at the time and have never forgotten it.

In Malawi,  laundry is done with water drawn from a nearby well and scrubbed by hand, in a bucket with bar soap. Unlike the lye soap I make, it is green. I have yet to figure out why it is green.

Recently, I came across this article in Apologetics Press and thought it would be great to share with you.

https://apologeticspress.org/gods-soap-recipe-517/

Have you made such connections? Have you connected the washing in Titus 3:5 with the cleansing in the Old Testament and the cleansing in baptism?

And 1 Peter 3:21 “There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus, Christ,

God is amazing! His word is amazing! Jump in today!

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Making Plain Old Fashioned Lye Soap

Lye soap

I started my soap making adventure back in the early 1990s. My first batch was plain lye soap. Back then I could make a year’s worth of soap for about $8. I have continued to make soap for many years.  A few years back I took some of my soap to the flea market where I was selling books. I sold a lot of soap. People especially liked my soap in the spring when they were clearing undergrowth or cutting down trees and had the possibility of coming in contact with poison ivy. They told me they would wash in lye soap and they would not break out. I have never broken out from contact with poison ivy so I do not know if it works.

I am not sure where I got this recipe but the first recipe I got came from a magazine called Gentle Spirit. 

Plain Old Fashioned Lye Soap

1 can Red Devil lye (10 and 3/4 oz.  can)

2 1/2 pints of distilled water in a glass jar

10 cups lard or beef tallow (I have always used lard for this recipe)

Slowly pour the lye into the water (remember it will get very hot) Do not breathe this!!!

Set in the glass jar into cold water to cool down or set aside away from children.

Measure the lard and melt slowly on low. It will be easier to cool to the right temperature if you do not overheat.

 

After these are both done you need to check the temperatures.  When the temperatures are between 95 and 98 slowly pour the lye water into the fat and stir until trace. (Or use a stick blender)

If it is not getting thick after stirring a while then leave it alone for 10 minutes or so and stir some more. Usually, I have no trouble with this one it traces very fast.

After it traces pour it into your mold (I use a box lined with plastic) and cover with a board and blanket and set in a warm place for 24 hours. Uncover it if it is set then turn it out on a protected surface. It will eat up your table if you do not protect it well! Cut with a sharp knife and allow it to cure for two weeks. It will now be ready to use.

Lye soap
Lye soap
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A Stain Remover that Works!

Recently I was in the kitchen dishing up plates at Emily’s Mystery Menu Dinner when I got bumped and spilled coffee down the backside of Esther’s WHITE pants. She had also dropped blue jello on her pants. I had also worn my white apron and gotten berry stains on it.  I discovered someone had washed them both.  I am thankful I found them before they went in the dryer. I decided to try a combination I had seen on Facebook recently before throwing her pants away.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of Dawn dish soap

4 Tablespoons of peroxide

2 teaspoons of baking soda

I mixed up these three ingredients in a small jar and rubbed it on the stains and waited for a while before washing them.  I am happy to report the stains came out! I am very excited to have made this new discovery!

Let me know if you try this out!