# Soap Abrasives



## ZandarKoad (Aug 23, 2013)

Does anyone know of any type of an abrasive which could be added to CP soap to help with deep penetration?  I'm trying to make a soap for mechanics that would work well removing built up, heavy grease.

I'm thinking maybe painters sand (the kind they use to add texture to wall paints)?  I think it's easy to find something non-toxic and 'natural', but my concern is clogging drains.


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## paillo (Aug 23, 2013)

A few ideas: ground pumice, cornmeal, any kind of seeds (strawberry, poppy, blueberry, etc.), ground walnut hull.


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## Moody Glenn (Aug 23, 2013)

Hello!  My father, who was a farmer and always had grease and dirt covered hands, used the old LAVA brand soap made with pumice. The pumice really cut through the grease and dirt. Even though it was a detergent soap the pumice really helped in cleaning his hands. Another "scrubby" is diatomaceous earth which are the tiny fossilized remains of hard shelled algae plankton. I believe there was a posting about this a few months ago. You might be able to use very fine sand as well in the soap to act as an abrasive. All of these would be small enough not to create plumbing problems for the water would be able to flush them away. Hope this helps you! ;-)


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## neeners (Aug 23, 2013)

coffee grounds...gets rid of odours as well.  or put a loofa in the soap.


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## ZandarKoad (Aug 23, 2013)

Wouldn't the coffee grounds smell strong themselves?


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## Mockingbird Ramble (Aug 23, 2013)

Not really.


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## HorseCreek (Aug 23, 2013)

I make coffee ground soap for husband who is a farmer. The rest of the guys in my family started using it also (2 farmers and a city crew worker). Like was stated,  it takes away odors and is REALLY scrubby!  It is literally all my husband will use, and he gets real dirty/greasy lol. Sometimes I also add cornmeal along with coffee for some extra grit.  
The grounds leave some scent in the soap,  but it's not the same as the smell you get from fresh brewed or right after you open the can of coffee. It's more earthy with a light hint of coffee. I never scent my coffee soap and all the guys still love it.


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## neeners (Aug 23, 2013)

not really.  they're very good deodourizers.  I used to buy a kitchen soap from the farmer's market, and it didn't smell strong at all.  got rid of smells on your hands.  and his kitchen soap was LOADED with coffee grounds


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## judymoody (Aug 23, 2013)

If you use coffee, grind it really fine, like espresso fine.  Otherwise you may cross the line from abrasive to painfully scratchy.

Myself, I like pumice for gardener's soap and coffee soap for kitchen odors.


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## Robert (Aug 23, 2013)

In my experience, when it comes to removing hydrophobic material such as grease from skin, abrasives don't help.  What does work is making the soap itself more grease-cutting.

I learned this when I was about 12 YO cleaning my hands in school after using tempera paints.  Lava soap, with its abrasive pumice, did not work as well as Lifebuoy, with its high coconut soap content.  (Lifebuoy and Lux are from the same soap base.)

When you work with grease, skin doesn't get it stuck on the way mixed food materials get burned onto metal in cooking.  In the latter case, abrasives help the cleaning, but in the former they don't.


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## debbism (Aug 23, 2013)

I am a fan of lemon peel powder


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## Kansas Farm Girl (Aug 23, 2013)

I have tried a high % coconut oil soap with high SF and either coffee grounds or corn meal, both ground fine, with good luck. I wanted ground pumice but didn't know where to get it. I tried coffee in one batch but had someone have a reaction to that. She doesn't have a problem with any of the other soaps, so we thought the caffeine might have been too strong for her skin. No one else has had any issues with it.


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## Guywithsoap? (Aug 24, 2013)

i have done coffee grinds.

They don't add a smell. They will add a color, if that matters.

I don't think that they would be especially beneficial for removing grease. 

They would be good for paint, thick caked in mud, any sort of surface debris.


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## Stakie (Aug 24, 2013)

Just wanted to add.. I am a big fan of pumice in soaps for greasy hands. IMHO it really helps.


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## MzMolly65 (Feb 4, 2014)

How much cornmeal would you suggest ppo??


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