Those look awesome -- you will love the cleaning power of borax! So what are you, blacksmith? Mechanic? Gardener? Just someone who likes to get dirty?
Borax Hand Soap for Blacksmith or other dirty work
- Thread starter earlene
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Dh wants a scrubby soap for his upcoming birthday. He uses Fast Orange Degreaser frequently after working on stuff in the garage. We also know a lot of farmers and mechanic types so this seemed like a perfect fit.
Trinidad Kelly
Active Member
This looks lovely. Where did you get the d limonene please? I am not in the USA so I'd have to get it online.
I found it on Amazon because I couldn't find it locally.
Trinidad Kelly
Active Member
Thanks for the feedback. Would it be too much to ask for the link for the exact product you got please?
I'm not great at linking but here's the one I bought. I only purchased a small bottle since it was my first time trying it.
Florida Laboratories, Inc. D-Limonene 100% Food Grade Citrus Solvent 4oz Dlimonene Orange Oil https://a.co/d/bSlsV5i
Trinidad Kelly
Active Member
Thank you so very much! Truly appreciate it.
How do you get the d-limonene or 10X orange EO to stick? I made a batch with lard instead of palm and upped the d-limonene to 4% and it's literally gone before a full cure and I can now smell the piggy fat. Yuck. I may have to go back to my palm version if I can't get the smell to stick.Yup, you can definitely use orange EO instead of d-limonene, but you have to use about 15% more to get the same amount of limonene for equal cleaning power. But it is certainly worth a cost comparison, as well as a scent comparison, i.e., one person may prefer the scent of one over the other.
I first learned about using d-limonene in hand soap from the Swift Crafty Monkey blog, which is a very respectable source for safe use of ingredients. If you are a subscriber, you can read her liquid scrubby hand soap formula here; it includes d-limonene at ~.7% - edited to add actual percentage from my notes of this recipe. Many of the "orange cleaners" used to wash greasy hands in mechanic shops use a combination of orange scent and d-limonene, but obviously I don't know the percentages they use.
Both orange EO and d-limonene can cause skin sensitivity, including phototoxicity. However, the amount of either that is used in hard bar soap is so low, and it is washed off so quickly, that chances of irritation are much lower than using either in say, a lotion or bath bombs, or even liquid soap.
If it were otherwise, we would not see all those mechanics using this kind of product daily on their hands.. Our mechanic swears by my version of Earlene's blacksmith soap, which is my regular bar soap recipe with borax, pumice, and d-limonene. He says it is much gentler than the orange cleaner stuff that he used to buy, and his skin doesn't get irritated at all - just nice and clean.
Oh yuck, sorry! My home rendered lard has no smell, but the lard from the store definitely does. I haven't had any trouble with my d-limonene sticking. Then again, I don't like super strong scents, either.
The 10x orange sticks well for me, but I do mix it with sweet orange EO and blood orange FO.
I am using store bought Armour brand and cannot smell the pig fat in my first batch of lard bars with just 3% FO, which is why I tried it in my mechanic soap. I have an end piece of each (palm and lard versions) at my kitchen sink and cannot smell the d-limonene in either bar and I have a very sensitive nose when it comes to smells. I don't know if I should buy a different brand of d-limonene or get some 10x orange. I think I read somewhere on here that I'll have to use a whopping 6% of the orange to get it to stick.
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Instead of d-limonen or 10x orange, I've been very happy with my BLIMEY! blend:
1 part lemon EO
1 part litsea cubeba (May chang) EO
2 parts lime EO
Use 14 mls (2.5%) PPO
The litsea "anchors" the scent and helps it to stick. Also, I believe lard soaps help stick the scent as well. At least, that's been my experience.
ETA: I rely on MMS Fragrance Calc to detemine use rate (Strong Scent)
1 part lemon EO
1 part litsea cubeba (May chang) EO
2 parts lime EO
Use 14 mls (2.5%) PPO
The litsea "anchors" the scent and helps it to stick. Also, I believe lard soaps help stick the scent as well. At least, that's been my experience.
ETA: I rely on MMS Fragrance Calc to detemine use rate (Strong Scent)
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I love lime, but never even considered lemon because everyone seems to say it doesn't stick. I had wondered about a maybe a blend of lime, bergamot, and litsea.
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Trust your nose and your intuition... and stop wondering! LOL ...
Pick a morning or afternoon when you will be undisturbed. Put a cotton ball on a 2" square of tinfoil and add 10 drops of your blend to it. After sniffing, make notes, fold the foil over the cotton ball and sniff over time.
I usually do three test formulas. Write each one down before you start testing. Then make note of your responses at first sniff, 24 hours later, a few days later, 2 weeks later, etc. as you like.
Keep the cotton ball with the final blend you make to sniff when considering a blend to add to whatever you're making.
That sounds lovely!
Thanks. Bet you can't guess which FO inspired me.
Sorry @Zany_in_CO , I can handle a couple days, but two weeks ain't happenin. That's what micro batches are for. As for usage, @Zing has introduced me to the wonders of eocalc and I am positively smitten.
Hi all! I’m a newbie soap maker and I wanted to try to make this borax soap for my welder husband. The oils I have on hand are beef tallow and coconut oil and I can’t afford to buy additional supplies right now so I’m going to try and make do. I’d like to make this soap hot process, I’m wonder when would I add the borax solution? To trace before cooking, or to mixture after cooking before pouring into mold? I want clarity before I attempt! Thank you!
Calling all my soapy peeps to the front desk, please….. @AliOop, @Mobjack Bay, @Zing, @KiwiMoose, @Servant4Christ, @Zany_in_CO and anyone else willing to help a girl out 
Today I took a try at this soap. 1000g of fats.
75% lard
20% coconut oil
5% castor
50/50 lye with AVJ
92g extra liquid - 67g AJV with 10g ea sorbitol, SL, sodium citrate
25g boiling water to dissolve 62g Borax
30g d-limonene
33g pumice powder added to medium trace
Colorant - pewter silver mica
I did not spray the top of the loaf because I’d be delighted to get a top layer of soda ash like @Mobjack Bay
After reading this thread about 400 or so times, I felt pretty ready to give it an go. Anyone want to offer me some additional guidance on dissolving borax? I tried 63g of borax in 25g fully boiling distilled water, and it was a thick sludge. I added a bit more boiling water at a time and must have added about double the 25g and possibly up to making a 50/50 borax-boiling DW mix. Even then, it was cloudy and needed constant stirring before I added it to my oils. Is this normal? What is your borax to boiling water ratio?
Today I took a try at this soap. 1000g of fats.
75% lard
20% coconut oil
5% castor
50/50 lye with AVJ
92g extra liquid - 67g AJV with 10g ea sorbitol, SL, sodium citrate
25g boiling water to dissolve 62g Borax
30g d-limonene
33g pumice powder added to medium trace
Colorant - pewter silver mica
I did not spray the top of the loaf because I’d be delighted to get a top layer of soda ash like @Mobjack Bay
After reading this thread about 400 or so times, I felt pretty ready to give it an go. Anyone want to offer me some additional guidance on dissolving borax? I tried 63g of borax in 25g fully boiling distilled water, and it was a thick sludge. I added a bit more boiling water at a time and must have added about double the 25g and possibly up to making a 50/50 borax-boiling DW mix. Even then, it was cloudy and needed constant stirring before I added it to my oils. Is this normal? What is your borax to boiling water ratio?
I used a tip from someone on here - add it to boiling water, and if it doesn't dissolve - put it in the microwave to heat it up. It's heat that seems to dissolve it rather than more water.
Dittoing @KiwiMoose. And then I keep it warm in a hot water bath until I'm ready to mix it in.
And what's this wanting soda ash? Is it like those silly willies who want glycerin rivers?!
And what's this wanting soda ash? Is it like those silly willies who want glycerin rivers?!
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
I learned to make 33% Borax Solution for use in Liquid Soap. It is used not only to neutralize excess lye but can also be used to thicken thin LS.
Add the Borax to cold (distilled) water, stir, and then nuke it to the boiling point in the microwave. Keep hot until ready to use. This is something you don't want to make ahead of time. As the solution cools, the Borax particulates out and settles at the bottom, HARD AS A ROCK! No use trying to reheat it. It just won't cooperate. (Don't ask me how I know.
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