Dish soap (hard)

[Soapmaker145]

Hello!

I have never made soap, but my quest for a more environmental option to substitute for dish washing liquids makes me think I might like to try.

I started using hard soap to reduce my plastic waste and transporting of water, but that leaves stains on the dishes. It cleans them, but together with the hard water of my town, there will still be marks making them look shabby.

So I tried a Lush soap with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Now this works very nicely - but it is expensive. The soap only contains, however, sodium lauryl sulfate + some perfumes and preservatives: sodium lauryl sulfate, Citrus aurantium dulcis, Carapa guaianensis, Citrus sinensis, ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), *benzyl benzoate, *benzyl salicylate, *farnesol, limonene, *linalool, alpha-isomethyl ionone, amyl cinnamal, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, perfume, Cl 15510

So, how difficult might it be making soap oneself from sodium lauryl sulfate?

I'm not sure where you are located since you're "transporting water" and what type of surfactants you have access to. However, if you want to use SLS, it's very easy. It's supplied in a ready to use form. You can make a bar or to be more efficient and reduce waste, make a 1% to 10% solution and have it ready in a recycled bottle. It'll be a thin solution but you can thicken it if you want. 1% solution is super cleansing and will dry your skin. With SLS and other surfactants, you need to wear a mask when you weigh them. Don't inhale the dust.

Reusing plasticware is the best option. The bottle I have at my sink is at least 5 years old. I've refilled it countless times.

 

[cherrycoke216]

1% solution is super cleansing and will dry your skin. With SLS and other surfactants, you need to wear a mask when you weigh them. Don't inhale the dust.

DITTO this! I have bought SLS powder form recently. And while weighting, the dust just goes everywhere! I mean, EVERYWHERE,literally!!! And I wear a paper mask like the doctors wear in the movies, it still went in my nose and I cannot stop coughing!!! It just happened that I'm having a flu, and SLS powder worsen it. My nose is runny and congested. I can't cough out the phlegm even it makes my ribs hurt. And if I cough out something, it's usually spit. And I don't remember my saliva was THIS BUBBLY!!! I even google "inhale SLS powder", haha! It is disastrous. This is no joke. Wear some special filter mask when using SLS powder. Or use a spoon to transfer it into the bowl. Don't go shaking the bag, it will be more dust in the air!!!

On a side note, anyone knows SLS besides powder, needle form, and SLS solution form? Is there other form of SLS?

 

[Ukahela]

Perhaps coconut soap and a vinegar rinse?

https://www.google.com/search?q=hard+water+AND+vinegar#spf=1

Also, I am assuming (I think we all are) that you are talking about washing dishes in the sink, not washing dishes in a dishwasher?

If not---soap is way to bubbly to use in a dishwasher. Once I put some dishes in the dishwasher that were a bit too soap and pink peppermint foam came out of the bottom. It looked like my dishwasher had rabies.

My floor was super clean and my kitchen smelled awesome, and it got rid of my sugar ant problem.

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

I certainly appreciate people who are not scared of trying things! But yes I hand wash since I have no dishwasher, and I use gloves

If your goal is to reduce plastics, which I believe is a very valid and essential goal for our global environment, there are a couple of other options besides making your own soap. You can buy in bulk (much larger containers of dish soap) and refill a smaller bottle that you re-use over and over again.

Well, that used to be an option but no longer possible; refill isn't allowed by law anymore in Finland – also not for detergents etc. (because of the Finnish interpretation of EU regulations).

By "transport water" I meant the fact that liquid detergents are mostly water and so much more weight than required for just the soap, ie. hard soap. If they weren't so expensive I'd just use Lush products.

But I'm also very fond of everything DIY and like to try things. So at the moment I'm exploring that option, with great help from the very informative posts in this thread!

 

[earlene]

Ukahela, there is a thread by Susie, that includes a liquid dishwashing soap she makes using KOH lye (for liquid soapmaking). I have never done her recipe myself, but if you want more information about making your own dishwashing soap, this might be a place to start. See post # 3 with the heading 'Dish or Laundry Soap'. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49852

Liquid Soap starts out as a paste, that you later add more water to when ready to make it the correct consistency. It might be a good way to go, because you start out with a very concentrated and thick glob of soap paste for storage. Then you just take as much as you need to add water when you are ready to use it.

Thus you can use a re-usable bottle (I am sure you can find a bottle among your possessions to become your re-usable dishwashing bottle in your own home) to add the necessary water for your sink-side dishwashing soap.

I have only made Liquid Soap once, and still have some of the soap paste in a small bucket. (I use my soap paste to make shaving soap for my personal use when shaving my legs.) The paste keeps quite well in the airtight seal so I think this might work for you with your intended purpose.

 

[Susie]

I'm sorry that I laugh so hard reading this. Seems like the scene in the movies. And very cute description of dishwasher had rabies!!!
Ditto everyone said. If the water is too hard, maybe synthetic detergent is the way or true soap with vinegar rinse.
Assuming hand washing dishes. In Asia, we wear gloves while dish washing. I didn't get it as a child, until now that I realize so that synthetic detergents won't dry out hands.

Synthetic detergents can be VERY drying to hands. Do wear your gloves no matter what you are washing with.

If I were you, I would probably make a liquid soap (made with potassium hydroxide) paste with some sort of synthetic detergent and EDTA in it. Washing dishes by hand is easier with the paste than a bar for me. NOTE: I would NOT dilute it. It is easier to use a dab of the paste on your cloth than the liquid that loses bubbles too fast.

ETA: I just saw the post above mine. I appreciate that, Earlene, but I have very soft water. I understand that it makes a huge difference.

"I'm not sure where you are located since you're "transporting water" and what type of surfactants you have access to."

I rather think the OP is referring to the shipping of a diluted product, as opposed to using a bar that contains little or no water. In some areas of the EU, everything must be shipped in as they have little or no manufacturing, and shipping is costly.