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Wash Day: Hence

Hence there are two processes of The cold process, generally speaking, produces what is known as a soft soap. This is not true or pure soap, but contains, in addition to the actual dry alkali salts of the fatty acidsi. e., real soap-certain other ingredients, as water, glycerin (which is conerated in the process of soap making), more or less free alkali, and other impurities. In other words, soft soap is only partially saponified.

The pure or hard soap, completing the process of saponification, is obtained by boiling soft soap until the glycerin and other impurities are absorbed by the hot lye, and by the addition of salt to remove the surplus of water. The salt, having a stronger affinity for water than the soap has, causes the water and the impurities it holds in solution to sink into the oil. The pure hard soap rises to the surface and forms a cake which may be removed. The lye, containing glycerin and other impurities, can then be discarded. A better quality of soap may be obtained by melting the product of the first boiling a second time, and by adding more clean, strong lye and clear melted grease or oil, and stirring over the fire until complete saponification takes place.