Important: Safety Warning
This page describes practices involving highly flammable materials in ways that create a serious risk of fire or explosion.
This page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Home › Our Susan's Opinion of a Kitchen › Patent Soap
Patent Soap
Mrs. Ludlam.
Five pounds hard soap, one quart lye, one-fourth ounce pearl-ash; place on the fire and stir well until the soap is dissolved; add one-half pint spirits of turpentine, one gill spirits hartshorn, and stir well. It is then fit for use. The finest muslin may be put to soak in this suds, and if left for a time will become beautifully white. A small portion of soap put into a little hot water, and a flannel cloth will save hard labour; and a brush in cleaning paint. One who has tried it thinks it worth the price of the book.