# Wood ash for soap



## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

Hi, I am trying as I go to be more and more self reliant, and was wondering how much ash I would need in order to make the lye necessary to make a good supply of soap. I had heard that banana peels dried could be burned, since they contain a great deal of potash. I know harder wood is best for getting potash. Does anyone know how much ashes I would need and also how much water and then how much soap would that make? Thanks very much for your help.
MichelleIL


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

The only problem with making your own lye is that you can't be sure of the potency. It's not equal with store bought lye. 

There are some pages online with instructions on how to make it, and I'm sure at least one of them gave info on how to determine how much to use (something about floating an egg in it?)


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

I'm guessing from childhood memory, but our ash hopper held probably 3-4 bushel? Made enough soap to last the year. It looked like a brown snot and was stored in crocks.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Take a look online for the many sites detailing how to make the lye. Journey to forever has an excellent site. (they mainly concentrate on bio fuels, btw)

The lye you will be making is Potassium Hydroxide. The chemically made lye from the store is Sodium Hydroxide. There is a difference in the soapmaking process using the woodash lye. Some say that Potassium Hydroxide won't make as hard a soap as the sodium. :shrug: My grandmother taught me how to make soap, using woodash, and that soap is lovely and hard. She used to grate the stuff for laundry detergent, her mechanic son used it to clean his nasty greasy dirty hands. For her lye making, she used a chicken feather. dip it in the lye, it just starts to dissolve...the lye is the right strength. me...I use PH paper (also called "litmus" )

There are PH meters that you can purchase to give you a good reading, and PH paper comes in short range, so you can determine PH to a very fine degree. The finer the degree of PH paper, the more pricey, tho. Indigo.com has some very high accuracy papers. There are quite a few others out there on the web. 

ah, almost forgot...my grandmother (and the other folks I know that use woodash lye) make soap using the hot process method (as do I). Don't know if it makes a difference to the final outcome.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

There are sites out there explaining it, but I would use caution as if it is stronger than you realize your soap could be very caustic, and cause severe skin burns, especially on sensitive skin. If you are doing this just for yourself, it might be ok, but there could be a major liability issue if you were to try to sell it, or even give it away. Please be careful.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye

http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapmakingsafety/tp/Making-Lye-from-Wood-Ashes.htm

http://www.endtimesreport.com/making_lye.html


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Ok. I am no expert but do know some of this,never use soft wood ash,only hard woods , fruitwoods, and beech wood. After your rain water has run through the ash into an enamelware pan or bucket, you can test by putting in an egg, if it barely floats it is good to go. If you rather use lye in the crystall form you can boil down the solution, a dark solution will form, called black salts. by maintaining heat additional impurities will be boiled off leaving the grayish-white potash. Do this only in good ventalation!!!! then you can use the crystals like the recipe calls. remember cure your soap for extended period of time like the old timers did. thanks marc


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## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

Well folks, you have been a bit helpful. I was hoping someone from here has actually made soap from woodash. Anyone?


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Wisconsin Ann said:


> Take a look online for the many sites detailing how to make the lye. Journey to forever has an excellent site. (they mainly concentrate on bio fuels, btw)
> 
> The lye you will be making is Potassium Hydroxide. The chemically made lye from the store is Sodium Hydroxide. There is a difference in the soapmaking process using the woodash lye. Some say that Potassium Hydroxide won't make as hard a soap as the sodium. :shrug: *My grandmother taught me how to make soap, using woodash, and that soap is lovely and hard.* She used to grate the stuff for laundry detergent, her mechanic son used it to clean his nasty greasy dirty hands. For her lye making, she used a chicken feather. dip it in the lye, it just starts to dissolve...the lye is the right strength. me...I use PH paper (also called "litmus" )
> 
> ...


Guess you missed that Grandma taught me how to do it. And the inference that I use woodash lye. I can't tell you a recipe, because I don't use one. You need the amount of ash that will give you the right amount of PH in the water you leech thru it. And then you need the amount of lyewater that's appropriate for your type of fat.

there are some good links out there, and your first task would be to work on leeching ash. Every type of wood produces a different amount of lye. Oak isn't as strong, for instance, as cherry. it's all about practice. (I suspect it's because it burns hotter and more completely)

Tinker gave you some excellent sites..in particular the candleandsoap at about.com. Tons of links there with videos of the process, Mother Earth News article, some pioneer sagas....and a site from the revolutionary recreationists who go so far as to use period (cast iron) implements.


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## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

ok...founds a site with details...thanks everyone!


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## michelleIL (Aug 29, 2004)

can u use plastic buckets or does it need to be wood?


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