Many problems soap makers encounter is linked to the amount of water they use. Problem of soap being soft, breaking, sticky in plodder, not foaming, shrinking in size afer some days. Let me analyze how you can get control of your water in soap making.
At times people would be asking what quantity of caustic soda (g and kg) should I use per particular volume of oil? I can quickly answer 1kg of caustic soda should go for 4litres of oil. You can as well use 1kg for 6litres of oil. But I usually do not like answering such questions.
Such question though possible to answer will do little to nothing as help for the person asking.
The first thing a beginner in soap making should learn is how to dissolve caustic soda. What grammes or kilogrammes of caustic soda to be dissolved with what volume of water.
Four options are available:
1. Ratio 1:1: Here you use 1kg of caustic soda to 1litre of water. This is not adviceable as the soap formed will be crumbling, breaking when cut and too drying.
2. Ratio: 1:2: This uses 1kg of caustic soda to 2litres of water. It gives a fast drying soap, within 2hours. The soap comes out strong. The only issue is that it requires hydrometer to correctly gauge the concentration of the lye and adjust to 1275. It works fine for cold process soaps. Do not use this method for hot process as it would not give the soap time to cook and gel properly.
3. Ratio 1:3: This uses 1kg of caustic soda with 3litres of water. It does not require hydrometer. The only problem is your caustic soda must be of good quality else concentration can turn to be too dilute. As a matter of fact I do recommend this ratio for my students for their hot, semi-hot and cold process. The drying time is very reasonable.
4. Ratio 1:4: Here you use 1kg of caustic soda to 4litres of water. Many that use hot process go for this. Those making cold process soaps that would require waiting for days or weeks for the soap to dry use this. Those making soda soap also play with this (I recommend 1:3 for soda soap).
Pick a ratio of your choice and dissolve your caustic soda.
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Contact me on Whatsapp: +2347037263653 Odfid Technical Center, Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria
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