In todays world it is becoming more and more common to reuse and give a second life to many products we have at home, with the aim of extending their useful life cutting down on spending and helping us care for the planet. You may be surprised to know that there is a kitchen ingredient that can continue to have a place in your home once it has been used, cooking oil!
If you are interested in making your own natural soap quickly and easily, then read on. Say goodbye to liquid soaps full of harmful synthetic compounds and discover this simple recipe telling you how to make your own soap at home, cutting down on waste, spending and give your cooking oils a second life.
What can I use this soap for?
The best thing about making soap with used oil is that it can have multiple uses from washing clothes to cleaning windows and dishes. It is important not to use it on your skin, because being made from used oil that has been exposed to high temperatures it will have lost all the beneficial properties for the skin.
Preparation: making soap with cooking oil
If you are not the quickest in the kitchen we have good news, The process of creating soap with used oil is one of the simplest recipes out there. All you have to do is mix the soda and water with the cooking oil and you will have made a homemade soap with your favourite scent.
Before discussing the ingredients you should gather to make your own laundry soap, it's important to keep these tips and precautions in mind.
Choose a glass, stainless steel, plastic or wooden container, not one made from aluminium.
Ensure you are using a wooden ladle or stick to stir
Protect yourself by wearing gloves, a mask and goggles.
Work in a ventilated environment, since caustic soda is a highly corrosive material.
Required ingredients
Once you have followed our advice and have protected yourself with the necessary safety equipment, it is time to gather the ingredients you will be using to make your homemade natural soap.
Oil: the first ingredient - and the most important - is oil. If you manage to gather a litre of used and very well strained olive oil it will be more than enough.
Water: you will need the same amount of water as the oil that you are going to use to create the solution.
Caustic soda: this is the ingredient that you should be particularly careful with when using it. Caustic soda is highly corrosive as already mentioned. Assuming that you use a litre of water and a litre of used olive oil, you will need approximately 122 grams of caustic soda to create your homemade laundry soap.
Making your soap - step by step
Step 1: dilute the caustic soda in the water very carefully and add it slowly. When adding it, it is normal for it to expel some toxic fumes, however if you wear gloves and a mask and work in a well ventilated area it will not pose any problem. When you carry out this process, the temperature of the mixture will rise a lot, so you should let it cool for a couple of hours.
Step 2: Once the caustic bleach with the water and soda is created, carefully pour the used olive oil over the mixture. Continue to stir slowly and always in the same direction to prevent the soap from breaking up.
Step 3: when the soap is prepared with the basic ingredients, let the mixture drop below 40ºC and add the essential oils and any colourings to personalise the soap so that you have a pleasant aroma.
Step 4: Pour the homemade soap mixture into one or more moulds and let it set for 1-3 days.
Step 5: Take the soap bars out of the mould and let them cure for about a month.
Tips and precautions to keep in mind
As we mentioned previously, caustic soda is an ingredient that must be handled with great care, so we emphasise the importance of using the recipe in an area of your home that is well ventilated and away from babies and children.
Likewise, we advise you to choose the aromatic oils that you will use for your soap with care. Bear in mind that this smell will impregnate your clothes, so make sure to choose one that you really like!
This is the simplest recipe to create homemade soap with used oil. Remember to follow it step by step and forget about buying soaps full of synthetic ingredients and polluting the environment by flushing the oil down the sink.
If you are not the quickest in the kitchen we have good news, The process of creating soap with used oil is one of the simplest recipes out there. All you have to do is mix the soda and water with the cooking oil and you will have made a homemade soap with your favourite scent.
Making your soap - step by step
