Tired of plastic bottles cluttering your sink and harsh chemicals going down the drain? Making your own solid dish soap bar is surprisingly straightforward and incredibly rewarding. Not only does it cut down on waste, but you get to control exactly what goes into your cleaning products. This recipe focuses on creating a hard, long-lasting bar with excellent degreasing power, perfect for tackling everyday pots, pans, and plates naturally.
Switching to a solid dish soap might feel like a step back in time, but it’s actually a leap forward in sustainable living. Think about it: no more plastic pump bottles, no more diluted liquid soap that’s mostly water, and no more questionable synthetic fragrances or dyes. You get a concentrated cleaning block that sits neatly by your sink, ready to work up a rich lather with a wet brush or sponge. Plus, homemade soap just feels different – substantial, effective, and crafted with care.
Why Make Your Own Dish Soap Bar?
The benefits go beyond just reducing plastic. When you make your own soap, you choose the ingredients. This means you can avoid palm oil if that’s a concern, skip artificial scents that might irritate sensitive skin, and ensure your cleaning routine aligns with your values. Many commercial dish soaps contain detergents (like SLS or SLES) rather than actual soap, along with preservatives and other additives. While effective, these can sometimes be harsh on skin and the environment. A homemade soap bar, made through traditional saponification, offers a simpler, often gentler alternative.
Furthermore, solid dish soap bars are incredibly economical. A well-cured bar lasts a surprisingly long time, often much longer than a standard bottle of liquid dish soap. The concentrated nature means a little goes a long way. You’re not paying for water and plastic packaging; you’re investing in pure cleaning power. And let’s be honest, there’s a certain satisfaction in using something you made yourself, transforming simple oils and lye into a practical, everyday essential.
Understanding the Basics: Cold Process Soap Making
This recipe uses the cold process (CP) method. This involves mixing oils and fats with a lye solution (sodium hydroxide mixed with water). A chemical reaction called saponification occurs, where the lye and oils transform into soap and glycerin. Don’t let the word “lye” scare you! While sodium hydroxide is caustic and requires careful handling in its raw form, there is no active lye remaining in the final, fully cured soap bar. It’s completely transformed during saponification. Safety precautions are non-negotiable during the making process, however.
Safety First! Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) is highly caustic and can cause severe burns. Always work in a well-ventilated area, away from children and pets. Wear appropriate safety gear: long sleeves, alkali-resistant gloves (not latex), and splash-proof goggles are essential. Never add water to lye; always add lye slowly to cool water while stirring gently. Understand the risks and procedures fully before starting.
The Natural Degreaser Dish Soap Bar Recipe
This recipe is formulated for a hard bar with high cleansing properties, thanks primarily to coconut oil. Coconut oil creates large, bubbly lather and cuts through grease effectively. We’ll balance it with other oils to prevent it from being *too* stripping, although for dish soap, high cleansing is desirable.
Ingredients:
Measurements are by weight. A digital kitchen scale is crucial for accurate soap making.
- Lye Phase:
- Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) Lye: 115 grams
- Distilled Water (cool or room temperature): 260 grams
- Oil Phase:
- Coconut Oil (76-degree melt point): 600 grams
- Castor Oil: 100 grams
- Olive Oil (pomace or refined works well): 100 grams
- Optional Additive:
- Citric Acid: 10 grams (dissolved in a little extra distilled water – about 20g – *before* adding lye to the main water). Helps combat soap scum in hard water. If using, recalculate lye amount using a soap calculator set for the citric acid addition (it neutralizes some lye). For simplicity in this starter recipe, we’ll omit it but mention it as an option. Without citric acid, the lye amount above is calculated for a 5% superfat which is suitable for dish soap.
- Optional: Lemon or Orange Essential Oil (approx. 15-20 grams) – Add at trace for scent and potential extra degreasing boost. Use 5-fold or 10-fold orange/lemon essential oils for better scent retention in CP soap. Be aware some citrus oils can accelerate trace.
Equipment:
- Digital kitchen scale
- Heat-resistant containers (one for lye water, one for oils – stainless steel, heavy-duty plastic #2 or #5)
- Stick blender (immersion blender) – dedicated to soap making if possible
- Silicone spatula or stainless steel spoons
- Soap mold (silicone loaf mold, individual cavity molds, or even a sturdy cardboard box lined with freezer paper)
- Safety gear: Goggles, gloves, long sleeves
- Thermometer (optional, but helpful for temperature control)
Step-by-Step Instructions: Making Your Dish Soap Bar
- Preparation and Safety: Put on your safety gear (goggles, gloves, long sleeves). Ensure good ventilation. Clear your workspace. Measure your cool distilled water into a sturdy, heat-resistant pitcher. Measure your sodium hydroxide lye accurately into a separate, dry container.
- Make the Lye Solution: Carefully and slowly add the measured lye to the measured water (NEVER water to lye). Stir gently with a silicone spatula or stainless steel spoon until the lye is fully dissolved. The mixture will heat up significantly (up to 200°F/93°C) and release fumes – avoid inhaling them directly. Set the lye solution aside in a safe place to cool down, ideally to around 100-120°F (38-49°C).
- Prepare the Oils: While the lye solution cools, accurately weigh your coconut oil, castor oil, and olive oil into a large, heat-resistant pot or bowl (your soaping pot). Gently melt the solid coconut oil over low heat or in the microwave until all oils are liquid and combined. Allow the oil mixture to cool to a similar temperature range as the lye solution (around 100-120°F/38-49°C). Matching temperatures helps ensure smooth saponification.
- Combine Lye Solution and Oils: Once both the lye solution and the oils are within the desired temperature range (ideally within 10 degrees of each other), carefully pour the lye solution into the pot containing the oils. Pour it down the shaft of your stick blender (if using) or gently down the side of the pot to minimize splashing.
- Mix to Trace: Insert your stick blender fully into the mixture before turning it on to avoid splashing. Blend in short bursts (e.g., blend for 10-15 seconds, then stir with the blender off for 30 seconds). Continue this process until the mixture reaches “trace.” Trace is the point where the soap batter thickens enough that when you drizzle some batter across the surface, it leaves a temporary trail or “trace” before sinking back in. It can range from thin (like runny pudding) to thick (like thick pudding). For dish soap, a medium trace is fine. If adding essential oils, stir them in thoroughly now.
- Pour into Mold: Once trace is reached, pour the soap batter carefully into your prepared mold(s). Tap the mold gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. Smooth the top with your spatula if desired.
- Insulate and Saponify: Cover the mold loosely with cardboard or plastic wrap (ensure it doesn’t touch the soap surface) and then insulate it with towels or a blanket. This helps maintain heat, ensuring the saponification process completes fully (gel phase). Let the soap sit undisturbed in the mold for 24-48 hours.
- Unmold and Cut: After 24-48 hours, check if the soap is firm enough to handle (wear gloves initially, as it’s still slightly caustic). Carefully unmold the soap. If using a loaf mold, cut it into bars of your desired size using a non-serrated knife or soap cutter.
- Cure: This is a crucial step! Place the cut bars on a wire rack or surface where air can circulate around them freely (e.g., parchment-lined shelves). Let the bars cure in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place for at least 4-6 weeks. Curing allows the remaining water to evaporate, making the bar harder, longer-lasting, milder, and improving its lather. The longer it cures, the better the bar.
Using Your Homemade Dish Soap Bar
Using your new dish soap bar is easy! Simply wet your sponge, dishcloth, or scrub brush, rub it directly on the soap bar a few times to load it up with soap, and then wash your dishes as usual. You’ll notice a rich lather that cuts through grease effectively. For very greasy pots or pans, you might want to apply the soap directly to the item. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. Keep the bar dry between uses on a draining soap dish – this is key to making it last as long as possible. A soggy bar will disappear quickly!
Did You Know? The glycerin naturally produced during saponification remains in homemade cold process soap. Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture. While great for skin in body soap, in dish soap, keeping the bar dry between uses is extra important to prevent it from becoming soft due to ambient moisture and residual water after washing.
Troubleshooting and Variations
Soap Seizing: If your batter thickens instantly into a solid mass upon adding the lye or fragrance, it has “seized.” This can happen if temperatures are too high, you blend too long, or due to certain fragrance/essential oils. Try to glop it into the mold quickly; it might still be usable soap, though perhaps not pretty.
Soft Soap: If after curing the soap still feels soft, it might be due to inaccurate measurements (especially too much water or not enough lye) or insufficient cure time. Let it cure longer. Using mostly hard oils like coconut oil helps ensure a hard bar for dish soap.
Variations: You can experiment with adding different essential oils known for degreasing, like grapefruit or tea tree (always check usage rates and potential for acceleration). Some people add washing soda or borax to the recipe for extra cleaning power, but this requires careful calculation and understanding of how these additives interact with the soap chemistry. For a simpler boost, try adding a tablespoon of sugar dissolved in the lye water (before adding lye) which can help increase bubbles.
Making your own natural degreaser dish soap bar is a practical skill that reduces waste, saves money, and gives you control over your cleaning supplies. While the process requires precision and respect for safety procedures, the reward is a highly effective, eco-friendly cleaning product made right in your own kitchen. Give it a try, follow the safety rules, be patient with the curing process, and enjoy sparkling clean dishes the natural way!
