Soap is being used wisely almost by
every person in every part of the world. Every day we have a shower and we use
this foamy little bar called as soap. When walking through a store, or even while watching television, we can
notice that there are several different kinds of soap. They come in a variety
of sizes, shapes, and colours.
Definition of soap:
Soap is a substance used for washing
and cleaning purposes, consisting of a mixture of sodium or potassium salts of
naturally occurring fatty acids. The reaction produces sodium salts of these
fatty acids, which improve the cleaning process by making water better able to
lift away greasy stains from skin, hair, clothes, and just about anything else.
Soaps often contain colouring matter and perfume and act by emulsifying grease
and lowering the surface tension of water, so that it more readily penetrates
open materials such as textiles.
Chemistry of soap:
Soap is formed when fat and sodium
hydroxide reacts to form glycerol and a sodium salt of fatty acids. The fatty
acid salt molecule has a long chain hydrophobic (water hating) hydrocarbon tail
at one end and a hydrophilic (water loving) head at the other end. The carbon
chain of the soap molecule is lipophilic, that it is generally attracted to
organic compounds, while the ionic end of sodium or potassium is hydrophilic.
Hence, the molecule is simultaneously active for both fatty acid and water. Fats
are isolated from plants and animals. The properties such as solubility relate
to their chemical structures. Fats are heated with a strong base to convert
them into soaps. In making soap, triglycerides in fat or oils are heated in the
presence of a strong alkali base such as sodium hydroxide, producing three
molecules of soap for every molecule of glycerol. This process is called
saponification.
Action of soap:
It is very difficult to wash an oil
spot out of clothing with plain water, because oil is a hydrocarbon that does
not dissolve in water. As
everyone knows that oil and water do not mix, so that oil adheres even more
strongly to clothing in the presence of water. However, when soap is added to
the plain water, the hydrophilic end is attracted to water molecules while, at
the same time, the hydrophobic end is attracted to oil and grease molecules. When
grease or oil is mixed with a soap- water solution, the soap molecules work as
a bridge between polar water molecules and non-polar oil molecules. If the oil
is on a surface such as an article of clothing, the soap will form micelles and
trap the fats within the micelle. Since the micelle is soluble in water, it can
easily be washed away.
Preparation of DIY Body wash and Liquid Hand soap:
To make our own body wash and liquid
hand soap with just only three easily find-able ingredients.
Ingredients needed:
- (8 ounce) bar of Castile soap (Pre de Provence, Dr. Bronner's, etc...)
- 1 gallon distilled water.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin
Steps:
- Bring the water to a boil in a large non-reactive pot (stainless steel or glass). Grate the bar of soap on a metal box grater.
- Add the soap shavings and vegetable glycerin to the boiling water, stirring frequently, until the soap shavings are completely dissolved into the water.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let rest undisturbed overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- After it has rested, break up with an egg beater or with a hand mixer until smooth. If it is too solid, warm over the heat again, add a little distilled water and let cool again to test the consistency.
- Repeat until you reach the desired viscosity for your soap.
- Put a funnel into the now empty distilled water jug and ladle the soap into the jug. Ladle any extra soap into empty hand soap bottles or jars with tight fitting lids.
- Use like you normally use body wash or liquid hand soap.
Use Of Soap:
- Turn screws more easily by dabbing it onto the threads.
- Keep our clothes fresh. Place bars of soap in closets, drawers, suitcases, and bins where we store our clothing. It'll also repel bugs and prevent musty odors.
- Remove stains from fabric. Rub a damp bar of white soap over stains, and then wash the clothes according to the manufacturer's instructions. For more difficult stains, use a scrub brush or old toothbrush after applying the soap. This works especially well for grease and make-up.
- Loosen stuck or rusty zippers by sliding some bar soap up & down the zipper.
- Household bug repellent: mix soap and water and place in a spray bottle and spray around your home to rid your house of spiders and bugs.
