Monday, November 30, 2009

TMI Tuesday.....




A Mr. Kirk Castile from Clingon Alabama asks....

Dear Mr. Knowitall.. "We don't see too much soap round these parts, whats it all about, and where did it come from"?

Dear Kirk, primitively speaking, soap is oil plus alkali. For centuries that meant fat plus lye. American pioneers saved their fat scraps from cooking. They also saved their ashes from the fireplace. The ashes were then placed in a barrel with a spigot at the bottom. Water poured over the ashes and left to soak would form lye, which was then drained off from the bottom. The cooking fat would be rendered in a separate cooking vat over a fire, then the lye would be added. After much more cooking and stirring, a chemical reaction would take place and soap was the result. Although too much lye and the soap would be harsh, and too much fat would make it greasy. The newly formed soap would then be stored into boxes to harden and cure for several months.
Legend has it that some time around 1000 B.C., the Romans performed many animal sacrifices to the Gods on Mt. Sapo. The fat from the animal sacrifices, then mixed with the ashes from the fire. Over a period of time, this mixture of fat and ash washed down the mountain and into the Tiber River and accumilated in the clay soil. Women washing their clothes by this clay, noticed that the clothing seemed a bit cleaner. The word soap, comes from Mt. Sapo!!
Recipe's for soapmaking were discovered on ancient Sumerian tablets dating back to 2500 B.C. And excavations of ancient Babylon has uncoverd clay cylinders containing a soap-like substance dating to 3000 B.C.


I hope that answers your question Kirk. Do not be afraid to use soap, it is your friend! This weeks post should be titled...Not Enough Information!!

Join us again next week for another exciting episode of..Ask Mr. Knowital.

Peace...!!!

18 comments:

One Prayer Girl said...

Well, I for one found this quite interesting. Exciting? Maybe not, but informative - definitely.

Thanks Mr. Knowitall.

PG

big Jenn said...

My dad always had a bar of lava on the kitchen sink. He kept a bottle of Corn Huskers lotion in the cupboard to help with the after effects.jeNN

http://www.americarx.com/Products/16928.html

Brian Miller said...

i will never look at another bar the same again...smiles.

inappropriatesue said...

This was very informational. Can't wait for Friday! And make sure you come back to my blog Saturday for Song Saturday with former 55 flash fiction connections. A good time will be had by all, LOL.

Serena said...

Dang, you learn something new every day if you live long enough. I'll let you keep the lye soap, though. I'll just hang on to my Dove.:)

Lynn said...

Lava soap - takes the skin off, too. :)

Anonymous said...

Nothing better than lava soap. It's in a bottle now too. :)

Larry said...

I swear I learn something every time I drop bye to see what Gmans been up to. I agree with Prayer girl very interesting.
here is a little something about the Green River Killer.


Green River Killer

the walking man said...

is this somehow relate to the previous post? Because soap is only half the solution, water being the other half.

Shadow said...

oh yeah, soap! definately!

Lulda Casadaga said...

Love the historical facts...now one question g...How do they make shower gel? How does it stay in a liquid form? :)

G-Man said...

Lulda Dear,
You can easily make GREAT bath and shower gel yourself by using ingredients found in your own home!
First of all, it is best to use Non-Deorderant soaps. Gather up all those little soap bars and chips from around your house. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then slowly add the soap pieces. Stir until all the lumps are out, then let cool. Store them in an empty shampoo bottle, and VOILA!!
You may also add any any extracts you wish like ..
Kiwi
Raspberry
Coconut
Strawberry...etc!
Have fun, and thanks for asking!!!

G-Man said...

Deodorant...sorry!

lime said...

well, i knew the soapmaking process and even the word saponification btu i did not know the connection to mt, sapo so i did learn something. thank you, mr knowitall!

buffalodick said...

I gave up Lava for the orange stuff mechanics use. Normally in the shower- plain old anti-bacterial Dial..

Akelamalu said...

You're a mine of information G-man! I only use liquid soap I can't stand it when a tablet of soap goes gooey. :(

G-Man said...

Ake...Tablet of soap..hehehehehe

dons_mind said...

to this day dad has a bar of lava soap on the deep sink in the basement! good stuff! definitely will take the grease off your hands!