Home-made Romanian washing soap

found in Bath and Body home remedies
Posted on: 2007-05-08 by Maria, Rome, Italy

This a home-made washing soap I've grab from my Romanian friend, Ilioara. It doesn't smell as bad as I expected first time, in fact has a "clean" fragrance. It is quite good on clothes, especially on wool. This is the recipe as my friend gave it to me, but, sincerely, I didn't prepared it yet.

6.5 lbs lard,(clean, unused)
0.25 gallons of sunflower oil
1 lbs detergent (sodium hydroxide)
2 lbs white flour
2 lbs caustic soda
1.8 gallons of water, if possible rain water

Find a big enough vessel (do not use a plastic one, since the chemical reaction can destroys it). Stir the heated lard (must be liquid, but not hot) with the sunflower oil. Add the detergent. Stir again. Then mixt the white flour, too. Pay attention and add the ingredients into exact order, otherwise the flour can not mixt with the rest.
Use another vessel to melt the caustic soda in water.

From the second vessel take 1 cup of mixture and blend into the first vessel. Repeat this step until mixing complete the water from the second vessel with the rest of the mixture. It is very important to stir while combining the compounds and another extra 30 minutes.

Let it "rest" for about 12 hours, then cut it in pieces. An average traditional Romanian soap piece is about 10x10x10 inch.

Now, you have an excellent home-made soap for your clothes. And if you respect the quantities, chances are that this soap to last for about 2 years!