How Do You Make Lye Soap From Wood Ash?
Frontier folk made their own soap from lye and soap-making was a skill that mothers taught their daughters at a young age. Most of us these days have no idea how to make soap, but more and more people are learning to make their own. Some feel a sense of accomplishment at learning a new skill, satisfaction that they know how to make soap if they have to, and peace of mind from knowing exactly what ingredients are in their soap. Commercially-produced lye is sodium hydroxide, while traditional, homemade wood-ash lye is potassium hydroxide. Some people feel that homemade lye makes a nicer soap. Drill a hole on the side of the bucket near the bottom. Insert the toothpick as a stopper. Fill the bucket with wood ash and pack the ash down. Add more ash and pack again. Leave about 3 or 4 inches of space at the top of the bucket. Place the bucket on the concrete blocks, with the waterproof container below the hole. Make a small depression in the center of the ashes with the broom handle. Boil 1
