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you know the thing - stuff in a pump top plastic bottle

Well we have the bottles, and two bars of very dry, very old fairy household soap

so an old jug, a sharp knife, and some warm water later we now have hand gel wash

I thought I might have to use the grater but the soap was dry, and a knife shredded it easily (like scraping a carrot) not a clue how much water to add so when the jug was about a third full I added the same of warm water, stirred it and left on the windowsill in the warm (the jug has a lid) looked in a week later and it was a very thick gel so added more water and left it another week

Today I decanted some into the handwash bottle and voila after moving the coal bunker, re-fitting the broke fence, moving plants, pots, turning compost, etc etc I came inside and squish - hand gel - wash paws - done no dirty soap to wash

I do that with bits of leftover soap - but I've never managed to get it the right consistency to work in the bottles! Maybe it's just fairy soap that's right for it?

I generally use the resulting jelly-like mass for the washing machine.

ina wrote:I do that with bits of leftover soap - but I've never managed to get it the right consistency to work in the bottles! Maybe it's just fairy soap that's right for it?

I generally use the resulting jelly-like mass for the washing machine.

or maybe it's the fact that I possibly bought the soap in nineteen eighty something...........

yeh I did that with some old soap.. it was the glicerine kind tho.. couldn't blieve how much water had to be added...

My God, what a brilliant idea! A cheap bar of soap costs pence and I'll bet one bar would fill loads of bottles if your comments on water are anything to go by!

Question though - any ideas on making it bactericidal? Would lavender oil work? Bit scared of tea tree these days cos I heard some reports of it messing around with mens hormones and as much as he drives me crackers, I'd like to keep John just the way he is!

Rachel Squires wrote: Bit scared of tea tree these days cos I heard some reports of it messing around with mens hormones and as much as he drives me crackers, I'd like to keep John just the way he is!

It had no effect no effect no effect no effect no effect on me!

Nev

Rachel Squires wrote: Bit scared of tea tree these days cos I heard some reports of it messing around with mens hormones

WHAT??? Do you know more about that? First I hear!

Have a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6318043.stm

This tells you a bit more. I was kinda joking about the comment about John, but it does make you realise that just cos it's pure, it doesn't mean that it wont cause side affects like chemicals can.

Rach.

Thanks for that - I shall investigate...

Rachel Squires wrote: Question though - any ideas on making it bactericidal? Would lavender oil work? Bit scared of tea tree these days cos I heard some reports of it messing around with mens hormones and as much as he drives me crackers, I'd like to keep John just the way he is!

Just read that article you posted the link for - lavender oil is the other one that was suspected to have this effect - so better be careful! But, as usual, it seems not to have the same effect on everybody; and it was only shown in pre-pubertal boys.

yes, I know but that was the first reference that I could find to the radio article that I'd heard and they'd concentrated on tea tree.

Hmm, have used tea tree myself for ages but am starting to think that it's time I dropped a sprog so am having to be a bit more careful.

How well did the hand made gel last? Did it show any signs of going off?

Rach

Rachel Squires wrote: Question though - any ideas on making it bactericidal?

Thyme should do the trick.

Good idea thanks, and I have plenty of thyme cos I grew some from seed.

cheers

Rach

ooops beg pardon I seem to have 'slipped'

Not added anything to mine and no signs of mould, plain soap is the cleanser of choice of some medical folks of my aquaintance.

Thyme is a goodie - and local so it dont have to travel from foreign climes

snapdragon wrote:ooops beg pardon I seem to have 'slipped'

Not added anything to mine and no signs of mould, plain soap is the cleanser of choice of some medical folks of my aquaintance.
...

I think some folks like the smell and / extra antibacterial qualities of additions to their soap - I don't think that it is to stop the soap from going off I have added lavender to mine, but as it is olive soap it is quite stinky on its own

Doctors are infamous for not washing their hands, so I don't know that I would trust their advice on hygiene