Soap making

Historical records show that soap making was carried out as far back as 2800 BC. There are many clay cylinders that were excavated from the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon . These cylinders have inscriptions on their sides that describe soap making through the process of boiling fats and ashes together. However, these inscriptions do not make it clear what the resulting mixture was used for exactly. There are also records that show that the ancient Egyptians took regular baths. There is a medical papyrus dated at around 1500 BC that describes a mixture of alkaline salts and oils to make a soap-like compound that was used for washing and also for treating certain types of skin ailments.

There is also a legend from ancient Roman times that the term "soap" is derived from Mount Sapo . This was the place where the Romans conducted animal sacrifice. It is believed that the rain would carry the mixture of animal fat and ashes through the clay soil and to the river called Tiber . At this place the women discovered that the mixture made it easier and faster for them to wash clothing. Even today the chemical reaction that takes place when a combination of oils or fats is mixed with an alkaline is known as saponification.

By the 7 th century, soap making had become a well established industry in Europe . However, new techniques were being invented so trade secrets were guarded very closely by the soap maker guilds. Animal and vegetable oils were mixed with the ashes of plants and then fragrances were added. Eventually the soaps began to cater to different uses like bathing, shaving, laundering, and so on.

Soap is an active agent that is used along with water. It is most commonly available in a solid and sculptured form because that is how it was historically made. Modern soaps are also available as gels or thick liquid that can be dispensed through pressure bottles. The latter are quite common in public washrooms. When applied to an unclean surface the soapy water has the ability to hold particles in suspension so that all of it can be rinsed off. In most urban areas the artificial detergents have made soap unnecessary for laundering purposes.

There are many soaps that are nothing more than a mixture of potassium or sodium salts from fatty acids that in turn come from fats or oils through a reaction with alkaline substances like potassium or sodium hydroxide. This process is known as alkaline hydrolysis of fat. The fats react with water. Historically, the potassium was the most commonly used alkali and it was obtained by burning scrub or wood house mouse.

Sodium tallowate is commonly found in soaps and it is derived from beef fat. Soap can also be made from oils extracted of plants and vegetables. For example olive oil. Soap made from vegetable oils is known as "castile soap". The term soap has become so common today that even cleaning substances that have no soap in them are also called soaps.