Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

You need hardwood ash to make lye, I've got a description and a how to but lye is very corrosive and these days needs thick gloves and safety goggles and a thick apron to handle it. You basically make a deep receptacle of wood, bottom of a barrel and drill holes in it to allow liquid to drip through you then line it with thin twigs/straw and put the woodash on top and drizzle it with water that then drips through the ashes, the twigs/straw act as a sort of filter and the lye drips to the bottom of the receptacle and gradually drips out through the holes in the bottom to be collected in another container to use in soap making. You then need clarified fat and salt (not sure of quantities) and a mould for the soap to harden in then it needs storing for quite some time to harden and mature before use. Do able, but long winded.

boultdj

There is a herb/flower called soapwood, it's still used on old tapisteres {sp?] fr cleaning I read somewhere a couple of year's ago, but it's been about 20 years since I'v grown it and it does froth up a little bit, get's your hand's clean with a bit of rubbing and it's not a bad smell.

[Deleted User]

It's SOAPWORT (saponaria) and along with chickweed, and horse chestnut leaves it contains compounds called saponins which can be made into a cleansing agent and also a shampoo for humans. It apparently is irritant to some skins and not used on the face near the eyes. It is used for old tapestries as it's very gentle in action and doesn't fade the colours.

thriftwizard

I think my neighbour grows Saponaria... wonder if she could spare a cutting or some seeds? And - I do have wood ash - and am investigating medieval cookery just now (thanks to said neighbour, and an "opportunity" at a castle near us next summer, which involves other bits of my skill-set too) so I can feel some experimentation coming on.

mardatha

God. I think I'll just be a filthy peasant then.

[Deleted User]

Saponaria is easy just chop up leaves and stems and put them into a basin and cover with hot water, leave for 15 minutes and then strain the liquid off and you have basic cleaner for clothes and it can be used for shampoo too!!!

RAS

Does anyone remember the "That's life" experiment with someone who did not wash their hair for weeks?

She wound her long hair in a scarf and after many weeks when it was taken off, she had lovely long shiny tresses that looked clean.

I sometimes wonder if the old habit of wearing a head cover was designed to keep hair clean rather than as an expression of "modesty"?

boultdj

Thank you Mrs L, I was relying on my memory for the name,nice to know about the chickweed and the horse chestnut leaves.....goes of to count just how many conker trees are in the area.....

GreyQueen

RAS wrote: »

Does anyone remember the "That's life" experiment with someone who did not wash their hair for weeks?

She wound her long hair in a scarf and after many weeks when it was taken off, she had lovely long shiny tresses that looked clean.

I sometimes wonder if the old habit of wearing a head cover was designed to keep hair clean rather than as an expression of "modesty"?

Christianity has had a thing for a couple of millennia about women covering their heads, not to mention other faiths. But pre modern shampoos hairwashing was a lot more onerous, most homes didn't have hot water on demand, and it was more important to cover your hair when doing laundry, hence a lot of headscarves.

I so remember that experiment, too. I did experiment with not shampooing when I had long hair (my hair is very thick and coarse). It worked up to a point; after the second week it got past the greasiness and slightly smelliness and was in lovely nick. I did, however, develop terrible dandruff and that was why I stopped doing it!

jk0

Bl**dy Sainsburys!

Have you seen the box on the right guys? They are axing Sainsbury's Mobile. I've only had the SIM about 6 months, and can just about remember the number.

Yes, I know I can transfer the number elsewhere. What a blooming faff though.