Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/605

 MISCELLANEOUS EECIPES. 563

to Harden, about two hours, stirring most of the time. While boiling, thin it with two gallons of cold water, which you have previously poured on the alkaline mixture, after draining off the four gallons. This must be settled clear before it is drawn off. Add it when there is danger of boiling over. Try the thickness by cooling a little on a plate. Put in a handful of salt just before taking from the fire. >Wet a tub to prevent sticking ; turn in the soap and let it stand until solid. Cut into bars, put on a board and let it dry. This makes about forty pounds of soap. It can be flavored just as you turn it out.

SOAP FOR WASHING WITHOUT RUBBING.

A SOAP to clean clothes without rubbing : Take two pounds of sal soda, two pounds of common bar soap and ten quarts of water. Cut the soap in thin slices and boil together two hours ; strain and it will be fit for use. Put the clothes in soak the night before you wash, and to every pailful- of water in which you boil them add a pound of soap. They will need no rubbing, but merely rinsing.

TO MAKE SOFT SOAP WITHOUT COOKING.

POUR two pailfuls of boiling water upon twenty pounds of potash and let it stand two hours. Have ready thirty pounds of clean grease, upon which pour one pailful of the lye, adding another pail of water to the potash ; let it stand three or four hours, stir it well ; then pour a gallon of the lye upon the grease, stir it well ; and in half an hour another gallon of the lye, stir it thoroughly ; in half an hour re- peat the process, and thus proceed until you have poured off all the lye ; then add two pails of boiling hot water to the remainder of the potash, and let it stand ten hours; then stir the mixture, and if it has become stiff and the grease has disappeared from the surface, take out a little and see whether the weak lye will thicken it; if it does, add the lye; if it does not, try water, and if that thickens it, let it stand another day, stirring it well five or six times during the day ; if the lye does not separate from the grease you may fill up with water.

OLD-STYLE FAMILY SOFT SOAP.

To set the leacli, bore several holes in the bottom of a barrel, or use one without a bottom; prepare a board larger than the barrel,

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