Back to bed soon, but...

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I woke, for some reason, later in the evening.  I believe it was at about 22:00.  I knew, just knew, it was too early but had no choice.  So I have been reading comments, looking at more legitimate news sources and carriers, and reading blogs.  I turned the heat down a little, in an attempt to coax myself back to sleep.  Bears and cold and sleep are a match made in snowy heaven.

Desert Cat was suggesting something about something I was suggesting something about.  Ah, soap.  Something about something.  So, I decided to go looking.  My priority is liquid soap, with peppermint, mainly, though some other essences are nice for various things.  Low and behold, it seems a rather easy process.  Further, the chemicals needed are rather easy to find and still legal to buy.  Who knew!  The up-front cost, however, and actual cost of production, is more than the value.  I do believe, even excluding the cost of gear, just the chemicals needed would end up making soap making less than profitable.  And, while it would be a nice skill set, I guess, the materials would be prep-only.  Sure, you can make lye, but it is nasty stuff to work with.  My guess, in a true grid down, someone who doesn't mind taking that risk will do it commercially locally.  And perhaps go on to also make the soaps for sale, potentially selling some of the raw lye to those how have the rest of the goods for their own production.  Bartering lye for some of those other goods.  Something like that.  I'm not sure I really want to mess with it.  Just because my gullet handled it once doesn't mean I wish to, pretty much uselessly and expensively, tinker with it now.

Who knows though.  Over time, gearing up for several minor manufacturing systems like this, and making some soap as a short term hobby and learning thing might not be bad.  But it simply doesn't pay and it is risky.  I can only imagine the bulk one would have to buy in, and the risk of the storage and that much manufacturing, along with environmental, OSHA, and other regulations one would have to satisfy to make the process cost effective.  Yeah... no.  Still, it was an interesting topic to study.  I'm not quite done.  I will be looking over bar soap production, shampoo production, and liquid dish and laundry detergent production.  As, if I decide to go ahead with this project, at some point, I will probably buy enough materials to tinker with all of those things, then use the materials down to nubs, and quit after that.  Might as well do a full gamut spread of learning, while bothering to learn.  Here is an example of one technique for liquid body soap and laundry soap (hold the butter scent though, for me, I think?).  And, yeah, that is the brand I use currently.




Hmm, bedtime I do believe.  Again.  I hope.  Good night... or good morning, really.