Soap, our first line of defense against harmful germs, actually hasn’t changed much in thousands of years. What may surprise you, though, is that a lot of what we call “soap” today isn’t soap at all. The basic ingredients for soap are a fat or oil; water; and a basic,...
A Tribute to Soap
The history of soap dates back to Ancient Babylon. (A medical document from about 1500 BC describes combining animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like material used for treating skin diseases, as well as for washing!) For thousands of years, technologies have evolved to create the soaps...
Which is Better for Laundry – Hard or Soft Water?
Can the kind of water you have affect your laundry? You bet. It depends on the water’s softness or hardness. Soft water aids cleaning. Hard water poses some obstacles to cleaning. Hard water contains minerals (mostly calcium and magnesium) which react with soap to form a curd. Soap curd can...
How and Why Does Soap Bubble?!
Ever wonder why soap bubbles and foams? So have a lot of other people! Here are links to a variety of sources for explanations – from MIT to an eighth grader! There are even some tips on making your own bubbles. Enjoy! http://web.mit.edu/nnf/education/wettability/bubbles.html https://www.homesciencetools.com/article/how-to-make-super-bubbles-science-project/ https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/products/soap-foam.htm Share the fun! Get the...