Make your own soap?

[tw101212]

Does anyone make your own soap? I would like to at least make my main detergent. What do I need to do that?

What if I just want to add suds and scent to make what I'm buying now last longer and give a better show?

I have a Ryko friction rollover and an old laserwash 4000.

 

[MEP001]

I know a guy who mixes caustic soda with Witconate AOS. I wouldn't mess with that. With the rollover, you could just use the Witconate since all you really need is a foaming agent/lubricant.

 

[tw101212]

I know a guy who mixes caustic soda with Witconate AOS. I wouldn't mess with that. With the rollover, you could just use the Witconate since all you really need is a foaming agent/lubricant.

I wonder if I could find a chemical supply house that can help me out? I found some recipes online but would want someone to walk me through it and give me pointers.

 

[DiamondWash]

Just out of curiosity what are you currently using for your chemicals for your Ryko SoftGloss and LW4000?

 

[tw101212]

Just out of curiosity what are you currently using for your chemicals for your Ryko SoftGloss and LW4000?

We are using stinger Lemonicious for the Ryko. We just got the laserwash tuned up and the soap working so need to either find the right chemical for that or make it. We are a full service hand wash and detail car wash so my guys are hand washing all the vehicles before they go into the LW bay.

 

[MEP001]

I wonder if I could find a chemical supply house that can help me out? I found some recipes online but would want someone to walk me through it and give me pointers.

That's very unlikely. There are professional, reputable companies that will protect their formulas, and there are bathtub blenders who reverse-engineer other people's chemicals to sell their own copy of it. I can't imagine either one will help you.

 

[Waxman]

I used to mix my own soap for the automatic Using Simoniz correct powder and foam additive. It worked well but I blew through so much of it it wasn't practical. I still use that formula for my self-service high-pressure soap as well as my foam brush and it works great and I don't go through as much of it as I did with the automatic.

 

[MEP001]

I used to mix my own soap for the automatic Using Simoniz correct powder and foam additive.

I do the same with my tire cleaner, my presoak, and my foam brush. I don't think he's talking about just mixing two products together though.

 

[tw101212]

I do the same with my tire cleaner, my presoak, and my foam brush. I don't think he's talking about just mixing two products together though.

Right, I want to make it from scratch. I hired a guy once that was a chemistry grad student. We bought >$1000 worth of equipment and he started mixing it for me in the equipment room. We were going to make a separate company of it but he ended up taking off for California and I never took the time to learn from him unfortunately.

 

[washnshine]

The neutral pH, foaming lubricating agents that you use in your Ryko are very inexpensive to purchase from virtually any car wash chemical company. I’m just thinking of Simoniz Lemon drops and Cherry Foam Deluxe - they are about $35 for five gallons. It might actually be cheaper to just buy these chemicals. -By the time you buy equipment, raw materials, learn what you need - it might not be worth it. These companies also have extreme knowledge, even for these simple formulations, to keep them from jelling, separating etc.

Now if you could successfully make a quality ceramic sealant - that would be a savings!

Let us know if you work it out!

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I would talk to your insurance company to make sure you are 100% covered for any issue.

 

[tw101212]

That's very unlikely. There are professional, reputable companies that will protect their formulas, and there are bathtub blenders who reverse-engineer other people's chemicals to sell their own copy of it. I can't imagine either one will help you.

Sorry I meant a true supply house, the ones that sell the chemicals to the Car Wash Chemical companies.

Like Univar.

 

[tw101212]

I would talk to your insurance company to make sure you are 100% covered for any issue.

Good point!

 

[Bricks]

I’m all ears. Presoak is soaking me! What’s the cheapest high ph Presoak?

 

[washnshine]

I’m all ears. Presoak is soaking me! What’s the cheapest high ph Presoak?

You can’t go by price per container - you really need to see how much it is costing you per car via a volumetric test. Also - you have to use something that works. Presoak is the bread and butter of and touchfree IBA and you have to have a product that works for you.

 

[Greg Pack]

There is a book called "how to formulate and compound industrial detergents" that be very educational and give you some of the basic information if you wanted to pursue making your own.

I'm in the camp of it's just not worth it. Chemicals are a relatively small part of the cost of operating a wash, even touch free. My guess is that even at retail I would think most operators spend no more than about $1 on Touch Free presoaks. If profitability is a problem go up a buck on your auto wash packages and that will pay for any chemicals. Soft cloth should be a good bit cheaper than touch free.