Dead- Possum- Ugly Hand Soap is the by-product of the fairly unsophisticated biodiesel reaction. Used vegetable oil, gathered from local restaurants, is filtered and heated to approximately 130 degrees in a steel tank. A mixture of methanol and potassium hydroxide is added to it and the mixture is agitated for approximately one hour. In the reaction, the glycerol molecules in the oil are replaced by methanol molecules; the methanol becomes a part of the biodiesel fuel and the glycerol drops free. It settles to the bottom and is drained off before the new biodiesel fuel is washed.
In conventional soap- making, the glycerol product is stripped from the raw materials much as cream is separated from cow's milk... It is too valuable as a skin care product to waste in every- day soap. Dead Possum Ugly Hand Soap is glycerol mixed with the the caustic base that is typical of all soaps. It does an excellent job of removing dirt and grease, but the exceptional glycerol content leaves your hands soft... It is a superior soap, made right here "at home"!
The label below tells a shorter story of the soap.
Dead Possum Ugly Hand Soap is presently sold in 8- ounce "sample" bottles with pump tops, and in recycled 1 liter and 2 liter soda- pop bottles. It can be obtained by calling me at 535- 2217 or purchased in Watkins Glen at seneca General Sore or in Montour Falls at Stillman's Greenhouse... Bob Tilden.