Can I make my own powder truck wash soap?

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New member
I want to try to make my own powder soap so any help would be thought of kindly.

So far, these ingredients are needed and percentages of each ingredient to the right. I've got no clue where to purchase these chemicals yet so any help there would be great. Prices for each chemical would be nice to est.

Metso pentabead 20 20%
Sodium Carbonate 30%
STPP 35%
Sodium Alkylarly Sulfonate 15%

P.S. Im working on the address thing.
 
Making your own soap is not as simple as knowing the ingredients. Too much of on thing can cause some serious problems. You could ruin paint, remove stickers and pin striping or leave a residue that wont rinse off. Most formulas are a carefully researched and guarded secret. I wouldn't sell my three formulas for less than $5,000.00
 
I want to try to make my own powder soap so any help would be thought of kindly.

So far, these ingredients are needed and percentages of each ingredient to the right. I've got no clue where to purchase these chemicals yet so any help there would be great. Prices for each chemical would be nice to est.

Metso pentabead 20 20%
Sodium Carbonate 30%
STPP 35%
Sodium Alkylarly Sulfonate 15%

P.S. Im working on the address thing.


Does it work?
 
Everyone of your competitors here has an "investment" into the chemicals they use.
A veteran won't post "openly" on this thread.
Which chemicals you use, after the weeks (turning into months) you invest in them,
will be a closely guarded secret from your competition.
The chemical salesmen that read this blog CRINGE when they see these threads.
..they make LOTS of money on the water they add to those drums and jugs.
(I build equipment, so I don't care.)

I also feel that an honest question deserves an honest answer,
without damaging anyone in this community.

I also feel strongly, that this community has a responsibility to NOT allow
a newbe to be misinformed, nor left to "wander",
which adds to the already damages customer-base..
there's more than enough Muriatic Acid stains around the county. Eh?

Anyway.. there's more than one way to "skin a cat"..
you need to get to know the tools FIRST..

HOW chemicals WORK is you first training..
degreaser don't work the same way..
solvents penetrate, and "blend-with" the grease.
Solvents with surfactant help to rinse it away with water.
Bad news is.. most solvents are now banned,
and they make it impossible for an OWS to work in a recycling system.

Alkalines "eat" grease n grime like an acid has an etching action
that works faster with heat and agitation.
Good news.. you can "spike" an alkaline with hydrophillic solvents,
like adding adding whiskey in you meat tenderizer.

Sodium Hydroxide is the strongest alkaline,
potassiun hydroxide is next, then Sodium metasilicate.
..as we choose from "affordable materials".

add a surfactant to the alkaline,
like adding dish-soap to your waterless hand-cleaner
to make it mix with water faster, and aid in penetration.

More good news.. from the citrus-pulp industry..
D-Limonene is an AMAZING penetrant-degreaser additive,
is is "Enviro-acceptable" more that most solvents,
and it doesn't take much to get the desirred effect.

Now I'm going to upset the chemical salesmen..
HEAT is you BEST friend in MINIMIZING the need for chemicals.
and DON'T mistake the need for chemical-action,
when you are trying to remove something that is "stuck" to the surface..
rubber tire marks are "debris stuck-to the surface"
use pressure, add heat for faster separation of teh debris. (..and NO soap !)

grease on a parking lot is different..
choose an alkaline, ann surffactant,
and in a kitchen, where grease is more complex a problem..
add the D-Limonene, since Butyl is frowned-upon around food-product, and confined spaces.
In a warehouse, it's no holds barred..
Caustic Soda (sodium hydroxide), Butyl Cellosolve, D-Limonene,
Heat and pressure.
the more heat and pressure you use, the less you will spend on chemicals.

Now, remember..
I build the reclaim equipment, so consult an equipment specialist,
before you damage your equipment.

Your quest, is to understand "the tools",
not to see if a competitor is stupid enough to giveaway his "edge" over his competition.

Now, after all that..
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MIX ANY CHEMICALS,
without getting "mixing instructions" from your local chemical supplier.
IT CAN BE DANGEROUS !!!
..You will be surprixed at how many "smart-guys" have mixed too quickly,
or without gloves AND faceshields, that regreted it later.

CHemical salesmen are usually trained to sell these chemicals, but they don't TRY to teach you.
THe bulk-chemical suppliers will make you sign for an MSDS, but they don't "carre" to explain BMP's to a newbe.

Confused ??
THAT's why I recommend you "respect a tech"...
Find a technical-guy that can help you locally,
or call us for a referreal.
 
Great info Jerry.

Thanks.
 
This brings up a good point. If someone does not want their competitors to know what chemicals they are using, I am sure that they can put a label on a container with a name on it but I think that the MSDS has to have the same name on it.

I wonder if suppliers could put a different name on the MSDS so the MSDS and the label we put onto our containers would match?

I am not sure if they would have to register the new names with Chemtrec or if they could put a code there or what?

It would be nice to do this if we could.

What do you think?
 
I think the feds have a list of what are considered hazardous materials. I believe these are what must be listed on MSDS sheets. So a manufacture can leave out all his non-hazardous parts on the MSDS to retain a unique formula. Don't know if this is a fact but I think that's the way it works.

Seems like a lot of trouble when you can buy stuff that is tried and tested to work and is relatively cheap just for your own use.
 
I hear you William. I think Chris was wondering if you have to list everything on the MSDS. I was thinking just the ones listed as hazardous.
 
What I meant was almost like private labeling the soaps we use.

For example, Whoever I buy my aluminum brightener from, he puts "Superior Power Washing Brightener" on the MSDS instead of what he calls it and on my container in the truck or trailers the containers have that private name also.

I am not sure that if a company did this they would have to re-submit the MSDS to Chemtrec or if it will be ok with a special code or something in case other contractors also wanted to do the same.
 
I'll say it again..
be very cautious, in EVERY way,
and if you're not going "all the way" with ALL that,
leave it to the pros,
limit your liability-exposure, and most of all..
stay focussed on cleaning contracts.. THOSE are the income-dollars. Eh?

This is another reminder..
if you have a technical guy that helps you with your equipment locally,
spend the extra couple bucks.. buy the soap from HIM,
which strengthens your relationship wqith the guy that rescues you from your blown hose issues, at 5PM Friday. or that unloader quick-change in the middle of an already-swampped day. ..respect the tech, by respecting his income.. let him sell you some soap.
..and yes, you get to hold him responsible to provide a GOOD soap, that won't goof-up your system.
"Life" is about "sustainable relationships". Eh?
 
MSDS must match the product

What I meant was almost like private labeling the soaps we use.

For example, Whoever I buy my aluminum brightener from, he puts "Superior Power Washing Brightener" on the MSDS instead of what he calls it and on my container in the truck or trailers the containers have that private name also.

I am not sure that if a company did this they would have to re-submit the MSDS to Chemtrec or if it will be ok with a special code or something in case other contractors also wanted to do the same.

Chris,

Each MSDS must match the product name for name. That is why if a product is private labeled a new set of MSDS must be created and sent to the Chemical reporting company listed on that label.

All of ours are handled by Infotrac. If a customer bought from us and relabeled it again to sell they would then need to pay for their own reporting with what ever company they wanted to use. They could not piggy back this new product name on our Infotrac account.<O:p

Also to clear up an earlier question, an MSDS only has to report the hazardous material ingredients that are over the limits set by the federal government.

Here are links to just two of my blogs on the subject
http://soapwarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-you-need-msds-books.html
http://info.soapwarehouse.biz/blog-0/?Tag=MSDS
 
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