Homemade Dog Soap
The idea of washing my dog with a bar soap seemed strange to
me. But when I discovered some recipes online, I had to try them out.
Of course, I was also inspired by these adorable little
dishes I found at the thrift store.
The page I chose gives recipes for four different
fragrances. I decided on the one called “Walk in the Woods”. I had all the
ingredients on hand and the dog really needed a bath. So the timing seemed
perfect.
I do have soap molds, but I decided to re purpose a single
serve peanut butter container. It fit perfectly on the little paw print dish.
If you look carefully, you might be able to read the brand name J
The recipe called for Castor oil, but I seem to be out. So I
put in a bit of olive oil instead. I did have plenty of Shea butter. I used
only 2 ounces of soap base, because I just wanted to make a single bar to try
out. I guessed at the amounts of the
rest of the ingredients. I also added a couple drops of Neem oil. Mosquitoes
have been extreme this year and it just might help with the fleas.
When I removed the bar from the mold, I showed it to my
family. My husband smelled it and said “Nice, very manly”
LOL!
“So you would use this?” I asked him. He said that he would
and I broke up laughing! My son wrinkled his nose at it. But I thought it smelled
nice too.
Now, time to test it out. I called Percy into the bathroom
and filled the tub. He has really short hair, so I have a hard time getting it
wet. He is a coon hound/ beagle mix we think, so the water just runs off his
back. But I got it wet enough and started to rub the bar right on his coat. It
worked much better than using liquid shampoo. I could rub it right into areas
that I usually can’t get at. Rubbing the bar right on the wet fur causes it to
suds up. I think it might be more successful on a different coat.
The next step was to see how it rinsed out. Again,
surprisingly well. I was concerned that it would cling to his fur, but it
washed out completely. It was also nice to see a few fleas wash away with the
suds. And I love the idea of not using chemicals on my dog.
Another cool thing was that I used very little of the bar on
my rather large dog. And remember, I only made a 2 ounce bar.
I will definitely make a full batch next time. It will be
interesting to see how it lathers by using the Castor oil. I am thinking the
olive oil may have subdued the suds a bit. I also used a melt and pour soap
base. Eventually I plan on making my own from wood ashes and coconut oil.
If you would like to
try to make your own, the link to the original recipe is below:
I’m off to mop up puppy prints!
Beth
