Aunt Millie, like many farm wives, made a lot of things that were needed to keep the household going. Here is a recipe for “hard soap”. I am assuming that by hard, it is in bar form, used to wash up like we use any one of the modern bar soaps. I have to think that having lye in it, this soap had to be pretty hard on the skin.
Hard Soap
Region of origin: Handed Down Origin date: N/A
Tradition: Laundry & Hand Prep time: N/A Servings: N/A
4 lbs. soft grease (Not Heated) Pour 1 can lye over 4 lbs.
Stir in 1 can Lewis Lye, Dissolve of soft grease. Stir 15 min. Add 3
real good, then add slowly 3 qts. of soft water and stir till begins to
Quarts of soft water, a little at thicken. Put aside 48 hours. Cut into
a time. After all water has been bars. Best made when moon is full.
added, Stir for 10 minutes.
On the Family Farm 
Have you tried to make this?
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No, but Aunt Millie did. She used a lye based soap to do laundry too.
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Millie’s generation was one of conservation. Two turns of the soap only were allowed when washing up for dinner.
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I had forgotten about that. And you couldn’t fool her either. If you did go over, she would know it.
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