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Mechanics often face handwashing issues due to their work, which involves dealing with greasy, oily, and chemically polluted surfaces. The use of harsh solvents and cleaning agents can cause skin irritation and dermatitis, leading to irritant hand dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and hand and nail infections.
Regular and thorough handwashing is essential for mechanics' health and hygiene, making it important for them to have access to DIY mechanic soap and hand cleaners.
What is Mechanic Soap, And How Is It Different From Regular Soap?
Mechanic soap is a specialised hand soap that effectively removes heavy dirt, grease, and grime from hands. Scrubby bars often use it, incorporating abrasive materials such as pumice, charcoal, or walnut shells. On the other hand, people use regular soap for light cleaning and hygienic purposes. Mechanic soap is created through saponification, a process where fats or oils react with a base to create soap and glycerin. Regular soap, both bar and liquid, is made by mixing fats or oils with an alkali. For the recipe for the best DIY soap for mechanics, continue reading:
Best Homemade Soap & Hand Cleaner Recipes for Mechanics
Here are the best DIY mechanic soap and hand cleaner recipes for mechanics and those who get dirty fixing vehicles:
1. DIY Mechanic Hand Soap Recipe
Mechanic's soap with powdered pumice effectively cleans hands with paint or oil, using exfoliant and orange oil as a grease cutter. The recipe for handmade soap for mechanics is simple.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces - suspended melt-and-pour soap base
- 1/2 tablespoon - ground pumice stone
- Add 12 drops - orange oil and, optionally
- orange soap colour
- Microwave-safe measuring cup
- A bar soap mould
- Scale for measuring soap (optional)
How to Make
- Cut the soap into chunks and place them in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Melt in 15-30 second increments until just a little bit of solid soap remains floating about. Using the heat from the already melted soap and the glass, gently stir the soap and watch it finish liquefying.
- Incorporate 1/2 spoonful of pumice and 12 drops of orange oil into the melted soap base. However, you can create a tester and scale up or down based on your specific handmade mechanics soap preferences/needs.
- Now add orange soap colourant and carefully swirl it into the soap.
- Pour the soap into your soap mould after it has cooled enough not to melt.
- To remove any bubbles that have risen to the surface, spray with alcohol. Allow it to sit flat for a few minutes to start setting up, then move it to the fridge for a faster setup. Pop it out of the mould once it's fully solidified.
- Finally, enjoy your homemade hand soap for mechanics.
2. How to Make Liquid Soap for Mechanics
A DIY mechanic hand cleaner in liquid form is a natural, non-drying hand cleaner that uses d-limonene, pumice, and red French clay to remove dirt and grime without drying out the skin. Here is how you can create.
Ingredients
- 100 grams - cream soap base
- 1 tsp - D-limonene, 1-2 tsp - fine pumice
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon - red French clay
- 1/4 teaspoon - your choice of preservative
- If desired, use essential or fragrance oils
- A 4 oz cosmetic jar or packaging of your choice
- To adjust thickness, add more purified water or hydrosol
How to Make
- Measure the cream soap base into a measuring cup or bowl according to your needs.
- Combine D-limonene, pumice, red clay, and preservative into the soap.
- Stir the mixture gently to mix well.
- If desired, add fragrance or essential oil and mix until combined.
- Gradually add water to achieve a smooth consistency, one teaspoon at a time, stirring gently in between. (If you want a stiff cream, you can skip this step.)
- Finally, pack your liquid DIY mechanic hand soap into a cosmetic jar.
Homemade Hand Cleaner Recipe for Mechanics
This recipe for mechanics' hand cleaners provides a natural hand cleaner free of the hazardous chemicals found in commercial scrubs. There are two ways to make a homemade hand cleaner for mechanics: powder scrub and cream scrub.
1. For Powder Scrub Hand Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1 cup - soap flakes or shreds
- 1 cup - pumice powder
- 1 tablespoon - melted shea butter
- 1 cup - coarse-ground oats or cornmeal
- 25 to 30 drops - orange essential oil
How to Make
- Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl until they are well combined.
- Now, store the powder in a wide-mouth bottle, like an old gelato container, for simple handling and accessibility.
2. For Cream Hand Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1 cup - soap flakes or shreds
- ¼ cup (or less) - hot distilled water
- 1 cup - pumice powder
- 1 tablespoon - melted shea butter
- 25–30 drops - orange essential oil
- 1 cup - ground walnut shell or jojoba meal (you might need to grind it finer than it usually is)
How to Make
- Place the soap flakes in a glass bowl and cover with enough water to just reach the top.
- Allow soap to soften into a paste; adjust the water based on the soap and humidity; add more soap flakes if the paste is too runny; and note the need for less water next time.
- Once you have a pretty thick paste, add all the other ingredients.
- The mechanic's hand-cleaning paste is naturally alkaline and doesn't need a preservative. For extra natural effectiveness, you can add Germaben, Phenonip, or Optiphen.
Conclusion
Mechanics often face handwashing issues due to their work, which involves dealing with greasy, oily, and chemically polluted surfaces. We use regular soap for light cleaning and specialised mechanic soap for scrubber bars. These DIY mechanic soap and hand cleaner recipes are crucial for maintaining the health and hygiene of the mechanics. Furthermore, all of these recipes are quite effortlessly simple to make at home.
