This section is from the "Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas Recipes Processes" encyclopedia, by Norman W. Henley and others.
(See also Household Formulas.)—Household ammonia is simply diluted ammonia water to which borax and soap have been added. To make it cloudy add potassium nitrate or methylated spirit. The following are good formulas:
Ammonia water .... 16 parts
Yellow soap....... 64 parts
Potassium nitrate... 1 part Soft water, sufficient
to make......... 200 parts
Shave up the soap and dissolve it in the water by heating, add the potassium nitrate and dissolve. Cool, strain, skim off any suds or bubbles, add the ammonia, mix, and bottle at once.
Yellow soap....... 10 grains
Borax............ 1 drachm
Lavender water.... 20 minims Stronger ammonia
water........... 6 ounces
Water, enough to
make........... 20 ounces
Dissolve the soap and borax in 5 ounces of boiling water; when cold add the lavender water and ammonia, and make up to a pint with water.
Methylated spirit. .. 1 gallon
Soft water......... 1 gallon
Stronger ammonia
water........... 1 gallon
Ammonia water.... 5 pints
Distilled water..... 5 pints
Soap............. 100 grains
Olive oil.......... 5 drachms
Cut the soap in shavings, boil with the oil and water, cool, add the ammonia water, and bottle. For use in laundries, baths, and for general household purposes add one tablespoonful to one gallon of water.
The best quality:
Alcohol, 94 per cent.. 4 ounces
Soft water........... 4 gallons
Oil of rosemary...... 4 drachms
Oil of citronella...... 3 drachms
Dissolve the oils in the alcohol and add to the water. To the mixture add 4 ounces of talc (or fuller's earth will answer), mix thoroughly, strain through canvas, and to the colate add 1, 2, or 3 gallons of ammonia water, according to the strength desired, in which has been dissolved 1, 2, or 3 ounces of white curd, or soft soap.
 
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