Soap is one of the products that we take for granted in our everyday lives. It is used both in domestic and commercial settings and is one of the key products that Simple Hygiene Solutions Washroom supplier Gloucestershire will be providing to their clients. Washroom supplier Gloucestershire companies provide businesses with all of the products that they need to keep their restroom areas squeaky clean.
The origin of soap is disputed by many different historians as there have been links found in many different civilisations.
Here are some of historical claims to the origin of soap.
- Discovery on Sappo Hill in Rome – the story goes that village women we down at the riverbank washing their clothes when they came across a soapy clay like mixture that had been created from the animal fats leaking into the water from animal sacrifices that had been made. They noticed that using this substance resulted in their clothes being cleaned than when they used just water alone. Romans also used urine to make a soap style material back in the 1st Century AD and an entire soap factory was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii. Back in these early time soap would not have been used for cleaning yourself (even though the Romans loved their bathing), it would have be used by doctors for treating certain conditions. It was not until the later part of Roman times that soap would have been used domestically.
- The ancient Babylonians are also thought to have invented soap as there has been evidence found in clay containers that date back to 2800 BC. On the containers has been found one of the earliest recorded recipes for making soap. The recipe combined fats (most probably from an animal source) and water and wood ash. This soap was not used as a personal hygiene product but for preparing wool and cloth for weaving. The soap would have removed any residual oils on the cloth before it was woven.
- A written piece from ancient Egypt known as the Ebers papyrus has documented evidence that the Egyptians used a soap style substance for treating skin diseases and sores as well as for washing themselves and their clothing. This substance was made from a mixture of animal and vegetable oils as well as alkaline salts.
- The ancient Greeks combined together a mixture of ash and lye and used these to clean their pots as well as their statues to the various gods that they worshipped.
Whatever the origin of soap, it has become a staple in our lives with many different varieties available.
