Upcycle Project : Dish Washing Bar Soap Making

4/4/2019
Had the opportunity to attend a demo on how to make dishwashing bar soap in Bandar Baru Bangi today. By using used cooking oil (UCO) as one of the substances, we are actually helping to save the environment. Without having proper knowledge of disposing the oil, naturally we would tend to discard the oil into the kitchen sinks, onto the soil etc.
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(*Session was held by Dr Hanisah Azhari of UKM.)

1. The ingredients : used cooking oil, water and lye (sodium hydroxide, NaOH)

2. On NaOH. Need to take precautions when using this chemical, such as wearing gloves and goggles to those who don’t wear spectacles.

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3. The ‘recipe’... Note: Different types of soap require different recipes. This proces uses the
cold press method. More on cold press.

4. NaOH (dalam botol putih. Dalam bentuk small crystal). Essential oil dalam botol gelap, kecil. Minyak masak dlm botol sebelah kiri gambar. 

5. Weigh the water in a container eg a plastic jug. Then weigh NaOH in a small container. Next weigh the UCO. Note: Wash with lots of water, the affected area if your skin is exposed yo NaOH. 

(Note: this pic is taken from

A video)

6. The next step will require precautionary measures and needs to be done at an open place (eg near the window, door or outdoor). Wear gloves and/or goggles. 

a) Put in NaOH little by little into the water. (Do not put water into NaOH). Stir slowly until NaOH crystals dissolved. (Note: the reaction will give out heat (exothermic reaction)  , so it will be a bit hot. White vapour will also be released. Do not directly inhale it. )

b) Once the NaOH solution is cool, pour it into the UCO. Stir. 

7. Use a mixer to stir the mixture until it becomes a bit sticky (“trace”). Youcan add essential oil (about 1tablespoon), at this step. Mix and then  pour the mixture into your preferred mould. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture that had stuck  onto the mixture container.

Note: Do NOT use the apparatus used in this procedure for other purposes. Only wash  apparatus used after 2,3 days. 

8. Let the soap cool for a day. Then cut it into smaller bars. These smaller soap bars need to be aired for about a month before they can be used. This step is called ‘cure’.

For more on cure 

9. Samples of cured dish washing  soap bars  given to us. 

Note: It is adviseable to attend a soap-making workshop and watch related videos if you are interested in this. 

Travel With Tiffin

Besides the normal necessities that one needs when travelling, this time around, i brought along my mangkuk tingkat/tiffin carrier/sia . Nope... not the traditional one but a modern version (got it free but still with the same function). 

1. A conversation starter with my youngest for she didn’t know the word sia. Hehe... blame it on mama. 

2. Avoiding wastage for we didn’t finish our lunch. Yes, we packed them. Horrified at others looking at us? Well, why should we? There are others who depend on Food Aid distribution. 

3. No other packaging material required since we ‘byo’ container. Yes... only a very small step by us towards avoiding packaging materials.

What are the essentials that you bring along with you?

I had the opportunity to learn on how to make organic fertilizer last month. We made two types of liquid fertilizers; for growth and for flowering. For these we had to buy the ingredients. 

Not wanting to spend my own money to make the fertiliser, I decided to use our household’s fruit peels or skin (eg kiwi, banana), leftover raw vegies (eg kangkong, cabbage) as the main ingredients. Another factor that was considered is ‘zero waste’ from the kitchen. Things that can be used should be used before they are thrown into the garbage bin. 

Will need to leave it for 48 days in a dark place before it can be used. 

Berehat sepuas-puasnya di sana nanti

Dengan cahaya dan luas menemani
Mencari bekalan sebanyak-banyaknya di sini
Motivasi untuk si faqir, diri ini.

25/3/2015

Memang dah lama tak update blog. Ada keinginan untuk melakukan sesuatu tapi tiada 'push factor' yang kuat untuk mengambil tindakan seterusnya. Just to break the silence, i copy paste these lines from my FB Notes. 

Kadang-kadang terasa kehidupan ini memenatkan. Bila tiada teman berbicara, teman memberi perangsang. Tapi itulah hakikat sebenar kehidupan....supaya kita berpenat2 menunaikan janji kita dengan-Nya. Semua yang kita lakukan hanya untuk Allah. Dengan berfikiran begitu, lelah akan berkurangan. Sesuatu yang diri ini belajar selepas kehilangan suami tersayang. Nanti di sana, di alam barzakh, kita akan berehat sepuas-puasnya. Setelah membawa bekalan sebanyak-banyaknya dari dunia ini. Amalan baik yang kita lakukan bakal menemani kita nanti.

Teruskan motivasi diri wahai hamba Allah. Jangan sekali-kali tunduk pada bisikan2 nafsu dan godaan2 syaitan. Perjalanan kita masih jauh untuk sampai ke kampung abadi.

Two months on...

Two months, my love,
Goodbyes can't be uttered,
Without tears streaming,
Jannah for us, Ya Rabb.

Fact and Fiction (1)

The day passenger train going south, pulled up at the Railway Station. Passengers, some with children, took their luggage and headed for the coach steps. Single filed, they went down. Some went straight into the arms of waiting family, while some walked towards the station’s doorway. A group of school boys, were busy getting down too.

Unknowingly, a pair of eyes was watching a young girl sitting in the coach. Standing on the platform, waiting for friends to come down, he could see that she was looking for her friends too. Friends who were boarding the train.

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Ipoh was not her destination.

‘What a relief, those boys are getting down here!’ muttered the girl to herself. They really know how to travel light. Not much luggage with them. And they were walking up and down the coach just now, as if it was their own train!

She looked up and saw her girlfriends coming towards her and motioned them to sit at seats in front and beside her. Yes, time for girl chat.

The station master blew his whistle. As the train was slowly pulling away from the station, she heard her name called….

# What will be the next sentence be???

Eid 1433H - Zakat Fitrah

Will it be 28 or 29 days of Ramadan for us? That kept on going in our heads before Eidul Fitr 1433H. It was such a looong time ago, since I last celebrated Eid outside of the country. Now, what about our zakat fitrah?

One of the obligations during Ramadan, before Eid prayers, is for the head of the family to pay up 'zakat fitrah'. This I found peculiar to this area in Nong Prue whereby Pakar had to buy the equivalent amount of rice already prepared at the mosque, and made the aqad. Hmm...gotta find from him the 'price' of a cupak of rice later. Now, if I am not mistaken it was either 80Baht or 120Baht.

Picture by Pakarudin: This picture shows a Muslim self-measuring a cupak of rice to be given as his zakat fitrah. The rice will then be put into another basin next to the large pot and packed to be distributed to the poor.

Picture by Nabihah: The pot and basin, and packs of rice used for zakat fitrah as seen on the First day of Syawal, 1433H / 19 August, 2012, Sunday at Masjid Ban Mapsong, Nong Prue. This picture was taken after Eid prayers.

Day 7 ( Rayong, Bang Lamung, Pattaya)

On Saturday morning (2 June, 2012), we went towards Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, which is in the Rayong province (Chonburi's neighbour). We took Route 331 and reached Khao Mai Kaeo Intersection (*Khao Mai Kaeo is a tambon/subdistrict within Bang Lamung amphoe/district). Turned left towards Bowin town. Saw lots of tapioca and pineapples planted along the road. We passed by Amata City Industrial Estate where according to hubby, BMW cars are being assembled. Took us about 45mins to reach our destination.

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Took a snap of these buah salak at a road side stall. Fruits, and they are sweet and delicious, are abundant in this country. Be it mangoes, rambutans, pineapples (this you have to taste, simply love it).... 

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Next was our visit to an outlet of the Big Bee Farm, Nongpralai, Bang Lamung. No entrance fee was charged here. Outside of the building, there were the honey combs and also apparatus used to get the honey. The lady staff was polite enough to warn hubby not to drop the bee-comb he was holding to the ground, or she'll be the first to run away. :) The honey products sold here are from the farm bees in Chieng Mai. Apparently, Chieng Mai boast of many types of flowers when compared to other parts of Thailand giving the best nectar as feed to the bees.

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This shot of Pattaya / Bang Lamung Railway Station was taken when we were on the way to the floating market. Err...macam railway station kat mana ye?

The entrance to the Pattaya Floating Market. Nabihah's favourite seaweed store is on the left side, next to peanut store Koh Kae. 

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The day ends with tom yam gung dinner at a Muslim restaurant off Pornpraphanimit Road, not far from our place. Yes, the dishes were hot...

Day 5 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

I use pre-paid plan for my communication back home. The night I arrived, tried to make a call and sent sms but both didn't go through. Only incoming calls and sms were received (with roaming charges of course). It was different about 1.5 years ago. I could still make a call back then ... Hmm...these telecommunication plans change fast!!

Anyway, bought a new SIM card. An AIS 1,2 Call for 50B with a bonus of 15B for usage. Then topped it up with 200B (equiv to RM19 or thereabout). And this morning, changed my FB mobile no. to the new no. so that I can receive and reply text messages via the handphone. 

Day 4 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

With the many electronic gadgets around us and owner to some of them, don't forget to bring along your universal adaptor when travelling. Since most would live up to the tagline 'Now Everybody Can Fly', a wise move is to check the destination's power voltage. Buy an adaptor before hand or you might consider buying one when you reach your destination. I did both (psst...one was not enough)!!