Liquid soap has become one of the most popularly produced substances in Nigeria especially because it can be used for washing clothes, dishes, cars, hands etc. it is produced by a lot of small scale business men and women in Nigeria especially those who do not have the budget yet to acquire a massive land, large labour workers, and huge fund to support their business.
It is a good business for starters who wish to produce it in the small space of their homes and supply to retailers and customers at little quantities.
A lot of people learn how to produce it to help curtail the cost of buying the expensive detergents. Asides from the fact that it helps saves money, it is also very easy to produce.
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It is often packaged locally by pouring the solution into PET bottles of different sizes and selling them according to their quantities.
It is also sold in large Jeri cans and rubbers to customers who wish to buy the liquid soap in large quantities. It can be produced in factories in large scale and packaged with a special CAC registered brand name and NAFDAC registration number.
In this article before going further to explain how the liquid soap can be packaged am going to explain the simplified method by which the liquid soap can be produced.
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List of items used for the production of liquid soap.
a. Nitrosol – this is a thickening agent
b. Palm kernel oil
c. Colour – adds colour to the solution
d. Water – this is used for dissolving the solution
e. Formalin – this serves as the preservative agent
f. Caustic soda – this is a stain remover
g. Soda ash – this is the regulator, it regulates the caustic soda
h. Sulphonic acid – This serves as the foaming agent
i. Perfume – this is used to add fragrance to the solution
j. Hand gloves
k. Large basin
l. Turning stick / rod
Note: it is very important to dilute your caustic soda and soda ash in water 24 hours earlier, before the commencement of the liquid soap production.
Whatever you decide to use for measurement (let’s say an empty milk tin cup) measure 1 cup of the caustic soda and soda ash into different bowl and pour 4 cups of water into each bowl. Always make sure the water is four times more than the measurement of the caustic soda and soda ash.
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Procedure for the mixing of the items into liquid solution
a. Add 60 cups of water into a clean basin
b. Add 1 cup of nitrosol into the same basin
c. Add a little palm kernel oil into the basin.
d. First dissolve a little portion (1/8) of your colour with little water in a small bowl before pouring it into the basin containing the solution and mix thoroughly.
e. Dissolve a little portion of formalin (1/8) in a little bowl and mix properly before pouring the formalin into the basin of solution.
f. Add about 3 cups of the dissolved caustic soda into the solution in the basin and mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.
g. Add another two cups of the soda ash and mix thoroughly as well until it is properly dissolved with the solution in the basin.
h. Pour 4 cups of sulphonic acid into the solution and mix.
i. Dissolve about 1/8 of the perfume into little water and mix before pouring the perfume into the basin containing the solution. ( a good example of fragrance to use is the lemon)
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Precautions
a. Use a hand glove throughout the preparation of the solution.
b. Always avoid direct body contact with any of the chemicals as this might prove hazardous for your skin.
c. Be careful to follow the steps accordingly as any step that is switched up for the other can lead to the production of a different substance.
d. Use a strong turning stick to mix the solution properly and not your hand.
e. Keep the solution away from infants.
How liquid soap can be packaged locally
Liquid soap can be packaged in different forms depending on the customer’s request and scale of production, for small scale producers the detergent is commonly packaged into PET bottles of different sizes like 75cl, 150cl etc and sold to retailers at cheaper rates. They are sometimes poured into large containers and jerry cans and sold at higher prices.
But for large scale packaging, it is important to get the following in order before proceeding to packaging the liquid soap:
1. Acquire the desired brand name by registering with Cooperate affairs commission (CAC) in Nigeria.
2. Register your product with National Agency for food and drugs, administration and control (NAFDAC).
3. Acquire the necessary knowledge on how production and packaging of liquid soap can be done in large scale.
4. Acquire a spacious land for your packaging business
5. Employ qualifies workers
6. Buy a packaging machine that can package a large amount of your products.
7. Have sufficient fund at hand to help boost the business.
8. Take a feasibility study before commencing the business.
An automatic economical liquid soap filling machine on Alibaba.com is sold for US $7,000 – 9,000 / set.
Usually liquid soap is packaged in large scales with the help of such machines which saves time and is more efficient.
They are often packed into high quality plastic containers with a special brand name and proper labeling details, which will include the registered number assigned to the product.
This types of packages products will usually cost higher than the locally packages ones.
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Advantages of packaging liquid soap
a. It gives the product a more presentable appearance.
b. It makes you rise above your competitors who produce locally.
c. It increases the shelf-life of the product.
d. It gives you a chance to sell to a larger market like big organizations and offices.
e. It make exporting the product easier.
f. It makes storage much easier.
Conclusion
There is no fear for venturing into the business of packaging of liquid soap in Nigeria as there is hardly anyone or house hold that does not use detergent on a daily basis for washing dishes, cars, clothes, cleaning floor and general maintenance.
So it is a certainty that you will have a good profit from the business. If the cost of acquiring the materials in little portions is about N4000 and production time is 24 hours after marketing and selling the liquid soap you can be sure of getting an extra N5000 profit from the business.
That should send you a message if you decide to go into a large scale production of liquid soap, then you can be sure of maximum returns. The need for the liquid soap is all year round, so which means there is going to be an all year round profit.
I really found this helpful, thank you so much.
Welcome Grace