Title: Lye soap

Identifier: Tobacco Farm Life Museum   (https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/13957)

Description: Before the advent of modern-day spray bottle cleaners and detergents, anything that had to be cleaned on the farm was cleaned with a bar soap called lye. Lye soap is made using a combination of animal fat (usually hog), water and lye. The concoction cooks in a large cast iron pot over an open flame and is stirred using wooden paddles. The mixture is molded into cubes and let to harden until needed. Early 20th century. The accompanying video describes the uses for lye soap and how it was made.