How Soap Sparked A Clean Revolution
It’s one of the simplest things in your home—but its invention reshaped hygiene, health, and everyday life.
Image source: Aurélia Dubois/Unsplash
For centuries, soap was made in small batches from animal fats and wood ash, expensive and often harsh on the skin. That changed in 1791, when French chemist Nicolas Leblanc patented a method to turn common salt (sodium chloride) into soda ash (sodium carbonate)—a key ingredient in soapmaking.
The breakthrough, known as the Leblanc process, made soap production faster, cheaper, and far more consistent. By the 19th century, mass-produced soap became affordable for ordinary families. This simple bar soon played a powerful role in public health, helping reduce disease and improve sanitation during the Industrial Revolution.
By the early 1900s, companies like Lever Brothers (now Unilever) and Procter & Gamble turned soap into a household staple—marking one of history’s quietest but most important revolutions in daily life.
Learn more about how chemistry—and one French inventor—made cleanliness accessible to everyone.Ever learned how an everyday item quietly shaped the modern world? Share it in the forum—you might change how someone sees their bathroom shelf!
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