A friend on another forum (who I am certain reads here as well) suggested boiling a milled stick of Arko in order to get rid of some of the smell. Sorry purists, I just can't do the citronella. I tried a search but came up short - can anyone expand on this process for me please? I intend to mush it into a coffee cup when done as well to make it a bit easier to use.
Boiling Arko
- Thread starter LBussy
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While I believe that diluting Arko is a crime punishable by death in some communities, I have heard several recommendations for just unwrapping it and leaving it out for several days. Have you tried this already?
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- #3
I understand I may be guilty of blasphemy, I'll plead ignorance and throw myself on the mercy of the forum. I plain can't stand to leave the thing out in my bathroom though. It lasted overnight and that was all I could take. Plus, doing that makes me wait for ... several days. I'd kinda like to use it. I thought the boiling things made sense because I also want to smoosh it and I was thinking that would make it easier.
Sacrilege! .... 
Arko has tallow, so you might render it unusable if you're not careful. If you really don't like it, PIF or sell it.
Arko has tallow, so you might render it unusable if you're not careful. If you really don't like it, PIF or sell it.
Having never tried it I speak from complete ignorance.
How bad can it smell? I've heard it described as Lemon Pez candy!
Boiling it would be alot of work and risk.
I have shaving cream and balms that smell of citrus, lemon and lime. I can only imagine it smelling pleasant.
How bad can it smell? I've heard it described as Lemon Pez candy!
Boiling it would be alot of work and risk.
I have shaving cream and balms that smell of citrus, lemon and lime. I can only imagine it smelling pleasant.
Find another product. If you feel like you have to alter the chemical makeup of the original soap, why bother? It's not like there isn't more than a few alternatives out there.
If you have a storage closet, put it in there unwrapped for a few months. It makes a great moth repellent.
I'll trade you a half a can of Barbesol Pacific Rush shaving cream for your unmilled, unboiled Arko!
Seriously, if you can't stand the smell (I can't either) nothing you do will make it better. You think it will get to a point where you'll want to smear it all over your face?
I left a stick unwrapped in my garage for 2 months. It still stunk, just not as powerfully. Find another soap.
I left a stick unwrapped in my garage for 2 months. It still stunk, just not as powerfully. Find another soap.
grate it and put in a mug, the smell is what i like about Arko--honestly if one does not like it ---DONT BUY IT there are many other soaps and creams out there
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- #12
Old wives* I tell you! Tallow melts as any other fat, and how can you make a tallow candle if melting it magically alters it's "chemical makeup"? Ding something to get rid of the smell is no different than the natural process of allowing the smell to get out naturally. How could it be different? Do you think they magically make this stuff while it is a solid?
I am not hoping to be a purist in any way trying this ... I am trying to learn what a good lather is and I think you all will agree with me at least that Arko is a wonderful lather. I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm taking my mistakes (bloodletting) and making sure the experience is worth something. I'm going to do something to this, and I know at least *some* people have tried this since the person who told me about it learnt it here. If you have not tried it then I guess you can't help. If you think there's something sacred about cheap Turkish soap then I can't help.
There is something wonderfully creepy about the label - I'm an amateur pyro and we like to look for unique labels for shells and rockets. I can't imagine a better one than this label. I have it scanned and I am cleaning it up to do just that. What sort of pyro effect do you all think best exemplifies/compliments Arko?
* Meant completely tongue in cheek I hope you all realize
I am not hoping to be a purist in any way trying this ... I am trying to learn what a good lather is and I think you all will agree with me at least that Arko is a wonderful lather. I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm taking my mistakes (bloodletting) and making sure the experience is worth something. I'm going to do something to this, and I know at least *some* people have tried this since the person who told me about it learnt it here. If you have not tried it then I guess you can't help. If you think there's something sacred about cheap Turkish soap then I can't help.
There is something wonderfully creepy about the label - I'm an amateur pyro and we like to look for unique labels for shells and rockets. I can't imagine a better one than this label. I have it scanned and I am cleaning it up to do just that. What sort of pyro effect do you all think best exemplifies/compliments Arko?
* Meant completely tongue in cheek I hope you all realize
- Thread starter
- #13
Ya'll are posting as I type my reply .. I kicked a hornet's nest! 
Related to the subject since nobody is brave enough to assault the status quo ... what is a good tallow soap with a comparable lather that is not Arko?
Related to the subject since nobody is brave enough to assault the status quo ... what is a good tallow soap with a comparable lather that is not Arko?
If they ever change the scent or offer another scent I would use it, but I have no desire to use products that smell this terrible.
Life's too short to boil soap. If you're that put off by the smell of Arko, there are plenty of other great tallow soaps to try.
Life is too short to keep a soap that you think stinks. I am neutral on its smell. I will use it until it is gone, but I won't replace it.
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- #17
Well I grated it and left it in the garage - next week I will put it in a bowl and see if I can stomach it. I LOVE the lather .... I don't have anything right now that comes close. I just never dug the citronella candle smell when it was still in a candle. I suspect that I might like another tallow soap, so I let the wife choose several samples for me, They should be here next week some time.
It will mellow on its own but it might take a few weeks. I felt exactly the same way about the smell when I first tried a new stick. Almost tossed mine but instead I threw it under the sink for a month. I actually really like the smell once it's aired out for a while.
If you were to try it, which I cannot recommend or advise against, you'd want to use a double boiler.
I'm sniffing my arko stick as I'm typing this reply......dont boil your poor arko... Noooooooo !!!! 
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