Dishwashing liquid is where most small Kenyan producers make their money, because every household and every kibanda buys it weekly. The chemistry is close to liquid soap, but two changes separate a product people repurchase from one they try once.
The two changes that matter
The first is CAPB. Cocamidopropyl betaine costs more than the other surfactants but it makes the product noticeably gentler on hands. Anyone washing dishes for a restaurant or a family notices within a week, and it is the reason they come back.
The second is raising the LABSA slightly against the liquid soap recipe. Grease on Kenyan cookware, chapati oil, nyama choma fat, githeri residue, needs more detergency than a general purpose soap provides.
Formulation for 20 litres
| Material | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water (softened) | 15 litres | EDTA 40 g dissolved first |
| LABSA 90% | 1.8 kg | Higher than liquid soap, for grease |
| Caustic soda flakes | 260 g | To pH 7 to 8 |
| SLES 70% | 1.5 kg | Foam and body |
| CAPB | 400 g | Mildness. Do not skip this. |
| CDEA | 300 g | Foam stability |
| Salt brine | as needed | Viscosity |
| Preservative | 20 g | Essential |
| Fragrance and colour | 80 g fragrance | Lemon sells best in this market |
Method
Follow the same order as liquid soap: soften, neutralise, surfactants, additives, thicken, rest. Add the CAPB after the SLES and before the CDEA. Keep the stirring slow throughout.
Getting the appearance right
Kenyan buyers associate a slightly viscous, clear green or yellow liquid with strength. A cloudy product reads as watered down even when it is not. If yours is hazy, the usual cause is hard water or fragrance added too fast without enough solubiliser, try adding the fragrance premixed into a little of the CAPB.
Costing and pricing
Materials for 20 litres run to roughly three and a half thousand shillings, about 175 shillings a litre. In 500 ml bottles with a label you are looking at a landed cost around 130 to 150 shillings a bottle depending on your packaging source. Retail in most estates sits well above that, which is why the product works.
Selling it
Refill stations do very well in Kenya, customers bring their own bottle and pay less, you save on packaging. If you go that route, keep a 20 litre jerry can with a tap and a measuring jug, and label the tank with the batch date.
Materials used in this guide
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