# curing soap with a dehumidifier?



## fiddletree (Sep 22, 2011)

I recently ran across a website (http://www.mariegale.com/making-soap/) where the soap maker uses a 'drying closet' that has a marine dehumidifier in it.  She claims her soap is cured in 10 days.  Has anyone else used this method, and would you recommend it?  Are there any downsides to speeding up the process?[/url]


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## soap25 (Sep 22, 2011)

It is a difference between dried and cured.

If you make CP soap it takes about 4 weeks till the ph gets down to 8-9. It starts with 14 and every week it goes down one or two points.

Debending on temperature,  gelling etc. it might be less than that.

In case of HP it sure would help using a dehumidifier. But I also let them "cure" and dry for at least 4 weeks.


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## PippiL (Sep 22, 2011)

I have one in my laundry room, but just because it's the laundry room and that is where I cure my soaps...faster I don't know??


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## Deda (Sep 22, 2011)

soap25 said:
			
		

> It is a difference between dried and cured.
> 
> If you make CP soap it takes about 4 weeks till the ph gets down to 8-9. It starts with 14 and every week it goes down one or two points.
> 
> ...



That's not really true.  Saponification is largely finished in 24 hours, maybe 48 if you don't gel.  Your soap will be milder with a longer cure, but the pH will not be effected.  The pH will be in the range of 10 within a few hours.

I use a humidifier in my soap room, where I store my soap, but I turn it off when I'm working.

Nothing beats a good 4 week cure to make a mild, long-lasting and rock hard bar of soap.


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## fiddletree (Sep 22, 2011)

My house is pretty humid, even with a dehumidifier running all the time, and I find it takes at least 6 weeks for my soap to really get useable (with a good consistency).  

I have heard that the longer the soap cures, the milder it should get, but scientifically that doesn't make sense.  If after 48 hours or so, the saponification process is pretty much complete, and maybe tack on an extra day or two to completely finish, why would it get milder after that?  In theory it should just dry out.  That's why I am wondering about this whole drying closet business, because it seems that, in theory, after the saponification that soaps can be ready to use in a shorter time period.


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