# Do you use PH test strips?



## rodeogal (Apr 15, 2013)

I saw a lady on a You Tube video this weekend talking about her soap.  She said they ph test every batch to make sure it is at 7.  Do you all do this?  Is it important to do?  Where do you get your test strips?  thanks!


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## christinak (Apr 15, 2013)

The only test I do is with my tongue   Even if I get a zap (which is rare), it's gone the next day.


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## lsg (Apr 15, 2013)

As I understand it, cold process soap gets milder as it cures.   I use SoapCalc for all of my recipes.  I cure for 4 weeks at the least.  Unless SoapCalc is  in error I have soap that is ready to use in four weeks.


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## hlee (Apr 15, 2013)

Zap test only for me too.


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## new12soap (Apr 15, 2013)

rodeogal said:


> I saw a lady on a You Tube video this weekend talking about her soap.  She said they ph test every batch to make sure it is at 7.  Do you all do this?  Is it important to do?  Where do you get your test strips?  thanks!


 
No, no, and no. There is no way a handmade cold process soap has a pH of 7, it is alkaline by its very nature and usually is around 9 to 10 and sometimes higher.

pH test strips are next to useless for soap and have anywhere from wildly innacurate (at worst) to unreliable (at best) results.

http://www.millersoap.com/phtome.html

save your money, don't buy test strips just make sure you run your recipe thru a lye calculator, use a good scale, measure carefully, and if you wish go ahead and do a zap test.  If you REALLY want to test your soap's pH, buy a very good meter, learn how to test correctly, and make sure you keep the meter calibrated. JM2C


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## rodeogal (Apr 15, 2013)

new12soap, Thank you.  When I heard her say that 'she makes sure it is ph 7, which is neutral' I had to scratch my head.  I knew I had seen many times where it is higher than that.  I use SoapCalc, measure very carefully, and do a full four-week cure before any soap goes anywhere.  Like most of you, I assume, we use all the soap ends, so we use a lot of soap.  I haven't ever had any that I worried about, but she got me thinking.  I guess perhaps I was a little intimidated by the fact that she makes 1000 bars a week!  OK.. I will not worry.  Thanks guys!


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## lsg (Apr 15, 2013)

Do your homework.  This is obviously an unreliable site..


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## SudsyPM (Apr 15, 2013)

I do PH test each batch. I use the PH strips right after I cut my bars and then again after cure (just out of curiosity how much the PH has dropped). I'm really not thrilled with the idea of the zap test.


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## Lindy (Apr 16, 2013)

pH paper is simply not accurate for testing soaps.  I am more concerned that there is no zap.  The zap test is extremely effective...


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## VanessaP (Apr 16, 2013)

I only zap test here. If you were to try to get the ph of soap to 7, it would break down and be unusable. By its very nature, soap is alkaline. If your soap is properly made, all you have to worry about is the taste of the soap  pH strips generally aren't a reliable indicator of the true pH of soap. If you want to test the pH reliably, the best bet is to buy a decent meter and keep it well calibrated.

http://www.millersoap.com/phtome.html


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## apphorses (Apr 16, 2013)

I don't and never have.

Soap gets milder as it ages. I've even used my own soap the same day I cut it.


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## 100%Natural (Apr 16, 2013)

I do the zap test and rely on Phenolphthalein to PH test every batch I make. What a zap test misses, Phenol picks up.  I used to use the strips but they really are unreliable.  Next on my list of PH testers is a meter but it's not in the budget at the moment.


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## Fabius (Aug 12, 2013)

Interesting web page on the zap test and more. I have no connection to it.

http://www.farmingtonsoapworks.com/justsayno.html

Tom


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## Robert (Aug 12, 2013)

rodeogal said:


> I saw a lady on a You Tube video this weekend talking about her soap.  She said they ph test every batch to make sure it is at 7.


Sheesh, even a triethanolammonium soap like Neutrogena will give solutions with pH above 7!


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## sistrum (Aug 12, 2013)

Could you please post the the name of her web site?  Not a link just the name.  Thank you


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## Marilyna (Aug 12, 2013)

rodeogal said:


> I saw a lady on a You Tube video this weekend talking about her soap. She said they ph test every batch to make sure it is at 7. Do you all do this? Is it important to do? Where do you get your test strips? thanks!


 

I don't see a need to use PH strips, but could you post a link?  If she's selling 1,000 bars a week, I wouldn't mind seeing if she has some business tips!!


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## sistrum (Aug 12, 2013)

Well one would be false advertising.


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## meganlanephotos (Apr 15, 2014)

I am trying to make soap for dogs. i read for dogs, the ph should be 7. how would i do this?


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## shunt2011 (Apr 15, 2014)

Another zap tester here.  You won't get a ph of 7 or lower with CP/HP Soap.


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## meganlanephotos (Apr 15, 2014)

how would one make soap that is safe/meant for dogs than if dogs need a soap that is 7ph? i am trying to figure out how to do this, but am getting confused. i see some places say you need 7ph for dog soap but then others say you cannot make soap with that ph. what type of soap making process would i need to use?


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## coffeetime (Apr 15, 2014)

It would have to be a syndet I would think. Synthetic detergent.


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## songwind (Apr 17, 2014)

I used pH strips for a little while as a sort of belt-and-suspenders back up to the zap test. When I never had a batch pass the zap test without testing sufficiently mild on the pH strips, I stopped bothering.


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