Can I cure soap in a sealed container?

[lmaster20]

My assumption is no, but I figure it's worth asking.

I've got a batch of cold process soap curing right now and the scent is a little overpowering. Whatever room I put it in becomes inundated with the [refreshing] peppermint scent of the bars and is difficult to spend any amount of time in before it starts to give me a headache.

My understanding is that airflow is important to the curing process so I can't completely seal them off, but is it possible to cure them in a large container with a lid to cut down on the smell? Either opening it periodically to swap the air out or drilling a small vent hole into it.

 

[mx5inpenn]

You will need airflow for curing. How long ago did you make it? Scents usually calm down some during cure. I leave mine in open containers for 6 weeks minimum, but ymmv.

 

[DeeAnna]

You have to allow for some evaporation to occur, and you won't get that if you put the fresh soap in a tightly sealed container. I don't think drilling a small hole will be enough either because you'll get almost no air exchange through a hole.

I have experimented with putting a tray of fresh soap bars in a thin plastic bag, closing the bag loosely, and thoroughly airing the bag out a couple times a day. There was a thin film of condensed water inside the bag each time I aired it out, especially for the first week or so. So it's important to have some air exchange.

That said, the peppermint EO is going to accumulate inside the container, so I'm not sure this is a good solution to your problem. I think it might be better to put the fresh soap in an entirely separate area for awhile. Some people cure their soap in the garage, for example. I'd expect you could move it back into the house after a few days when the odor becomes less intense.

 

[Michelle0803]

Try running a fan on them. I made a peppermint soap and my entire house smelled like peppermint for days. Adding the fan really helped reduced the peppermint throughout the house.

 

[BWt]

I would love to be able to solve this dilemma! Mint is a gorgeous scent but headaches are not so gorgeous. Curious to see other answers. Unfortunately I don’t have a solution.

 

[BritS]

I'm not sure where you live, but I recently had an issue with a fragrance while making bath bombs. My husband has recently discovered that he has allergies, and he could smell one particular fragrance from my in-home studio. It filled the entire house, despite the door being shut. He had to step outside. What we did to help with the scent was to open almost every window and turn on all the fans. We opened our front doors and let the house vent itself of the scent. (This is where your location comes into play. If it's too cold outside, this would obviously be a terrible idea.) It took an hour or so, but the scent did dissipate significantly.

 

[Zing]

I'm feelin' your pain, Brother or Sister! For years I've loved all my scents but recently made a blend with a new brand of eucalyptus essential oil. Hoo boy, not for me! My soap shop is in my basement and even brief visits to do laundry gave me a headache. And the soap was going to be a Christmas gift for my adult son and he came to visit so I had to hide the soap in my bedroom closet -- and then I would nearly faint every morning getting dressed. To me, it seemed like the whole house was consumed with this scent BUT I was the only one complaining -- Mrs. Zing and overnight guests didn't notice anything. Everyone that got this soap for Christmas loves it and I'm ready to toss the rest! Scent is so idiosyncratic.

And I do loves me the peppermint blends!

And @Ochre+Co , I see you are reporting in from Florida. Us Minnesotans get excited when the temperature rises to positive numbers! Balmy!

 

[Becky1024]

I feel for you too! A strong peppermint scent would not bother me, but once when I was just getting started I scented a batch with anise EO. It was so overpowering that I built a curing box in the garage. Then my car started smelling …

The soap sold well, but I had a partial bottle left that I was not brave enough to open for a long time! I finally made a peppermint anise blend which is really nice! No stinky house and car!

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I have put my overpowered smelling soaps in a curio cabinet with no problems.

 

[lmaster20]

Thanks for all the advice! My current solution is to put the soap in a closet and forsake that are of the house. There should be enough airflow to allow a decent cure but I'll report back in a couple of weeks. Peppermint might have to be off the menu if this doesn't work

 

[kirsten.]

Is it possible to put something into a sealed container to absorb water vapour? I'm thinking as simple as some paper towels, perhaps some rice?

 

[DeeAnna]

If you're talking about using paper towels or rice to absorb water vapor in a sealed container that also contains fresh soap, I seriously doubt that would be enough. Rice, etc. only works to remove tiny bits of water, not the larger amounts given off by fresh soap.

 

[Rune]

I made two soaps long ago that smelled awful and very, very strong. It did help some to cure them in cardboard shoe boxes. The scent was not removed, but toned down to a level where humans could survive.
My shoe boxes were "raw" and not glossy. I guess that might be important, since the glossing usually is plastic. And cardboard or any paper sucks up moisture so the soaps will be cured inside, especially if you air them now and then.

 

[BWt]

recently on this blog site someone recommended putting the soap into the trunk of a car to cure. Just don't turn corners very quickly....

 

[SoapySocial]

I've had success curing in a closet that didn't get opened often. I also put a soap out in the shed to cure because it stunk so bad. Both batches turned out just fine and the smell toned down after a few weeks/months.

 

[Cofage Gaetaph]

You have to allow for some evaporation to occur, and you won't get that if you put the fresh soap in a tightly sealed container. I don't think drilling a small hole will be enough either because you'll get almost no air exchange through a hole.

I have experimented with putting a tray of fresh soap bars in a thin plastic bag, closing the bag loosely, and thoroughly airing the bag out a couple times a day. There was a thin film of condensed water inside the bag each time I aired it out, especially for the first week or so. So it's important to have some air exchange.

That said, the peppermint EO is going to accumulate inside the container, so I'm not sure this is a good solution to your problem. I think it might be better to put the fresh soap in an entirely separate area for awhile. Some people cure their soap in the garage, for example. I'd expect you could move it back into the house after a few days when the odor tim hortons prices uk becomes less intense.

I understand that airflow is crucial for the curing process, so completely sealing them off isn’t an option. However, can I cure them in a large container with a lid to reduce the smell? I could either open it periodically to refresh the air or drill a small vent hole to maintain airflow.

 

[DeeAnna]

Drilling a small hole in an otherwise air-tight container won't materially improve air flow. There's no driving force other than diffusion, and diffusion isn't an efficient way of ensuring sufficient air exchange.

You really do need to open the container and air it out thoroughly if you're going to take this approach.

The thin plastic bags I use are thin enough to be somewhat permeable to water vapor, but the larger scent molecules cannot penetrate through the plastic film.

I still open the bag to clear out the interior air. I do this once or twice a day for the first week or so, as long as I can feel a film of water on the inside of the bag. That dampness tells me more air exchange is required during the early stages of curing.