Can I use tap water?

[rosyrobyn]

Can I use tap water to make soap or do I have to use distilled?

 

[shunt2011]

Distilled or filtered are best. You don't want any metals or other things to be in your soap as they may cause DOS. I use distilled. I have use filtered a time or two with no issue.

 

[IrishLass]

Yes, you can, but bear in mind that not all tap water is equal. Some tap water is perfectly fine to use, but others (like mine, for example) is horrible. Mine is super alkaline and the hardness level is so high that it's almost right on the edge of the 'safe for drinking' limits. There's no way I would ever use it in my soap- it would be a DOS monster waiting to happen. I use distilled instead.


IrishLass

 

[rosyrobyn]

Thanks. I won't risk it then.

 

[Relle]

I use tap water here, no issues.

 

[DawninWA]

I use tap water. The city doesn't add anything to it. They just test it occasionally and send it on as is, it's good water. It's somewhat hard water, but hasn't affected my soap.

 

[amme20]

thi is interesting- we live in a hard water area too, so if i get a noraml jug water filter i can use that water rather than distilled?

 

[lsg]

We have so much chlorine in out tap water that I wouldn't want to use it soap. Several years ago, I bought a small water distiller. I think it was worth the investment.

 

[gloopygloop]

When I used tap water I got DOS and I did use it for a while, reverting back to distilled and the DOS stopped. We are recommended to use purified or distilled water for a reason and it is because tap water does contain many impurities, I knew this but chose to use tap water for a while at my cost. Using purified doesnt make the soap amazingly more wonderful just doesnt seem to contaminate it as our tap water did, I am speaking of city tap which is chlorinated, it may be fine with very nice soft country water so not a one size fits all scenario.

 

[earlene]

Yes, the difference in water from the tap varies all over the world, not only from region to region in a single country. I don't know what the make-up of everyone's tap water is, but I can say that some is so bad in some parts of the US, that I can't even stand the taste of tea made from water from some taps. But the tap water in every place we visited in our recent trip to Europe all tasted fabulous. So could I use it in soap? If I had been making soap on that trip, I would have done so as the water was so very good to the taste and I would not have known were to find distilled water.

The tap water where I live tastes bad, and even with a water filter, the taste is not as good as tap water in Manhattan. But I have used my filtered tap water in soap at home a few times. Still, I do prefer to use distilled water as the cost for me is so low for distilled water, and besides it just seems better to veer on the side of caution.

 

[Candybee]

I've used tap before with no problems but prefer the cleaner distilled water. I bought a 2 1/2 gallon carboy, the slim one, to hold my water in the fridge. With the spigot its easy to get water when I need it and its already chilled. I use only cold water in my soapmaking.

 

[DeeAnna]

The taste of water relates to the kind and amount of various minerals dissolved in the water. Some minerals taste good, others not so much. A fab tasting water isn't necessarily any better for doing chemistry than a bad tasting water. Distilled water isn't particularly good tasting because it has no minerals to create a taste. It's bland, in other words.