Soda Ash Woes

[clairissa]

Hello Everyone,
I am hoping someone can help with Soda Ash.

After I mold my soap, I spray with 99% isopropyl alcohol and cover with plastic wrap and bundle in a towel to insulate. I also use distilled water in my recipes. After un-molding, my soaps look beautiful, they pass the zap test etc. Life is good! I place them on my curing rack and re-visit a few days later and sadly I see Soda Ash developing on the tops of my soaps. The soda ash seems to get worse as the weeks go on.

Is there something I can be doing to eliminate the soda ash from occurring during the curing time. Would running a fan over the soaps help them?

What is the best way to remove it? I let it go if it seems to enhance the soaps appearance. However, unfortunately this is not always the case.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Earthen_Step]

http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/04/dreaded-soda-ash.html

I've never tried this but it looks like it works -- removal of ash guide above. I personally like soda ash, it gives it a rustic well cured look imo.

I'm sure others will chime in with preventative measures.

 

[shunt2011]

I don't often get ash. I pour my soap then spray with alcohol and cover with my lid or a piece of cardboard and then cover with a towel or two and let it be for 24 hours. I've found that once it's had time I don't get ash. The only time I've had serious ash was salt bars in individual molds that didn't gel and didn't cover. They even ashes on the entire soap when unmolded.

 

[clairissa]

http://lather-be-soaping.blogspot.com/2012/04/dreaded-soda-ash.html

I've never tried this but it looks like it works -- removal of ash guide above. I personally like soda ash, it gives it a rustic well cured look imo.

I'm sure others will chime in with preventative measures.

Yes, I do agree. It looks fine with rustic bars. But it seems to rob the colorful swirly bars of their vividness.

 

[OldCrowSoaper]

I get the same issue with mine. Cover and sprayed and still get it after a few days of curing. I am still searching for a way to stop this.

 

[Rsapienza]

A water discount has helped me. I hardly ever get ash and if I do, I steam the bars with my iron. Works like a charm.

 

[Michelle0803]

I used to have the same issue. I now use a water reduction and no longer have soda ash. I also do not gel my soap.

 

[shunt2011]

This post is almost 5 years old. The other posters other than myself haven't been here in 2 years or more.

 

[Zeb Lisik]

Haha revive the old threads? Everyone is talking about water discounts, but that's a bit unspecific. What lye % or water to lye ratio worked for you in eliminating soda ash?

I've been doing 2:1 water to lye without Soda ash, but I sometimes want to increase the water to slow trace but still want to avoid the ash. Can anyone comment on the upper limit?

 

[bookreader451]

Last weekend I did two soaps, same recipe but one had a MP moon so I couldn't CPOP. I soap relatively cool (under 100 degrees in a basement that is cool) and the CPOP has no soda ash and the other batch that was insulated and covered has soda ash. I think the cooler you soap and the colder the environment of saponification the more likely you are to get soda ash.

Just my opinion based on observation

 

[Rsapienza]

Haha revive the old threads? Everyone is talking about water discounts, but that's a bit unspecific. What lye % or water to lye ratio worked for you in eliminating soda ash?

I've been doing 2:1 water to lye without Soda ash, but I sometimes want to increase the water to slow trace but still want to avoid the ash. Can anyone comment on the upper limit?

I usually do 1.6:1 and I have time for swirls as long as it's a well behaved fragrance. I think soaping cool and only stickblending to emulsion is key.

 

[Zeb Lisik]

@Rsapienza i agreed, that's how I feel. What is the lowest ratio you've gone down to? Lol I hadn't done less than 2:1. What other benefits did you see?

 

[Rsapienza]

@Rsapienza i agreed, that's how I feel. What is the lowest ratio you've gone down to? Lol I hadn't done less than 2:1. What other benefits did you see?

A harder bar; can unmold in about 8 hours or so. I can clean them up (although not usually needed), stamp them and hide them away for their cure time. One time I was using MB lye solution 50/50 and I forgot to add the extra liquid into my batter. I didn't even realize it until I was done soaping. I did a drop swirl with 4 colors. The batter did not get too thick or anything. That was the lowest at 1:1 but I didn't do it intentionally. I was surprised because I've always read that you don't have time to do swirls if you go to low. Again, I'm convinced stopping at emulsion is key. Once I separate for colors, I will give them a quick SB if needed.