Water in CP soap making

[Aquarius]

Hi, I was doing some research about CP soapmaking the other day, and regarding wich water to use i found so many different options, that it got me confused... :? Some argue that the best water to use is distilled, others say rain water, others use tap water, some say soft filtered water (reverse osmosis) is the best, and i also saw that alkalized water could be used.

The problem is that nobody explains what will the difference be in the finished product, so if someone has some information or someone allready experimented with this I would be happy to get some feedback, basically im deciding whether to use distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water in my batches, and im trying to find out what the differences are and how does NaOH react with them.

 

[Hazel]

You want to use water which is free of impurities like chemicals and minerals since these could cause problems in your batch. I've only used distilled water so I can't say if there is a difference in using other waters. Distilled water is inexpensive and works fine. You can use tap water if you know the water has been filtered by your city's water department or if you filter it.

 

[Relle]

I normally use distilled water, but because it has been raining so much lately I've collected rain water and haven't found any difference. I do filter it through a cloth so small particles can't get through. I started out using bottled water, then tap water and can't honestly say I've noticed anything different with those either, I suppose it all depends where you live. Its all about trial and error.

 

[sudbubblez]

The information is out there but it is scattered. Many times you have to take "soap making" out of the equation to find the answers. What I know so far about water. Tap water: Hard water reacts with soap to make scum instead of suds. Have you ever put a pot of water to boil on the stove then forgot about it, letting it boil dry? See all that crud left in the pot? That would be in your soap. If you have hard water, it won't lather as well.

Rain water: This day and age, depending on where you are, it would have picked up pollutants from the air. It is soft water but boiling wont remove pollutants. You do not even have to live in close proximity to a major city to have polluted rain water. Pollution can travel for hundreds of miles.

You cannot go wrong with distilled. It is water and nothing else.

Never use dehumidfier water. The aluminum parts inside and some of the tubing in the dehumidifier will have lead solder in the joints. They are also not kept in a state of cleanliness required for food grade standards. The water is also de-ionized meaning there is no dissolved O2 (not potable and will kill plants), and can be high in zinc or copper in addition to lead from the solder. Its also not distilled as distilled uses steam to purify water. Dehumidifier water will still have microbes and fungus spores from the air.

You might be able to find more answers if you break down soap making into its pieces of chemistry and search for how "said type of water" reacts with NaOH... etc.

 

[Aquarius]

Tnx for the answers, guess distilled is the best option