white distilled vinegar/ distilled water

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wanalearn2soap

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I'm very new to the soap world and decided that my 1st batch would be the oven hot process. I followed all the instructions from the Miller site and cooked it in the oven. It turned out perfect, perfect texture, perfect ph and perfect lather. Unbelievable that my 1st little batch of handmade soap turned out so perfect, then I realized I had put the lye in distilled white vinegar instead of distilled water. Has anyone made this crazy mistake? or was a really a mistake since the soap is perfect "for now"?. Have I accidently invented a new way of making Oven Hot Process :D Any replies would be welcomed.
 
That is wild! I would have thought the vinegar would have neutralized the lye. You may have created a new method. Please let us know how it is after curing. :D
 
I know what your saying. It is 2 weeks old now and hard as it can be, smells wonderful and I've had rave reviews from my friends and family. Also, I read where the vinegar will not neutralize the lye that that someone somewhere heard it on a movie and you should never ever rely on it to wash it off your skin. Use cool water and then soap and water.

One more question: I made the lye solution and put my oils together but had to wait till the next day to make the soap. I had family to just drop in so my question is does the lye loss its effectiveness after being mixed for 18-24 hours? I tried to do the Oven Hot Process and it seemed to not work as well as the 1st batch with the vinegar accident.

Thanks Hazel for your response, i can't wait to hear from other experienced soapers.
 
Maybe neutralize isn't the correct term. The acidity of the vinegar makes lye less caustic but I guess technically that's not neutralization. Perhaps the vinegar made the lye less alkaline which made the soap more conditioning? I don't know - I'm not familiar with the chemistry side of soaping. :oops: That's correct about not using vinegar to wash lye off your skin. It can make a burn even worse. Always use cool water.

Lye won't lose its effectiveness by being premixed. Many people make 50/50 solution to keep stored for later use. You just want to make sure it's well sealed since lye is hydrophilic and will attract moisture from the air. For example, instead of having 9 oz of lye solution, you may end up with slightly more water by the time you make a batch. I'm just using that number as an example. I'm not sure how fast water would be absorbed. It also might depend on how humid the air is where you live. A couple of years ago, I mixed some lye solution and was unable to use it until 7 or 8 days later. I had stored it in a HDPE container that didn't seal very well. It had more water in it (maybe about an oz?) than I originally weighed out but it didn't cause a problem with the batch. I don't believe 18-24 hours would be a problem. But this is just my opinion based on what I experienced.
 
I just unmolded the soap i made yesterday with the day old lye water and I am so happily surprise that my 2nd batch turned out just as beautiful as the 1st. Beginner luck ... maybe.. runs in the family..most likely. I helped my grandparents make soap the old fashion way when I was a kid. By old fashion i mean she would make her own lye using wood ash and rain water. That was in the 60's and her soap was just plain old lye soap using the fat rendered from the hogs they killed to eat. I remember as a kid (5or6) thinking it was the coolest thing in the world to watch the oils and water turn to soap. Never once did she tell me I could die if i breath the fumes but she never let me get close to the lye when it was being made and poured in the liquid fat. She would let me stir and stir and stir some more. If only she could see me now. :p

I am hoping to get some pictures of my soap up for you to see soon. They aren't all that fancy just good creamy and bubbly soap I would wash my 19 mth old granddaughter in.

Hazel thank you so much for your replies. I highly regard and respect anyone who is an expert in this field, it is just as much chemistry as it is art.
 
You're welcome! But I'm not an expert. I know a little bit and there is a lot I don't know. Fortunately, there are many experts on this forum who are generous in sharing info and helping others learn. :D
 
Hello here's an update for the vinegar instead of distilled water soap. The soap is still very good, it smelled strange but now I can smell the added ingredients like the cinnamon and honey I added.

But here is a new question if someone can assist. I made a batch of soap and its still soft, I followed the recipe to the letter but after 2 weeks its gotten soft in the middle, what do y'all think.

I have heard of soaking but what is that and what effect would it have. I have googled the above questions but not gotten an answer that makes sense to me.

Thank you much and more.
 
I must have missed your post. I used Apple Cider Vinegar by mistake one time and it is a lovely soap to use. Vinegar we buy is only about 5% acid so it is very weak.

Sorry I can't help with your second question, I don't think I have heard of that happening.
 
wanalearn2soap said:
But here is a new question if someone can assist. I made a batch of soap and its still soft, I followed the recipe to the letter but after 2 weeks its gotten soft in the middle, what do y'all think.

I have heard of soaking but what is that and what effect would it have. I have googled the above questions but not gotten an answer that makes sense to me.
.

I've never heard of soaking so I don't know what you mean. However, the only suggestion I can make is the possibility the soap just overheated in the center and you have slight separation. I don't know if it's possible for the soap just to get too hot in the center but since gel normally occurs from the center and moves outward I suppose it could have happened. Did you use any ingredients which might contribute to overheating like a hot FO, honey or milk? Is the center a little oily in texture?
 
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