Bath Bombs Ruined by Humidity

[ScentimentallyYours]

My bath bombs were stored loose in plastic containers with locking tops. Unfortunately, the extreme humidity of this summer seeped into the boxes and turned bath bombs into powder as soon as I touch them. Humidity seeped in to ruin all of the bath bomb embeds as well.

Is there anything I can use these bath bombs for now? Does bath powder work for cleaning? Or laundry? Or loose bath powder? I have several plastic boxes full of bath bombs and don’t want to toss them if there is a back up use for them.

 

[Savage Daughter]

When I used to make bath bombs, I would save all of that 'powder' for a loose 'bath soak', which is still very nice.

You can add some botanicals to it, as well as some additional baking soda (I'd skip the citric acid), some epsom salts, pink sea salts etc. Then save it in airtight jars. Canning jars with proper lids work well. You can keep a flip top glass jar with a rubber seal by the tub for your own regular use.

The rest of it, keep sealed in those canning jars, then when ready to sell, package a weighed amount into more glass jars - dollar stores are great for picking these up in bulk. Label them up with something nice & sell them.

Gotta say, I am glad I decided to not do bath bombs this time around

 

[AliOop]

My bath bombs were stored loose in plastic containers with locking tops. Unfortunately, the extreme humidity of this summer seeped into the boxes and turned bath bombs into powder as soon as I touch them. Humidity seeped in to ruin all of the bath bomb embeds as well.

Is there anything I can use these bath bombs for now? Does bath powder work for cleaning? Or laundry? Or loose bath powder? I have several plastic boxes full of bath bombs and don’t want to toss them if there is a back up use for them.

Besides doing bath soaks as described by QQ, I put my bath bomb dust/crumbs into a shaker jar (with tight lid) to use as toilet bowl cleaner. Mine have SLSa in them, so they foam very nicely, and the CA/BS combo is great for cleaning. Just sprinkle it in, let it sit for a few minutes, then use a toilet brush as usual. Your toilet bowl will be sparkling and will also smell like whatever nice scent you used in the BB.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Besides doing bath soaks as described by QQ, I put my bath bomb dust/crumbs into a shaker jar (with tight lid) to use as toilet bowl cleaner. Mine have SLSa in them, so they foam very nicely, and the CA/BS combo is great for cleaning. Just sprinkle it in, let it sit for a few minutes, then use a toilet brush as usual. Your toilet bowl will be sparkling and will also smell like whatever nice scent you used in the BB.

Good suggestion, but for me, I'd leave out the SLSA I would use liquid castile soap.

I make a 'soft scrub' cleanser for toilets, shower, sinks, taps etc which gets everything sparkling clean, including my bathroom mirror. Cuts through the worst stuck on crud, I swear. It's probably one of the least toxic cleansers which can be used. I use liquid castile soap in this, which is amazing. This is a home-based cleanser I have been making for years, and I just eyeball everything. It always turns out.

You could definitely add that powder to a soft-scrub type cleanser if you're ok with not technically taking in any cash for the raw materials you used on these bath bombs. In reality, you would be saving money on store bought home cleaning products AND doing something good for the earth, and your own health.

 

[AliOop]

I don't make my products for sale, other than occasional sales for COG to friends and family who make special requests. So I'm not worried about recouping my costs. I make all of our household cleaning with the exception of some Dawn dish soap that is mixed with vinegar to make my shower cleaner.

SLSa isn't for everyone, but I am ok with it. I also make a soft-scrub cleanser with castile soap and baking soda. It works well on a lot of things, but it doesn't get off mineral build-up on the underside of the toilet rim. That's where I like using the bath bomb powder, which definitely keeps the build-up at bay.

 

[Savage Daughter]

I don't make my products for sale, other than occasional sales for COG to friends and family who make special requests. So I'm not worried about recouping my costs.

Fair enough, I just thought @ScentimentallyYours might be open to other options

It works well on a lot of things, but it doesn't get off mineral build-up on the underside of the toilet rim. That's where I like using the bath bomb powder, which definitely keeps the build-up at bay.

I agree, which I why I use some other ingredients in mine which seem to handle those minerals / other build up very effectively. I love concocting products of all sorts

I'm on well water in the middle of the bush, and our water gets a lot of mineral deposits in it, especially during the hot summers, so minerals are definitely an issue here. The pot I use for boiling water for tea / coffee every day has to be de-mineralized fairly often because of this. All of my bathroom & kitchen sinks / fixtures also have this issue.

I love the fact that others are making their own home cleaning products Saves money, lessens the amounts of toxic chemicals being manufactured for home cleaning products & can potentially save ourselves & the planet we live on a lot of unnecessary challenges with our health

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Thank you for the wonderful advice @QuasiQuadrant and @AliOop! I need to scrub the bathroom, so I will try the powder as a cleaning solution. I wonder what happens if I drop some in the toilet tank? Would that be a way to get the cleaning solution up higher in the bowl before I use a brush? Might the powder work on the sink or tub? One home made cleanser article I read recommended pouring baking soda and vinegar into drains to clean them, followed by boiling water. Do you think the bath bomb dust might work in a similar fashion?

I don’t sell, but I hate seeing things go to waste if it turns out they can be repurposed. And if it turns out that repurposing the bath bombs gets me to scrub my bathroom, it’s a win-win.

I don’t remember the last time I had an actual bath, but my daughter loves them. I have some colloidal oatmeal that I could blend into the bath bomb powder that might be a nice addition.

I did use SLSa in these bath bombs. Is it possible the cleanser could be used for any other cleaning chores such as laundry, floors, siding, decks? (We really need to power wash our deck and get a waterproof coating on it, but it has rained and rained and rained with no chance for the wood to dry out for the water sealer. )

Bath bombs that I shrink wrapped right away seem to have aged OK. Once the heat comes on, the inside of the house should be dry enough that I can make some fresh bath bombs. I really like seeing them in the tub when my daughter takes a bath, and they make great gifts for grand nieces and nephews.

 

[Savage Daughter]

Thank you for the wonderful advice @QuasiQuadrant and @AliOop! I need to scrub the bathroom, so I will try the powder as a cleaning solution. I wonder what happens if I drop some in the toilet tank? Would that be a way to get the cleaning solution up higher in the bowl before I use a brush? Might the powder work on the sink or tub? One home made cleanser article I read recommended pouring baking soda and vinegar into drains to clean them, followed by boiling water. Do you think the bath bomb dust might work in a similar fashion?

I don’t sell, but I hate seeing things go to waste if it turns out they can be repurposed. And if it turns out that repurposing the bath bombs gets me to scrub my bathroom, it’s a win-win.

I don’t remember the last time I had an actual bath, but my daughter loves them. I have some colloidal oatmeal that I could blend into the bath bomb powder that might be a nice addition.

I did use SLSa in these bath bombs. Is it possible the cleanser could be used for any other cleaning chores such as laundry, floors, siding, decks? (We really need to power wash our deck and get a waterproof coating on it, but it has rained and rained and rained with no chance for the wood to dry out for the water sealer. )

Bath bombs that I shrink wrapped right away seem to have aged OK. Once the heat comes on, the inside of the house should be dry enough that I can make some fresh bath bombs. I really like seeing them in the tub when my daughter takes a bath, and they make great gifts for grand nieces and nephews.

I would definitely test them out for all of the purposes you mentioned. Sometimes we discover some very interesting, useful things that way.

Based on the ingredients normally used in bath bombs, I would say yes, your bath bomb powder could be used for everything you asked about, including in your toilet tank. That said, I would test it our first as I don't know how much SLSA you put in them, and this does cause a foaming action. God forbid should your toilet tank overflow with bubbles as it's refilling Tub, sink, shower, tiles, stovetop, on the tiles around your toilet....why not? The only thing I can think of being an issue in these cases might be the colorant you used, or any fragrances or the SLSA used, in which case I'd avoid things like microwave, anything used in food prep. I assume it's not wise to be ingesting SLSA. Another great reason to use castile soap

I used to do a lot of cleaning with baking soda & vinegar, including clearing out the drains, but now use liquid hydrogen peroxide for this, which I buy in gallon or more jugs which is at least 30% strength. I found the baking soda & vinegar reaction didn't last long enough to clear pipes, whereas hydrogen peroxide at 30%+ will keep doing its thing for quite some time. Pour some in full strength before you go to bed - a good 1 cup of it. Flush with hot water in the morning. Your drains will be super clear. This strength of hydrogen peroxide can feel quite uncomfortable on the skin - pins & needles - and turn it chalky white, but you can simply flush with water. I personally have never used gloves with it, but you could if you want to. Just keep it away from kids & pets.

HP is also used in deck cleaning solution which is sold in hardware stores & is incredibly effective. But I'm sure your bath bomb powder could also work for this. The one thing I would consider for decks is how much / what type of colorant you used in your bath bombs as this could potentially stain your deck, as well as your deck finish if you used fragrance oils, which could have an effect on the stain / sealant. HP is also very effective in laundry as an excellent alternative to bleach.

HP works spectacularly to clean grout between tiles as well. It removes the stains & all of the mold / mildew. Likewise the grunge that builds up around sink taps, shower floors, mold & mildew around windows, mold in modern coffee makers (I'm looking at you Keurig), humidifiers, you name it.

Anyways, we went from bath bombs to cleaning tips but I hope that helps