Do you really need to use distilled water for soap making?

[ezeriuke]

Will tap water do the trick or I really need distilled water only???

 

[Overthemoon]

Tap water will work but there will be impurities that will likely float about in your lye mixture. You can strain them out, or just pour it all into the oil.

Distilled or purified water is easier as far as impurities go but it's not necessary.

 

[Cattleyabubbles]

Distilled water

Distilled water is relatively inexpensive, I recommend it otherwise if you know your city/municipal's water quality and/or you have a home filtration system there's nothing preventing you from using tap water. Most just use deionized water for its purity.

 

[carebear]

I use tap water. Mine is very soft. I've heard (and believe) that some minerals can contribute to DOS so it would depend on your water but I believe that for the most part tap is fine. Even when I lived in a hard water area I didn't get floaties from the water, tho I did from any residue on my lye mixing container or spoon (one of the issues with plastic is that it's hard to clean). But the floaters never showed up in my soap so I long ago gave up straining them out.

Distilled actually isn't cheap - not compared to tap, and it's HEAVY. I cannot imagine dragging all those gallons home. No thank you!

I don't know of many soapers using deionized water, tho several do use distilled.

 

[Jody]

I just use tap water run through my Britta.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Don't forget you can use pure and additive-free rainwater. I've used demineralised water, rain water, tap water and spring water. Tap water was allowed to sit overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Rain water made my coconut soap lovely and pink (don't know why). Most of the time, I use the demineralised water but that is about to change to rainwater again. Reason? Free.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Don't forget you can use pure and additive-free rainwater. I've used demineralised water, rain water, tap water and spring water. Tap water was allowed to sit overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Rain water made my coconut soap lovely and pink (don't know why). Most of the time, I use the demineralised water but that is about to change to rainwater again. Reason? Free.

I'm hardly soap-experienced, but at least in this area of the northeastern United States, rainwater falls with a pH averaging 4.3. Our lovely rainwater contains huge amounts of sulfuric acid, which is something I wouldn't want to add to the INCI label...

Even in the best areas, rainfall has a pH of around 5.5 from the natural acids in it. I doubt it's enough to cause a major issue, but let the user beware in this case!

 

[IanT]

>>>THREADS MERGED<<<

REPLY FROM OTHER THREAD:

I think it depends on where you live. I use tap, and have no problems.

Thought you would get more replies here anyway,

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I shall have to test my rainwater PH when I find where the blazes I've put my strips. :wink: I drink the stuff so I hope there is nothing nasty in it. I'm in a clean, country area though, so here's hoping.

 

[Deda]

I used to use only distilled, but for the last year I've used 100% tap. No problems. I still use only distilled in anything else, like lotion or liquid soap.

 

[carebear]

I'm in NJ and I wouldn't use our acid rain for soaping or anything else beyond watering my grass...

 

[mandolyn]

I've always used tap water - no problems.

 

[evatgirl73]

Interesting! I've only used distilled water so far. We have extremely hard water though, so it sounds like it wouldn't be a bad idea to stick with the distilled...