I have been making soap for a year in small quantities - this is the 32nd batch (all CP) and they have all hardened within 24-36 hours, at least enough to be unmolded and hold shape. Just plain olive oil etc., nothing fancy like some of the soap I have seen here.
It may be the lye, it may be the weather, it may be me, but my luck seems to be going. I made a batch of CP soap yesterday (silicone mold) which seems very slow to "take" and I am wondering if I could "hurry it up" a little by placing it in the oven at about 100 degrees for a few hours to dry/harden it a bit faster, allowing me to decide if it should be scrapped. This is the most important question for me, as I need to figure out today, if I must start over.
The second question is about sodium hydroxide. My lye crystals are a year old. Does lye absorb water from the air? When buying large quantities of lye -- six pounds only available when I purchased -- should what remains be put into a smaller container as the volume remaining goes down?
Thanks, for listening -- this seems like a forum with knowledgeable soapers.
It may be the lye, it may be the weather, it may be me, but my luck seems to be going. I made a batch of CP soap yesterday (silicone mold) which seems very slow to "take" and I am wondering if I could "hurry it up" a little by placing it in the oven at about 100 degrees for a few hours to dry/harden it a bit faster, allowing me to decide if it should be scrapped. This is the most important question for me, as I need to figure out today, if I must start over.
The second question is about sodium hydroxide. My lye crystals are a year old. Does lye absorb water from the air? When buying large quantities of lye -- six pounds only available when I purchased -- should what remains be put into a smaller container as the volume remaining goes down?
Thanks, for listening -- this seems like a forum with knowledgeable soapers.
