Is it too hot to make soap?

[Guspuppy]

It's 85F in my no-air conditioning house so I've been putting off trying my Clyde slide for the challenge. I seem to think the soap won't set up/come out of the mold/whatever in this heat (and 83% humidity). Is that true or it just my imagination? I've only made soap since March I think.

If weather does affect soaping, are there any things I can do to mitigate said effects?

Thanks!

 

[kchaystack]

It should be fine. It will likely gel easier, and therefore come out sooner that if it did not.

 

[Guspuppy]

ah! Gel! I could never get a full gel in winter even doing CPOP. Now I'm excited. lol

 

[cmzaha]

It is over that in my house and I am soaping today. Helps me get full gel, now that I am back to gelling my soaps

 

[Arimara]

I just made a soap with 25% hard oils and it's set up within 6 hrs. It's a little cool where I am and I didn't have problems

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Maybe just keep an eye in case it gets too hot but it should be fine.
It's winter over here and daily temperature is no more than 10-15C. I try to warm up the house as best as I can but the soap I made on the weekend only made it to partial gel boo.

I love soaping in warm weather when gel happens really fast.

 

[Guspuppy]

Thanks all! I feel like making soap, now!

 

[KristaY]

I soap in all seasons. If I didn't have climate control I'd use it to my benefit or work around it. If it's too hot and humid and you don't want to gel, make room in your fridge or freezer. If it's too cold, insulate well with towels or blankets, or CPOP. No weather will stop me from soaping! :twisted:

 

[osso]

It will definitely gel easier. I just wish I had the motivation to soap in these temps. Haven't made any in months and just can't get into it if I'm gonna be sweaty and hot. I say go for it, though!

 

[reflection]

It should be fine. It will likely gel easier, and therefore come out sooner that if it did not.

total newb question: does this happen in CPHP too? it's crazy humid here compared to normal weather. thx.

 

[TeresaT]

I agree with what everyone said. I live in Tennessee and don't have air conditioning. (My unit died 3 years ago and I can't afford to replace it.) So my house is hot and humid from April to November. That's my best soaping time. I hardly soaped at all in the winter months. (I've only been doing this a year.) You probably do not need to CPOP to get a full gel and you will probably not need to wrap it in a towel. If you do wrap the mold, definitely keep an eye on it so it doesn't overheat and volcano or separate. Especially if you have any milk or yogurt (or both) in there. Ask me how I know that. I usually keep the window in the curing room open; however, I went in there one day last week and all of the curing soaps were weepy. It was a really humid day (T-storms later that night & next day). I closed the window and that helped. I also keep a ceiling fan on in there all the time. I'm saying this just in case you end up with weepy soaps, you can have an idea of what to do to fix it. Although, I'm sure there are others on the forum with much better advice. I need to get a dehumidifier for that room and set it up so that it will drain out the window constantly instead of needing to be emptied all of the time.

 

[TDS]

At what temperature do you usually let your soap gel? I get a good gel if I keep the soap right at 100-105 for a few hours.

 

[kchaystack]

total newb question: does this happen in CPHP too? it's crazy humid here compared to normal weather. thx.

No, not really. You are adding far more heat from the slow cooker that is available in the environment. The reason it could help gel in CP is that there is more heat in the surrounding air so less heat is dissipated by the soap to come to equilibrium. Look at me remembering some thermodynamics. LOL. That means there is more heat available to push the reaction along.

Humidity is not going to have much of an effect on making the soap, I don't think. You will been to protect your NaOH or KOH better - as it will absorb water from the air, which will lower its effectiveness.

It might have an effect on curing. If the soap does not have good airflow, it will probably take longer to dry. Sure, losing water is not ALL there is to curing soap but it is part of it.

Also salt bars and M&P will sweat worse I am sure.

All of this is stuff I will soon be dealing with after my move to Louisiana. Ugh I might as well walk around in a aqualung. LOL.