My 100% salt soap bars sweat

[hobbiz]

:shock: They really sweat after the rain. I cure them in my house in carton boxes covered with newspaper (out of mold for 3 days).
Well my soap about 85% Co and with other oils as SF . Any idea?

 

[carebear]

unfortunately that's the nature of salt - it's hygroscopic so it attracts water. so other than running a dehumidifier during the cure period (or finding a drier place to cure them) and then wrapping completely I don't know what else you can do.

 

[hobbiz]

Thanks carebear. However there would no drier place in my house either a dehumidifier . I think wrapping it completely is my only option here for me, but how can it cure (evaporate) when it is wrapped like that?

 

[Woodi]

Did you see my salt bar post from a few days ago? My bars were very wet when stored in the cold basement of my house. I brought them upstairs into the warm sunshine, and where we have woodstove heat. They dried beautifully, with lovely sparkly salt crystals naturally decorating them.

Yours really ought to dry in time, unless you live in a very very very damp environment which never dries out? if you do, I'd seriously suggest buying a dehumidifier. No house should be damp all the time = bad for your lungs too!

 

[hobbiz]

When its raining, I think air in my house is humid, and the raining season is coming . Maybe I chose the wrong time to make salt soap bar ha ha. Maybe I would take those babies into my blanket with me , or pray for less rain as possible

Thanks all.

 

[Jezzy]

I guess I have been really lucky! I have never had a problem with salt bars. I do have them upstairs though. I am having a little problems with the sugar cubes though.

 

[donniej]

It's been my observation that with more than 2% salt at over 50% humidity and the soap will sweat. The sweat is brown, which is the glycerin falling out of the soap.

I have performed no tests to back this up, it's only been my observation...

 

[carebear]

hmmm - mine sweats "water white". pretty sure it actually IS water since it's humid in the room and salt attracts water.

course, my big ole jug of glycerin isn't brown either.

 

[donniej]

I don't know why yours sweats white... it must be absorbing water, as opposed to the glycerin sweating out with the water.

Glycerin that you buy at the store is vacuum distilled, which is why it's clear. When you first extract it from soap it's brown... same for the glycerin byproduct of making biodiesel.

 

[Avalon]

Did you use Dead Sea salt? I found that it tends to sweat much more than other salts.

 

[carebear]

I don't know why yours sweats white... it must be absorbing water, as opposed to the glycerin sweating out with the water.

the hygroscopic nature of salt causes it to draw the moisture from the air. same thing glycerin does, which is why glycerin MP soap sweats.

 

[BakingNana]

Dehumidifer. Wouldn't cure without it. Don't need an expensive one. An inexpensive one works just fine in a small space. Hobbiz...Why do you cover the box the salt bars are in with newspaper? Just curious. I run fans to move the air as much as possible when I'm curing.

 

[hobbiz]

@BakingNana: ha ha, I covered it with newspaper coz the atmosphere around here is quite polluted, dusty I think, and I dont like my soap get dirty after cured for 4 weeks (of course we can shave it a little ).
I used iodized table salts. I heard somebody said dont use this salt, why?
@carebear: agree with you absolutely. Salt acts like glycerin, it draw moisture. Thats why we always covered our salt pot or it will be come very wet after time My salt soaps sweat white too.

 

[carebear]

I've been told not to use iodized salt, but I've found no difference in my applications.

 

[BakingNana]

@BakingNana: ha ha, I covered it with newspaper coz the atmosphere around here is quite polluted, dusty I think, and I dont like my soap get dirty after cured for 4 weeks (of course we can shave it a little ).
I used iodized table salts. I heard somebody said dont use this salt, why?
@carebear: agree with you absolutely. Salt acts like glycerin, it draw moisture. Thats why we always covered our salt pot or it will be come very wet after time My salt soaps sweat white too.

Wow. You really have some environmental challenges! I also have heard advice not to use iodized salts. Chemically I don't know why, but I would guess the extra iodine might add to the crumbly nature? Chemists out there?

 

[serfmunke]

I have sweaty salt bars too! More this season than any other. I put them in the fridge and they are fine. But, when I take them out and wrap them, they sweat again. Typically, I use a type of pastry kraft paper,lightly waxed, the salt bars sweat right through. So, I am trying to wrap them, right out the fridge, with a heavier waxed paper and so far so good.

 

[cmzaha]

I have sweaty salt bars too! More this season than any other. I put them in the fridge and they are fine. But, when I take them out and wrap them, they sweat again. Typically, I use a type of pastry kraft paper,lightly waxed, the salt bars sweat right through. So, I am trying to wrap them, right out the fridge, with a heavier waxed paper and so far so good.

You should start a new thread, this one is very old and I do not see anyone that is still on the forum