Stand off between me and Soap paste

[DeeAnna]

You shouldn't need the chemical analysis of the water if your "very well respected soap maker" really knew her stuff. Distilled water and spring water are not remotely the same things.

Water that comes from springs, wells, lakes, and rivers will always contain "hard water" ions. These ions, principally magnesium and calcium, react with potassium or sodium soaps to form insoluble calcium and magnesium soaps. These insoluble soaps are what we call "hard water scum", and they will cause cloudiness in LS if one uses this kind of water for making liquid soap.

The only types of water that will have zero or very low levels of dissolved minerals are distilled, deionized, and reverse osmosis water, as well as water collected directly from the air -- rainwater being a prime example.

Softened water is another possibility for liquid soapmaking, because some amount of the hard-water ions have been replaced by sodium ions in softened water. Whether softened water will work or not depends on how "soft" the water is -- in other words, how low the concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions are in the softened water.

If the "expert" you are following is actually using softened water, then her terminology is incorrect and misleading, because soft water is by definition not "spring" water. Since you have mentioned you also follow Failor, you can confirm my advice by referring to her Making Natural Liquid Soaps, copyright 2000, page 10.

 

[CarolinePJCoram]

xxxx

 

[Susie]

I use filtered tap water. I was using our well water until we got "city" water. But my filter specifically filters out "hard water ions, chlorine, flouride..."

And don't feel bad, it would never have occurred to me that it was your water, either. But now we have all learned a valuable lesson.

 

[Saponista]

What sort of filter do you have susie?

 

[CarolinePJCoram]

Thanks so much Susie. It has been a bit of a trial! Glad to have it sorted now. Yes, would be interesting to know which filter you use. Wonder if there is something like it here.

 

[Susie]

I use Pur filters. The one that hooks right onto the faucet. I was using one that sent a testing gadget with it, but Walmart quit carrying them here. I still use that tester, though to see if the water has too many ppm of anything.

If you make soap commercially, you probably use distilled water fast enough to avoid having to dispose of it after 72 hours. I don't. And they don't sell distilled water here in bottles smaller than one gallon. I hate throwing it away. I had to come up with a plan B.

 

[Saponista]

We are moving up the country and are used to the lovely soft water of the south west UK, so I am looking at solutions which might give us the soft water we are used to.

 

[Susie]

You do have my sympathy. I love our soft water. Here is their website, maybe they have them "over the pond" there.

http://www.purwater.com/

 

[DeeAnna]

I've used the Pur brand filters too, probably for 10-15 years now. We have a shallow well, and I don't trust it at certain times of the year. I think the Pur brand is pretty reputable.

Susie -- I buy distilled water in gallon jugs, but I don't dispose of my distilled water after using from the jug. I never pour anything back into the distilled water container -- once the water leaves the jug, it goes into soap or lotion or into a flower pot. I try to keep the container capped at all times unless I'm actually pouring from it.

There is nothing in distilled water to support microbial growth if you take reasonable care to prevent contamination, and there's nothing to add minerals back into this water, so it should be fine to store and use distilled water until it's gone with a bit of care. I use the same distilled water for my lotions, but I also use the "heat and hold" method to sanitize my ingredients, including my water. I really think it's pretty safe -- just something to think about...

 

[shunt2011]

I do the same with my distilled water. I don't throw it away. Just use precautions and keep it capped.

 

[Saponista]

Thank you, I will have a look at the link and see if they do them over here.

 

[Susie]

In nursing, we were taught to dispose of all wound care liquids that do not contain preservatives(sterile water, normal saline, etc) 72 hours after opening. I often wondered if that was necessary in the real world, but I am not sure I can break that mindset. I still date and time any bottle of water I open.roblem:

 

[DeeAnna]

I can respect that, Susie -- I doubt I'd want someone washing my wound with "second hand" liquids!