Teach Soap

Hi there!
I am new to CP soap making. The weather is quite humid with upto 90% during hot summer. How do I cure the soaps in this weather. It is not possible to run ac at all the time also!! Anyone suggest me an alternative to ac please!!

Welcome!
Can you put them in a separate room with a dehumidifier?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I live in a similar climate and my cure time doubles in the summer even with AC. Dehumidifiers can get pricey for an entire room, so can you maybe dedicate a smaller space, like a closet, as a cure room? The smaller the space, the easier and cheaper it should be to control the climate. A good fan and dehumidifier might get you by with 8 weeks of cure time.

Irena, I have a dumb question - would a refrigerator be helpful in this situation or would it just invite condensation and more problems?

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Jennifer
Doing my best to blow up my kitchen. In style!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thank you for your reply!!

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I have heard of people using dessicants - like those little packets of beads you get in a purse or shoes.

I have also heard of people using food dehydrators.

Are you talking about silica gel bags? dessicants ??

Yes, silica gel packs. I had forgotten that word!

What quantity of soap are you making? That would really determine what solution would be best for you.

Where do you live? I live in the Southeastern US and we have 100% humidity during the summer.

I live in India. South of india where its humid 24*7. and in summer the humidity is almost 95%. and its really hot. I can dedicate a place like a small shelf for curing my soaps and gelling. I usually do CP soaps and do with 1000 - 1200 gms of oils by weight.

I don't know the availability of dehumidifiers in India, but you can get a better idea of what to look for if you check some of the units at this link:

http://www.top10bestdehumidifiers.com/? ... AgnA8P8HAQ

Since you aren't able to run your AC 24/7, you'll probably need to get a unit for a larger space or you'll be emptying the reservoir all the time.

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Jennifer
Doing my best to blow up my kitchen. In style!

Thanks for your reply Jennifer.!!

Thanks, Screeash, for starting this wonderful thread. Our temps can be similar to yours, same humidity. Lucky we have cool breezes off Antarctica. I live about 200 yards from the Atlantic Ocean down in Uruguay, near the tip of Brazil. Almost nobody has A/C here. Our house in the woods has no electricity (pending solar & wind turbine installation).

My only option is to soap in autumn & winter, when I can burn the fireplace for heat, which always dries out the air in our wood house. I keep the soaps upstairs around the central chimney & a nice floor fan rotating on them all the time.

The pharmacy & others here have just had to learn to buy soap "in season," like we have fruits & veggies...

Loved reading all the wonderful advice on this thread. Way to go, soapers!