Learn how you can easily remove that annoying white soda ash from your homemade soap bars using a little bit of time and some elbow grease.
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Making homemade soap is one of those hobbies that is both fun and useful.
There are so many different ‘flavors’ of soap that you can make, such as lavender lemonade, orange dreamsicle, or vanilla poundcake.
And then there are all the fancy molds and boxes you can make the soap in.
You can add loofas or lavender petals or vanilla beans. The sky really is the limit!
But what if the soap that you worked so hard to make comes out with a thick white powdery film on it? Here is an easy way to remove that soda ash.
![soda ash on one bar of soap](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-10-1024x768.jpg)
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What is soda ash?
Soda ash forms on a soap bar after the soap has been poured and before the saponification process is complete.
This white powdery substance is a result of the reaction that occurs when lye (sodium hydroxide) in the soap reacts to carbon dioxide in the air.
When the lye and carbon dioxide react, it forms sodium carbonate, which we refer to as soda ash.
Soda ash can form on any area of a soap bar that is exposed to air.
Examples:
If you have a soap mold that covers the soap on all the sides but the top, the top will most likely be the only spot where soda ash will form.
If you are making soap that has multiple layers or swirls, your soap may also form soda ash between the layers and swirls.
![vanilla bean bar soap](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-1-768x1024.jpg)
Is soda ash harmful?
Soda ash is not harmful to you or your skin.
In fact, soda ash on a soap bar is purely an ‘aesthetic’ issue.
If you don’t remove the soda ash, it will actually go away on its own after you use the bar of soap a few times.
The main reason why you might want to remove the soda ash is if you are going to gift the soap to someone.
If you are gifting your homemade soap, you can either remove the soda ash, or just explain to your friend what it is.
Soda ash doesn’t bother you? Don’t worry about removing it!
![soda ash on one bar of soap, none on the other one](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-6.jpg)
How to remove soda ash
scrape it off
Start by putting on some rubber gloves. This is optional but helps prevent fingerprints on your finished soap.
Take a knife and, laying it down at a 45° angle, scrape the knife over the soap bar, peeling off the layer of soda ash.
![scraping the soda ash off of the soap](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-25.jpg)
Do this until all of the soda ash is removed from the soap bar.
If there is still a little bit of soda ash on the soap, you can optionally move on to washing it off.
wash it off
Put a pair of rubber gloves on. Again, this is optional but helps prevent fingerprints on your bar of soap.
Wet a wash cloth and ring out most of the water.
Hold the soap bar firmly in one hand, and with the other hand, start scrubbing the soda ash off of the bar.
![holding a bar of soap that the soda ash needs removed](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-12.jpg)
Keep scrubbing until all of the soda ash is removed.
Using a lint free towel or paper towel, dry the soap off, rubbing any additional soda ash off as you do.
![a bar of soap with the soda ash removed](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-19-903x1024.jpg)
how to prevent soda ash from forming
Removing soda ash is an extra step that would be a lot easier just to skip.
Here are some ideas to help stop soda ash from forming on your next batch of homemade soap.
pour soap at higher temperatures
Soda ash typically forms more readily when you are pouring it at a lower temperature.
Try to pour the soap when it is between 115-120°F to lessen the chances of your soap forming soda ash.
Also, try pouring your soap when it is at medium trace (thin pudding consistency) to help prevent soda ash.
Soda ash forms more readily when you are pouring thinner traces or lots of thin layers and swirls.
![soda ash on soap](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-23-1024x768.jpg)
spray it with isopropyl alcohol
As soon as you are done pouring your soap, spray it generously with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and spray your soap again, very generously, with the isopropyl alcohol.
This will create a barrier between the lye and carbon dioxide, making it harder to react and form soda ash.
![a bunch of bars of soap that have had the soda ash removed](https://harmonymeadowhomestead.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/How-to-Remove-Soda-Ash-From-Homemade-Soap-27.jpg)
cover the soap
Right after you are done pouring your soap, try covering it with a piece of cardboard.
Then place a towel or blanket over the cardboard.
Place the filled soap mold onto a heating pad on medium heat. Leave the heating pad on for about 30 minutes then turn off and leave it there for 24 hours.
use less water
Play around with your homemade soap recipe, or find a recipe that uses 30% or less of water.
Less water in your soap will drastically lower your chances of having soda ash form on your soap.
Make sure you don’t just add less water to your recipe though! Use a recipe that has less water in it or use a soap making calculator.
How to Remove Soda Ash from Homemade Soap
Instructions
Scrape it off
- Start by putting on some rubber gloves, this is optional but helps prevent fingerprints on your finished soap.
- Take a knife and, laying it down at a 45° angle, scrape the knife over the soap bar, peeling off the layer of soda ash.
- Do this until all of the soda ash is removed from the soap bar.
- If there is still a little bit of soda ash on the soap, you can optionally move on to washing it off.
Wash it off
- Put a pair of rubber gloves on, again this is optional but helps prevent fingerprints on your bar of soap.
- Wet a wash cloth and ring out most of the water.
- Hold the soap bar firmly in one hand, and with the other hand, start scrubbing the soda ash off of the bar.
- Keep scrubbing until all of the soda ash is removed.
- Using a lint free towel or paper towel, dry the soap off, rubbing any additional soda ash off as you do.
pin it for later
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