Anybody know why??

[Circle]

Companies/people selling soy wax candles say it is water soluble????? :confused::confused:

[NaturallyTru]

They probably mean that it is easy to clean up with soap and hot water. Personally, I'm not sure I would use the term water soluable, though. Confusing. I'd just say it "Cleans up easily with soap and hot water".

Trudi

[topofmurrayhill]

Yeah, it's just bad terminology. They mean you can clean it up with soap and water. Usually they say that at the same time.

The way to understand it is that soy wax cleans up like any other fat. It's the same as bacon grease.

[katinka]

As opposed to paraffin wax which would be a little bit more difficult.

[Meridith]

While soy wax can be cleaned up with hot soapy water, it is still a wax and should not be poured down the drain; it can clog the pipes.

[Stella1952]

That is a myth perpetuated by folks who never bothered to read the MSDS for soy wax, preferring to spread hype instead. Soy wax is not water soluble (sez the MSDS), but when detergent is added, it emulsifies it enough to wash it away with hot water, same as shortening or any other type of oil, grease or fat. I'm totally with Meridith - I wash as little as possible down the drain because it clogs pipes as readily as the above substances. I prefer to clean up with heat & paper towels, throw-away rags or newspaper. The slight residue remaining usually does not require further cleaning but if it does, hot water with Dawn detergent does a great job.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Stella1952

[lsbennis]

Companies/people selling soy wax candles say it is water soluble????? :confused::confused:

And they also say its healthier, does not soot, burns longer and smells better and will save the environment...its just a classic case of "Green Washing"!

I use both paraffin and soy and quite frankly they both clean up with soap and water, as long as you add an emulsifier it will break it down and clean up any wax. Just Hype! :tiptoe:

[Circle]

Thanks all, I compared it to lamb fat from a roast lamb. Can clean up with soap and water, but definately not water soluble.

[topofmurrayhill]

While soy wax can be cleaned up with hot soapy water, it is still a wax and should not be poured down the drain; it can clog the pipes.

You can call it a wax, but it's good for people to understand that the comparison to fat isn't just an analogy -- it's literally true. Soy wax is the same as the soaping oils you use. In fact it's a great alternative to butters. The higher the MP, the harder the soap.

Now, you might be careful about pouring a lot of higher-MP oil down the drain like melted PKO or cocoa butter or soy flakes, especially if your hot water isn't very hot. You might be careful about bacon grease or duck fat too. But cleaning a greasy pan with soap or detergent isn't a problem.

To ensure the accuracy of this post, I checked the MSDS for PKO, cocoa butter, bacon grease and duck fat.

Edited January 9, 2010 by topofmurrayhill

[Meridith]

You can call it a wax, but it's good for people to understand that the comparison to fat isn't just an analogy -- it's literally true. Soy wax is the same as the soaping oils you use. In fact it's a great alternative to butters. The higher the MP, the harder the soap.

Now, you might be careful about pouring a lot of higher-MP oil down the drain like melted PKO or cocoa butter or soy flakes, especially if your hot water isn't very hot. You might be careful about bacon grease or duck fat too. But cleaning a greasy pan with soap or detergent isn't a problem.

To ensure the accuracy of this post, I checked the MSDS for PKO, cocoa butter, bacon grease and duck fat.

The point is to NOT pour it down the drain. I don't think people need to necessarily understand its actually a fat to understand to not put it down the drain. If they believe its water soluble, they might think its ok to put it down the drain. I've seen it happen. I should have said you should "treat" it like a wax. My bad.

I also know you can soap with it as I'm sure most of us that have been soaping for some time do. In fact, I've used it before. But thanks for pointing that out. I'm sure some of the noobs are impressed with your knowledge.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Meridith

[Stella1952]

And they also say its healthier, does not soot, burns longer and smells better and will save the environment...its just a classic case of "Green Washing"!

You hit the nail on the head! I don't know which offends me more - products that are not ecologically friendly or hype to make people believe the products are *greener*. I think the hype makes me madder because it is out and out deception...

I am very careful not to allow ANY kind of fat to go down my drains - I wipe out the grease from cooking pans before they ever hit the sink. My family knows that NOTHING incurs my wrath quicker than an unwiped, greasy pan filled with water sitting in the sink, with coagulated grease floating on top! Sure, I can add mega amounts of Dawn, but that's NOT the issue - that crap ends up coating the insides of my plumbing pipes. One can clear the clogs, but the plaque that builds up on the insides is there forever unless one rotoroots every drainage pipe in the house all the way to the sewer or septic tank. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially at a plumber's hourly rate! *faint*

[CareBear]

To ensure the accuracy of this post, I checked the MSDS for PKO, cocoa butter, bacon grease and duck fat.

there's an MSDS for bacon grease? LOL!

[topofmurrayhill]

there's an MSDS for bacon grease? LOL!

I suppose there might be an MSDS for lard out there somewhere, but I was just kidding around about a previous post.

[CareBear]

me too, meeeee tooooo!