Cleaning the dishes is something we have to do all year round, regardless of the weather.
During other seasons of the year, you may not have to pay close attention to the quality of the soap you use. As long as it gets the job done and it isn’t harmful to your skin, you’re good to go.
However, when the season’s change and winter comes, you may regret having not taken a close look at the cleaning detergent.
Before investing in your next bottle of dishwashing soap, you may want to know whether it is winter-friendly or not.
Does Dish Soap Freeze?
It is essential to understand that all liquids freeze. Less viscous fluids freeze faster, while those that are heavily viscous have a lower freezing point. One of the critical ingredients that manufacturers use in the production of dish soap is water.
Water is among the liquids that freeze fastest. It has a freezing point of 32°F. During the cold seasons, most water that is exposed freezes. As long as the water does not have any impurities added to it, it will freeze as it normally does.
Science has proven that pollutants increase the boiling point of water. The opposite is true, if you add solvents to water and try to freeze it.
The solution will take much longer before it solidifies into ice. The other ingredients used in soap-making lower the freezing point of this fluid.
Water has a high freezing point, but as soon as you add impurities to it, they influence how slowly the end product will turn into ice. Because water has a higher freezing point, and liquid soap is water-based, it is inevitable for it to freeze.
So if you use liquid dish soap to clean your cutlery, and the temperature drops to 32°F or lower, the soap will freeze.
You may not get to use the soap at these temperatures because the soap dispenser will freeze. You won’t manage to press the dispenser effortlessly because as soon as it freezes, it won’t budge.
At What Temperature Does Dish Soap Freeze?
Water is the primary solvent used in the production of liquid soap. Other ingredients that manufacturers use are lye and carrier oils.
Lye has a freezing point of -0.004°F, while oils typically freeze at -13°F. Water, on the other hand, freezes at 32°F.
When you combine these ingredients to create soap, the chemical reaction that takes place to create a cohesive fluid will affect the freezing points of each liquid used in the detergent production.
Research shows that most liquid soap brands freeze at 12°F.
So, if you live in the North pole, or anywhere where the temperature drops to extremely low levels, you will have to find an alternative for liquid dish soap.
How To Store Dish Soap
Considering that dish soap can freeze, storing it appropriately to serve you for longer is essential.
- Keep it in an enclosed area when you are not using it. Leaving it in the open air allows the air to freeze the container, consequently freezing the soap.
- Place it on a padded spot to keep it from absorbing cold from the surfaces. Science indicates that the floor, among other cold surfaces, absorbs heat from a warmer object than themselves. In frigid temperatures, your soap can freeze if left on concrete surfaces for too long.
- Keep the container closed to stop the cold air from mingling with your soap. While it may take some time before the soap freezes, leaving it open allows the moisture to escape, making the soap more viscous.
Conclusion
Water freezes at 32°F, but the freezing point lowers when you add impurities into it. How fast this fluid freeze depends on the type of pollutants you add to it. They have to be soluble for this to work.
Dish soap has water and other liquids in it, which is why it is prone to freezing. And while each of its ingredients has varying freezing points, they merge to create a new one.
If you store your soap dish in a cold environment or you live in an area that’s prone to extreme cold climatic conditions, it will freeze. So, ensure you store it in a warm area to keep it in liquid form.
