For example, Marie Browning's Basic Recipe calls for 1 cup baking soda to 3/4 cup citric acid. She gives another recipe that is 1 cup baking soda to 1/2 cup citric acid and 1/4 cup cornstarch.

Hazel's recipe, (the one I'm thinking I'll use since she knows what she's talking about,) calls for 2 cups baking soda to the same 3/4 cup citric acid.

Does the proportion affect the fizzing action substantially? Or the water softening effect of the salts?

Thanks, sara

(I also like Hazel's suggestion of adding a drop of two of scent after they've dried a bit to give them more oomph.)

I think the ones with cornstarch use less citric acid so that the recipe proportion (# made/batch) doesn't get out of hand to make before it stiffens up.

I have also started making "plain" bombs, totally unscented, partly because I had some requests for unscented ones because of allergies-they wanted the fizz effect, not the smell and because I can keep a supply of the unscented ones on hand, & just scent them as needed.

I have stuff in a shop, & some times of the year they sell better than others. In the slow seasons I just take out a few, but when it's busy I need more, with the unscented ones at home I just add the oil to the hardened bomb, let dry well, then put in a small zip top bag & add a topper. Plus if I need say more Rose, I can just scent a few as opposed to dragging everything out to make a few, or be forced to make a batch, which I may not need all of for a couple months.
(disclaimer-this doesn't work well for the darker colored oils, because they stain the surface of the bomb. but on the clear oils, works great. Just make sure they are dry before bagging, otherwise the outgassing will make the package expand or pop open if you use zip top bags. Wanna guess how I found that out?? LOL)

Hazel

I think I'll stick to your recipe and follow your excellent directions!

sara