My friend said to always soak oasis in warm water, not cold

She runs a shop in Charlotte and swore it makes the foam hold stems better. I tried it on a big wedding arch job last weekend and the whole thing sagged after two hours. The warm water made the oasis break down way faster than usual. Now I'm stuck redoing the whole arch the morning of the event. Does warm water actually work for anyone, or should I just stick with cold?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.cameron21d ago

My aunt ran a flower shop for twenty years and always used room temp water, never warm. The foam just needs to be fully wet, not cooked. I feel like people overcomplicate this stuff sometimes. Your arch sagging is proof it's not a one size fits all trick. Maybe it works for her small arrangements in Charlotte but not for big structural stuff. I'd go back to cold water and not risk it again.

kim_hall8020d ago

But what about the foam drying out faster with warm water?

sam_cooper20d ago

Yeah, warm water just turns the foam into mush. I learned that the hard way too, trying to make a big centerpiece that fell apart before dinner even started. It's like the foam gets tired and gives up. What @kim_hall80 said about drying out faster is spot on, it just can't hold up. Your friend's trick might work for a tiny vase in her shop, but for a whole arch? No way. Cold water every time, it soaks in slow and makes the foam actually do its job.