# Bummed about my lye explosion



## Raha (May 25, 2010)

Dear Soap Makers,
Today I write for your support. I always try to be so careful when dealing with lye--as I have read a few horror stories. Well, I made a big mistake today...while making my green tea soap, I poured hot green tea in with lye...I feel so horrible for making such a big mistake...the lye bubbled up like a volcano and I stepped back and then the whole glass jug exploded. I am so so so grateful that I didn't get hurt (except for a minor burn on my thumb). I just finished cleaning the minimum and plan in a half hour or so to continue the mass clean up. 
Anyways, thank you for your support and just let me share my frustrations...
Gratefully yours,
Raha


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## rubyslippers (May 25, 2010)

Oh my gosh Raha.   Bad enough to have lye volcano and explode but to have glass flying doubles the nightmare.  So glad you did not suffer severe injuries.


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## Jezzy (May 25, 2010)

Glad you are ok! I have done this too  

A mistake I am sure I won't make again! You live and learn!!


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## honor435 (May 25, 2010)

did you add your tea to the lye? gotta always add lye to liquid. glad your ok, I dont use glass, I use hard plastic container from hardware store, its worked for over 150 batches.


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## loveit_latherit (May 25, 2010)

Thank God you are OK!!!! Throughout every step while making soap you must be careful. It's sometimes difficult because you are thinking of a thousand things not to forget or zoning out because you may have done it so many times. I caught my finger in the stick blender a few weeks ago myself! Please exercise caution throughout the whole process. Good luck to you I know you are probably still rattled!


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## GAJenny (May 25, 2010)

OMG! I would have about peed my pants!  :?  Thats why I havent started with CP yet, I'm a big weenie and I'm worried that something like that will happend. I'm glad you werent hurt badly.


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## Raha (May 25, 2010)

Yeah *sigh* just finished making the batches I started 10+ hours ago. What a loooong day. Thank you all for your kind words and concern--it makes me feel better to hear the words and experiences of other soap makers. Such hard work. I hope the whole world supports handmade soap! 
Grateful,
Raha


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## carebear (May 25, 2010)

oh no!  well you can be the poster child for Lye Rules

- add lye to your liquid
- don't use hot liquid
- NEVER IN GLASS


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## Deda (May 25, 2010)

carebear said:
			
		

> oh no!  well you can be the poster child for Lye Rules
> 
> - add lye to your liquid
> - don't use hot liquid
> - NEVER IN GLASS



Amen.

Glad you're ok.  Scary.


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## Raha (May 25, 2010)

Totally!!! 

(with the exception of adding liquid to lye) Here in Jordan they sell these heavy flakes in the form of lye. I find that pouring liquid to lye actually is better to avoid splashing!)


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## carebear (May 25, 2010)

Raha, that intensifies the reaction and is a very unsafe way to combine the two.  ALWAYS add lye to your liquid.


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## April (May 25, 2010)

I am happy to learn you are well.  I hope your thumb is repairing.

Thank you for sharing your "lessons learned" and reminding all your fellow soapers to stay focused.  

Take good care,


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## Raksava* (May 25, 2010)

oh no, glad you are ok raha!

question though-
i use glass container to mix the small batch lye water, but the size is only about ... 6-8 oz of lye water in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup. is it really THAT unsafe? the only plastic lye container i have is like 100 oz. far too big for those tiny batches.


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## carebear (May 26, 2010)

no glass for lye.  not pyrex, either.  we have seen too many stories of pyrex shattering.  lye is not nice to it and it etches the glass, plus the pyrex these days isn't made like the old stuff and doesn't like sudden shifts in temperature.

I use those tall Ziploc containers with a lid ( http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/Tw ... ame=Medium ) to mix my lye most of the time - sometimes I use a rubbermaid pitcher if I'm working with something that foams way up (cold tea, beer, etc.)


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## Bubbles Galore (May 26, 2010)

Dearie me Raha. So glad you're ok.  :wink:


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## Raha (May 26, 2010)

Thank you all for your well wishes. Carebear, I take your words to heart and will try a different way. My thumb is burnt but it's okay! A lesson well learned. 
Grateful,
Raha


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## gekko62 (May 26, 2010)

Raha said:
			
		

> Totally!!!
> 
> (with the exception of adding liquid to lye) Here in Jordan they sell these heavy flakes in the form of lye. I find that pouring liquid to lye actually is better to avoid splashing!)



Raha,if yr worried about splashing use a spoon & sprinkle the lye closer to the surface. Or tilt the jug slightly & pour flakes down the side.I use a tall 2L (plastic!)jug for lye mixing,even sm amts,don't have probs with splashes,even heavy koh flakes.  Glad yr ok.


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## Tiristia (May 26, 2010)

WOW I feel bad for missing this one . I'm very happy you didn't get hurt bad! The rest of the stuff is just stuff and in the BIG scheme of your life don't really matter that much. But your safety is paramount. 

That includes the safety of your loved ones. I'm always crazy careful because my Leila baby is right under my feet the whole time. So I have to make certain I don't drip anything she might sniff or lick off the floor.

I know I should put the dog gate back up to keep her out of the kitchen but she would sit on the other side and whine or bark at me the whole time.  :cry:


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## zajanatural (May 27, 2010)

Using glass is very dangerous, and you should always pour the lye into the liquid, no matter the size of the lye flakes.  Your glass container experienced thermal shock, which caused it to shatter. I am really glad you were not hurt!  That must have been scary!

Pyrex is also very breakable now, since they sold out and the new company that owns them now uses soda glass instead of borosilicate, which is what the original pyrex products were made it. I would not trust pyrex or any other type of glass with lye. It may not shatter the first few rounds, but the lye will eventually break it down and it will most likely explode.


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## shar40 (May 27, 2010)

How scary is that? I'm so glad you're ok.


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## BonnieKnoxville (Mar 4, 2017)

honor435 said:


> did you add your tea to the lye? gotta always add lye to liquid. glad your ok, I dont use glass, I use hard plastic container from hardware store, its worked for over 150 batches.



We've used a plastic cup and spoon up until tonight. My boyfriend was in the garage mixing the lye, and TWICE it bubbled up and exploded. And then the rest started melting the spoon and the container! I mixed the lye this afternoon with the exact same things. Does anyone know what would cause this? I thought maybe it was the bottom of the lye jug, and more concentrated or something, but it's still about a quarter full. Whaaaaatt..??


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## Soapmaker145 (Mar 4, 2017)

Raha said:


> I find that pouring liquid to lye actually is better to avoid splashing!)



Don't ever do that!  It's like playing with a bomb and hoping it won't go off.  If you add lye to the appropriate amount of liquid, the temperature will come close to boiling.  It is safer to start with cold water (refrigerated) and even some frozen water to help cool it down.  Add the lye in batches and monitor the temperature.  You can let it cool if needed before adding the rest.  Always always wear the right goggles to protect your eyes.

You need a stainless steel container or better yet a polypropylene plastic pitcher (recycling code 5) that is at least 2x the volume of your solution.

So glad you're safe!


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## kchaystack (Mar 4, 2017)

You always add the acid or base to water, NEVER water to and acid or base.

The reason is this:  mixing NaOH or KOH and water is exothermic - it creates ALOT of heat and FAST.  If you add the powder to water, the water can absorb alot of heat before phase change.  But if you pour water over the NaOH or KOH, there all that heat is going to be absorbed into the small amount of water which will boil, and since it is in a small container - it sprays everywhere.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 5, 2017)

Please check out the dates of a thread that pops up again- Bonnie quoted someone who hasn't been on in a while in a thread from 2010. 

I don't think that the OP is around to read this. 

Bonnie, maybe start a new thread and also introduce yourself a bit


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## IrishLass (Mar 5, 2017)

Yep- Necropost Alert- this thread is 7 years old and most of the folks who've posted in it have not visited the forum in several years, including the OP, Raha, who's last visit to the forum was in 2012. I will let the conversation continue, though, since all the answers in the thread given to Raha are a good PSA reminder to all, as I know the answers that will soon be given to BonnieKnoxville will be a good safety reminder as well. 

To BonnieKnoxville- welcome! :wave: What kind of plastic are you using to mix your lye solution in (i.e., what is the recycle code marked on the bottom in the little triangle)? Some plastics are not compatible with lye solutions. The best ones to use have a recycle code of PP#5 or HDPE #2.

For future reference, it is always best to start a new thread when asking a new question instead of posting it in an old thread, because they tend to go unanswered or get lost in the mix. 

I invite you to make your way over the Introduction section of the forum to tell us a little about yourself. 


IrishLass


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