# Quick question about master batching lye



## gigisiguenza (Aug 23, 2015)

So, I've finally got an empty laundry detergent bottle I can use and I have a question or two...

1) I've rinsed this bottle within an inch of its life but I can still smell the fragrance of the detergent in it. Should I rinse it with something else or is it ok as is?

2) Do I make this 1:1 ratio batch in the laundry bottle itself, or do I make it in a separate pitcher and, once cooled, pour it into the laundry detergent bottle?

3) Are there any major important things that I need to be aware of regarding storing this bottle of frightening liquid? I already have an HDPE #2 bucket from Home Depot that inland on sitting the master batch bottle o' death in, so that in the event of any leakage from the laundry bottle, it will simply collect in the lye safe bucket and not do something hideous, like eat thru my cabinet bottom or a shelf or the party's core etc.

4) how much is a safe volume of this solution to store?

Ok, I've run out of questions for now lol. I'm a worrier, sorry, and I research the flaming heck outta things that might be dangerous before I do them.

TIA


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 23, 2015)

I rinsed mine with apple vinegar and hot water. Was then a slight vinegar smell but I rinsed it after with a lot of water. 

The 1:1 solution will get hot. Stupidly hot - for a long time. I am glad I didn't do it in the plastic bottle.


----------



## DeeAnna (Aug 23, 2015)

Also if your bottle is opaque, you can't always tell if the lye has completely dissolved. You might not think too much about it, but when you're making a 50% concentration, you are pushing the limits of solubility, so the lye doesn't dissolve as easily as when you use a lower concentration. Someone wrote about having that very problem some months ago and the lower-than-expected lye concentration caused problems with her soap not saponifying properly. Not to mention the unpleasant surprise when chunks of lye that fell out unexpectedly when the lye container was almost empty.


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 23, 2015)

No do not make it right in the bottle, as EG stated it will get extremely hot, plus you cannot properly stir the lye and will have a lot of undissolved lye. It takes quite a lot of stirring to get a 50/50 solution dissolved. I use hdpe buckets, Rubbermaid pitchers also stand up to the heat, for mixing my master batch 50/50 and transfer to the jug after it is cooled. This I do in the sink for obvious reasons. LOL, DeeAnna must have been typing at the same time!! Please store it out of the way if you have kidlets around. Mine all have childproof caps but I do not trust it so my bottles are stored outside on my service porch, keeping them out of reach of the grandkidlets


----------



## DeeAnna (Aug 23, 2015)

You also asked how much is a safe volume to store. My answer is however much you feel comfortable with. I've worked in chemical plants that had huge tanks of the stuff. In my home, it would be whatever volume I could store safely and use up in a reasonable amount of time.


----------



## IrishLass (Aug 23, 2015)

As with the others, I mix my 50/50 solution in a separate pitcher (made of PP#5). I let it cool down first before pouring it in my HDPE laundry bottle. I weigh everything beforehand, too- the empty pitcher and cover, etc.... That way, when I take my 'after' weights, I can add back in any water that may have evaporated when I was mixing the solution. Usually, I get a water loss of 6 to 9 grams that needs to be added back in. I mix my lye out in my garage, which right now is very hot (100F +). I had a water loss of 9 grams when I made my latest master-batch a week ago or so. I add the water back in as soon as I weigh my solution just after mixing it.

Lye in solution lasts a very long time if properly covered/stored, so mix up however much of an amount you desire and/or feel comfortable/safe with having around in your house. In my slow times when I'm not making a lot of soap, I mix up enough for 7 or 8 batches at a time, but right now, when I'm getting ready for Christmas gifting, I make up enough for 16 to 24 batches at a time.


IrishLass


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 23, 2015)

TEG - I will use the cider vinegar. Ty 
DeeAnna - I hadn't considered that. I'll err on the side of when in doubt, round up on water round down on lye in my weighing to be safe 
cmzaha - the heat here is triple digits regularly, so storing it outside on my patio or in the patio storage closet isn't going to be safe I think. I plan on putting the laundry bottle, once filled, into an HDPE bucket and sticking the bucket under the kitchen sink where it should be cool and safe. I don't have kids at home and my roommate knows my soap tools and supplies can be dangerous, so she leaves them be. 
IrishLass - I hadn't considered evaporation. I'll be sure to weigh my container before and after filling, so I can know if I've got to add back some water after mixing. Is there an issue with evaporation over time with storage after it's cooled?

Ty guys for the help


----------



## LittleCrazyWolf (Aug 23, 2015)

Gigi, I'm so happy that you posted this! I usually masterbatch enough lye solution for 4-5 batches which is the most I make in a day but I'm gearing up for holidays also and have been comtemplating masterbatching a larger amount. I would love to not have to sit around waiting for my lye to cool. 

Also, I love your signature. I laugh every time I read it.


----------



## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

IL, this thread - espec. DeeAnna's comment about the fact that you are full saturation at 50% - made me realize how important it was to check for evaporation at that level, even if the evaporation is just a little bit.  It also made me think that when I masterbatch I will probably just do it at my regular 33% lye solution ratio so that (a) I don't have to do any math to reconstitute (yay!) and (b) can worry a little less about saturation/lye crystal formation that I am not seeing.  I don't vary from that ratio that much, I'd rather just mix up the lye liquid individually for a given batch when I do.

I'm sure that this has been asked and answered before, but since you guys are here, do you think it would be OK to MB lye liquid using aloe instead of water w/o ill effect, as long as I use it in a month or so?


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 23, 2015)

I master-batch it with aloe at times and it is fine, although I do not master-batch with fresh aloe only the juice from Walmart. My ratio is 50/50


----------



## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

Thanks, Carolyn, that's what I use and exactly what I wanted to know.


----------



## girlishcharm2004 (Aug 23, 2015)

not_ally said:


> do you think it would be OK to MB lye liquid using aloe instead of water w/o ill effect, as long as I use it in a month or so?



I, personally, don't see the problem with it.  I doubt the lye would let any microbes grow in the aloe.


----------



## IrishLass (Aug 24, 2015)

gigisiguenza said:


> Is there an issue with evaporation over time with storage after it's cooled?


 
Speaking only for myself, I've never had an issue with evaporation in my master-batch once cooled and in storage.

To make sure of this, I'm in the habit of weighing my container after I make each batch of soap, and writing the weight and date on a piece of tape that I stick on the bottle. The next time I go to soap, I first weigh my container to see if the current weight matches what I wrote on the tape after making my last batch, and so far, for as long as I've been master-batching my lye, it has always matched.  


IrishLass


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

LittleCrazyWolf said:


> Gigi, I'm so happy that you posted this! I usually masterbatch enough lye solution for 4-5 batches which is the most I make in a day but I'm gearing up for holidays also and have been comtemplating masterbatching a larger amount. I would love to not have to sit around waiting for my lye to cool.
> 
> Also, I love your signature. I laugh every time I read it.



CrazyWolf - I never see signatures in the tapatalk app (which I use for the forum), so I forgot they are there - I had to go look at my signature to remember what it was LOL


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> IL, this thread - espec. DeeAnna's comment about the fact that you are full saturation at 50% - made me realize how important it was to check for evaporation at that level, even if the evaporation is just a little bit.  It also made me think that when I masterbatch I will probably just do it at my regular 33% lye solution ratio so that (a) I don't have to do any math to reconstitute (yay!) and (b) can worry a little less about saturation/lye crystal formation that I am not seeing.  I don't vary from that ratio that much, I'd rather just mix up the lye liquid individually for a given batch when I do.
> 
> I'm sure that this has been asked and answered before, but since you guys are here, do you think it would be OK to MB lye liquid using aloe instead of water w/o ill effect, as long as I use it in a month or so?



Ally - I've been debating the 33% solution since it was first mentioned in the original discussion on the other thread. I understand how to use the 50% solution, but how would I enter the 33% solution in soapcalc if I decided to use a 33% solution for my MB and on all my future batches? 

TIA for the help


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> Speaking only for myself, I've never had an issue with evaporation in my master-batch once cooled and in storage.
> 
> To make sure of this, I'm in the habit of weighing my container after I make each batch of soap, and writing the weight and date on a piece of tape that I stick on the bottle. The next time I go to soap, I first weigh my container to see if the current weight matches what I wrote on the tape after making my last batch, and so far, for as long as I've been master-batching my lye, it has always matched.
> 
> ...



IrishLash - that's a good plan and I will use it myself for any MB I make. Ty for the help and suggestion


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Yow ask ... How would you enter the 33% solution?
> 
> You don't. Make your recipe just as if you were using solid lye. For 50% liquid, then multiply the solid lye weight times 100/50 or by 2. For 33% solution, multiply the solid lye weight times 100/33 or 3.3333.



Huh?? LOL. That was Greek to me, sorry. 

I understood using the 50% solution because it was a simple matter of 
soapcalc water amount 
- lye amount 
= amount of additional water need to add to lye solution to make the correct amount to make the proper solution for the recipe.

Example: soapcalc says
14.59 oz water
5.31 oz lye
If using a 50% solution I would subtract 
15.36
- 5.31
= 9.28 oz of additional water needed for the batch

So how would that work with a 33% solution? Would I just soap at 33% and set the soapcalc to 33% so it gives me the proper amount?

ETA when I use the recipe above and the amounts listed, following your instructions, I get 
5.31
x 3.333
= 17.699823

What do I do with the resulting 17.699? Do I subtract the solid lye amount from that to tell me how much additional water?
17.699
- 5.31
= 17.168

?

I'm sorry if this is confusing, I'm trying to understand, honest 

G


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

We must have been typing at the same time LOL

Let me 're read your post and translate it in my head to make sense... I'm working on it here on paper


----------



## DeeAnna (Aug 24, 2015)

I deleted my post, Gigi. I don't think I'm the right person to help you with this problem. I'm sorry for the confusion.


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

Gigi, you just mix up a regular batch of 33% lye solution, like you would normally for each batch, just a much bigger amount (enough to get safely in/out of your master batch container.)  So when you go to use it, you don't have to add any extra water - or any water at all - just put the called-for amount of 33% lye liquid straight  into your oils (thus avoiding the math!) 

Does that make sense?  The 50/50 is good for people who MB and want to be able to use it in batches that will have different lye concentrations ratios, ie; they might use 30% one time for a slower tracing mix, 33% for the medium tracing mix the next time, 38% for a faster one the next time.  That ratio lets them do the math on changing the water addition in each one more easily.   They will almost always have a calculation to do b/c *no one* uses lye at 50% (or almost no one), it is just too high.

I almost always use 33% so keeping the math simple is not important, doing this would let me mix up a big batch of my regular mix of lye and aloe and pour it straight in w/o having to mix/wait to cool each time.


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> I deleted my post, Gigi. I don't think I'm the right person to help you with this problem. I'm sorry for the confusion.



DeeAnna - I think I got it tho! LOL. Only question I had left was in your post you listed "100/33 or 3.3333". When I divide 100 by 33, it is 3.0303, not 3.3333. Which is the correct one to use?

Tyvm for trying to help me grasp this, really do appreciate it.


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Gigi, you just mix up a regular batch of 33% lye solution, like you would normally for each batch, just a much bigger amount (enough to safely in/out of your master batch container.)  So when you go to use it, you don't have to add any extra water - or any water at all - just put it straight  into your oils (thus avoiding the math!)
> 
> Does that make sense?  The 50/50 is good for people who MB and want to be able to use it in batches that will have different lye concentrations ratios, ie; they might use 30% one time for a slower tracing mix, 33% for the medium tracing mix the next time, 38% for a faster one the next time.  That ratio lets them do the math on changing the water addition in each one more easily.   They will almost always have a calculation to do b/c *no one* uses lye at 50% (or almost no one), it is just too high.
> 
> I almost always use 33% so keeping the math simple is not important, doing this would let me mix up a big batch of my regular mix of lye and water and pour it straight in w/o having to mix/wait each time.



Ally - ahhh ok I get what you're saying now  

This raises a question tho...

1) when you run your recipe through soapcalc, how do you determine how much to use? I know I can set the soapcalc to concentration strength by entering 33 in the appropriate box. If the amount indicated in soapcalc (when I click calculate), is that the amount of the 33% solution I need to use?

2) my question with DeeAnna was how to do what you mentioned above - once create a specific solution strength for the MB, how to determine the amount MB solution needed and the amount of additional water to add to that MB amt to have the correct amount for the recipe if you run it through soapcalc in default mode. It was the way she explained the formula that I didn't get. I worked it out on paper and created a formula, so now it makes sense, but I am still a wee bit foggy regarding one of the numbers she referenced.


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

gigisiguenza said:


> 1) when you run your recipe through soapcalc, how do you determine how much to use? I know I can set the soapcalc to concentration strength by entering 33 in the appropriate box. If the amount indicated in soapcalc (when I click calculate), is that the amount of the 33% solution I need to use?



Yes, exactly.  Just make sure you are using the "lye concentration" option rather than the water/lye or water/oil ones.  That will be amount of the MB solution you need, the advantage of MB'ing at your normal ratio is that you just get to grab your jug, measure it out, and pour it in rather than mixing lye, water, and waiting for it to cool.  Also, you don't have to figure out formulas, since you already have a big jug of 33% lye liquid standing by and the calc. will tell you how much of it to use to saponify that particular batch size/mix of oils.


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Yes, exactly.  Just make sure you are using the "lye concentration" option rather than the water/lye or water/oil ones.  That will be amount of the MB solution you need, the advantage of MB'ing at your normal ratio is that you just get to grab your jug, measure it out, and pour it in rather than mixing lye, water, and waiting for it to cool.  Also, you don't have to figure out formulas, since you already have a big jug of 33% lye liquid standing by and the calc. will tell you how much of it to use.



Ally - that might just be the solution I'm looking for. I don't mind having to do the math for the stronger 50% solution, but it would be really nice to just be able to grab and pour. I can deal with the medium trace time that might result from the slightly stronger than actually called for solution. If it becomes an issue on a specific recipe, then I'll know I need to go the individual lye batch route for that particular recipe. 

Tyvm for the help


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

Gigi, just to make sure, if your MB is a 33% lye solution ratio, and you have typed 33% *into* the lye concentration box, what the calc. will give you *is* the called-for amount.  Ie; it shouldn't create an issue unless that % is too high or low for you w/r/t how you want that soap to behave (makes it trace too quickly or slowly, mottles, or presents some other issue associated w/lye concentration/amount of water.)  

If there is an issue like that, you would want to take a stab at a higher/lower concentration, put that into the calc., then *that* would be the called-for amount, and you would mix that seperately rather than using your MB liquid.  I hope this makes sense, I am not good at talking about math-related things, the whole right-brain dominant thing kicks in.


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Gigi, just to make sure, if your MB is a 33% lye solution ratio, and you have typed 33% *into* the lye concentration box, what the calc. will give you *is* the called-for amount.  Ie; it shouldn't create an issue unless that % is too high or low for you w/r/t how you want that soap to behave (makes it trace too quickly or slowly, mottles, or presents some other issue associated w/lye concentration/amount of water.)
> 
> If there is an issue like that, you would want to take a stab at a higher/lower concentration, put that into the calc., then *that* would be the called-for amount, and you would mix that seperately rather than using your MB liquid.  I hope this makes sense, I am not good at talking about math-related things, the whole right-brain dominant thing kicks in.



Ally - I'm not a huge fan of elaborate math either LOL. And yes, I understood what you were saying  Ty


----------



## DeeAnna (Aug 24, 2015)

A solution that is 1 part lye to 2 parts water is actually 33.33333333% lye concentration if you say it as a percentage. 

The ratio of 100/33 (in my deleted post) is more correctly written 100/33.3333333 which equals 3.333333. I was trying to simplify too much and ended up making it more complicated than it really is. 

I'm returning to lurk mode ... let's go back to the others' much better explanations....


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

D, you should never lurk, we all depend on you too much.  Sometimes I think seriously right-brained people like me find really simple explanations better because the math is literally like a brick wall that stops us from going forward.  Although yours have never stopped me, they are just enough of a mix of right/left that they kind of inspire me to keep trudging on, which is a good and satisfying/rewarding thing, in the end.  I am really good at understanding certain other things v. quickly, but when I finally understand something that is hard for me, it makes me feel so much smarter and better, which is a little sad.   

You know, I am good at biology related stuff, sometimes even chemistry, it is just math.  Then, the wall.  That is what makes me nervous about trying to explain this stuff, I am afraid that I am doing it wrong and causing someone else to make mistakes.


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Gigi, just to make sure, if your MB is a 33% lye solution ratio, and you have typed 33% *into* the lye concentration box, what the calc. will give you *is* the called-for amount.  Ie; it shouldn't create an issue unless that % is too high or low for you w/r/t how you want that soap to behave (makes it trace too quickly or slowly, mottles, or presents some other issue associated w/lye concentration/amount of water.)
> 
> If there is an issue like that, you would want to take a stab at a higher/lower concentration, put that into the calc., then *that* would be the called-for amount, and you would mix that seperately rather than using your MB liquid.  I hope this makes sense, I am not good at talking about math-related things, the whole right-brain dominant thing kicks in.


My brain might not be working today, or maybe I am just being a dummy. You mentioned in soap calc to put in 33% Lye concentration box to get the correct number for the 33% lye solution. I do assume you are now adding the liquid number + the lye requirement together to come up with your total lye solution needed? 50/50 is sooooo easy to use


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 24, 2015)

^^^^^ very much this. I would think that a 33% solution makes the maths in to a nightmare! But adding the lye weight to the water weight with the strength setting at 33% should well do it. I just would have to check the numbers each and every time.


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

Ugh, I knew I was going to explain it wrong.  What I was planning to do - and trying to explain - was just mixing up a big old jug of 33% lye concentration solution to use in every batch, as is, without having to use it for a different lye concentration batch at some later point.

If I chose to use a different concentration for another batch, I would just use a calc to figure out the numbers on the new concentration and not use the existing MB/try to do the additional calculation and add water to make it work, I would just make a seperate small individual batch of lye liquid that I would know - from the calc - that would work.  

I know that is kind of silly, it is more work than using the MB liquid and doing the math, but I HATE MATH!!  And am really bad at it.  To the extent that I would rather make a whole new little batch of lye liquid that requires a different lye concentration.

I really hope this makes sense, I am a bit despairing about my ability to ever properly describe this stuff.


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Ugh, I knew I was going to explain it wrong.  What I was planning to do - and trying to explain - was just mixing up a big old jug of 33% lye concentration solution to use in every batch, as is, without having to use it for a different lye concentration batch at some later point.
> 
> If I chose to use a different concentration for another batch, I would just use a calc to figure out the numbers on the new concentration and not use the existing MB/try to do the additional calculation and add water to make it work, I would just make a seperate small individual batch of lye liquid that I would know - from the calc - that would work.
> 
> ...


Sorry I am just not wrapping the brain around this. The only way I find the 33% lye solution works in soap calc is to add the lye amount and liquid amount to get the total needed. How do you do it. That is how I get the numbers to work and match what the Sage calculator comes up with and Soapmaker


----------



## IrishLass (Aug 24, 2015)

Carolyn- that is how I would do it, too, if I worked from a 33% master-batch solution. I would just type 33% in the lye-concentration box on SoapCalc, add the weights of the lye and water together that it gives me on the view/print page, and whatever sum I ended up with would be how much of my master-batch 33% solution I would weigh out for my batch. 

However, if you are working from a 33% master-batch and you decide you want to make a batch of soap using a different lye concentration, then my best advice would be to tell you get DeeAnna on the hotline......or else don't work from a 33% solution master-batch. lol I'm afraid my head is not savvy enough to grasp the math it would take to try and figure out how to convert 33% over to a different concentration. That's why I work from a 50% master-batch...the math for converting that over to a different concentration is as simple as a pimple as they say. 


IrishLass


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 24, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> Carolyn- that is how I would do it, too, if I worked from a 33% master-batch solution. I would just type 33% in the lye-concentration box on SoapCalc, add the weights of the lye and water together that it gives me on the view/print page, and whatever sum I ended up with would be how much of my master-batch 33% solution I would weigh out for my batch.
> 
> However, if you are working from a 33% master-batch and you decide you want to make a batch of soap using a different lye concentration, then my best advice would be to tell you get DeeAnna on the hotline......or else don't work from a 33% solution master-batch. lol I'm afraid my head is not savvy enough to grasp the math it would take to try and figure out how to convert 33% over to a different concentration. That's why I work from a 50% master-batch...the math for converting that over to a different concentration is as simple as a pimple as they say.
> 
> ...


Yes, you would do it like I would. From reading a previous post it was looking like not_ally was using the lye figure as her as her total liquid. But of course I could have easily read it wrong. My 50/50 is so easy to use


----------



## not_ally (Aug 24, 2015)

OMG, you are right.  I just skipped the adding the water part to get to the regular 33% mix, I just assumed it which was um, not bright on my part.  So Gigi, I hope Carolyn, IL and EG made it clearer than I did?  I am going to have to never answer math posts, sorry.

ETA:  I am still embarrassed, my cheeks are burning a little.


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

not_ally said:


> OMG, you are right.  I just skipped the adding the water part to get to the regular 33% mix, I just assumed it which was um, not bright on my part.  So Gigi, I hope Carolyn, IL and EG made it clearer than I did?  I am going to have to never answer math posts, sorry.
> 
> ETA:  I am still embarrassed, my cheeks are burning a little.



LOL Ally you're fine lady  
And believe it or not I did get the formula DeeAnna was explaining. Wrote it down and practiced it even. When I get home from work later I'll post it, it's not hard once it's a formula


----------



## gigisiguenza (Aug 24, 2015)

Tyvm everyone for trying so hard to help me. You all rock


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 14, 2016)

So now we are all comfortable with the maths (and yes, there is an S on the end  ) I have a question about bottles again - I have some distilled water bottles that are "2's" - I know this is okay for mixing in, but how would we feel about long term storage?  As I have them anyway (I would be buying distilled water) and it does away with the chore of getting the laundry bottle clean enough for use I was thinking they would be good - plus the size is quite handy and even with my extended family trying to remember the laundry bottles, we aren't getting through it as quickly as would be needed for a handy supply.

What are your thoughts, oh collective of soaper-troopers?


----------



## shunt2011 (Jan 14, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> So now we are all comfortable with the maths (and yes, there is an S on the end  ) I have a question about bottles again - I have some distilled water bottles that are "2's" - I know this is okay for mixing in, but how would we feel about long term storage? As I have them anyway (I would be buying distilled water) and it does away with the chore of getting the laundry bottle clean enough for use I was thinking they would be good - plus the size is quite handy and even with my extended family trying to remember the laundry bottles, we aren't getting through it as quickly as would be needed for a handy supply.
> 
> What are your thoughts, oh collective of soaper-troopers?


 
I'm curious as well as someone just recently stated they mix their lye in the lye bottles from ED.  They are #2 but I'm too wondering if they would work to store it.   Curious minds want to know..


----------



## topofmurrayhill (Jan 14, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> So now we are all comfortable with the maths (and yes, there is an S on the end  ) I have a question about bottles again - I have some distilled water bottles that are "2's" - I know this is okay for mixing in, but how would we feel about long term storage?  As I have them anyway (I would be buying distilled water) and it does away with the chore of getting the laundry bottle clean enough for use I was thinking they would be good - plus the size is quite handy and even with my extended family trying to remember the laundry bottles, we aren't getting through it as quickly as would be needed for a handy supply.
> 
> What are your thoughts, oh collective of soaper-troopers?



When you say distilled water, I think of the gallon jugs I get at the supermarket. Even though they are okay in terms of the plastic, the ones I get seem rather thin-walled. I would lean towards something sturdier. Also, mine don't have secure lids. But maybe your distilled water bottles are better than mine.


----------



## penelopejane (Jan 14, 2016)

My DH has worked as an industrial chemist and says you have to use a bottle with HDPE under the number. The best bottles would be the ones the lye prolly came in. With a laundry bottle (if it is HDPE) be really careful when pouring it so it doesn't dribble down the side like laundry detergent does!


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 15, 2016)

Here is an example -


----------



## IrishLass (Jan 15, 2016)

Gent- although it's hard to tell from a picture (it would be so much better if the pic had feel-a-vision, lol), but your bottle _seems_ to look much sturdier than the #2 water bottles that are used here in the states. Ours are pretty thin-walled, as TOM said. The HDPE #2 bottles that hold my laundry detergent are much sturdier/thicker-walled than our typical water bottles. 

Are you able to compare the thickness of your water bottle to a #2 detergent bottle?


IrishLass


----------



## topofmurrayhill (Jan 15, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Here is an example -



Nice. Looks like a useful bottle if it's sturdy.


----------



## Susie (Jan 15, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> What are your thoughts, oh collective of soaper-troopers?



Now I am singing Super Trouper!  Shame on you!  But I am going to share the misery!

Super Trouper
By ABBA
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
I was sick and tired of everything
When I called you last night from Glasgow
All I do is eat and sleep and sing
Wishing every show was the last show
(Wishing every show was the last show)
So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming
(Glad to hear you're coming)
Suddenly I feel all right
(And suddenly it's gonna be)
And it's gonna be so different
When I'm on the stage tonight
Tonight the
Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Smiling, having fun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Feeling like a number one
Tonight the
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Like I always do
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
Facing twenty thousand of your friends
How can anyone be so lonely
Part of a success that never ends
Still I'm thinking about you only
(Still I'm thinking about you only)
There are moments when I think I'm going crazy
(Think I'm going crazy)
But it's gonna be alright
(You'll soon be changing everything)
Everything will be so different
When I'm on the stage tonight
Tonight the
Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Smiling, having fun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Feeling like a number one
Tonight the
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Like I always do
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
So I'll be there when you arrive
The sight of you will prove to me I'm still alive
And when you take me in your arms
And hold me tight
I know it's gonna mean so much tonight
Tonight the
Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Smiling, having fun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Feeling like a number one
Tonight the
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Like I always do
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
Tonight the
Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Smiling, having fun
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Feeling like a number one
Tonight the
Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
Like I always do
(Sup-p-per Troup-p-per)
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you
Songwriters: ANDERSSON, BENNY GORAN BROR / ULVAEUS, BJOERN K.
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
For non-commercial use only.


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 15, 2016)

Like a soap-a-per, troop-a-per...........


----------

