# First lye accident



## Overthemoon (Mar 9, 2010)

Turns out I did not seal my lye container properly after I last used it. Since I was putting it away in a moving box I didn't wear my gloves. Horrible mistake! The container spilled, on me, my hand while I caught it. Lye got on to a couple of fresh nicks on my hand and after vinegar and lots of water, the cuts are, umm brown.  This is disconcerting.


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## agriffin (Mar 9, 2010)

Overthemoon said:
			
		

> Turns out I did not seal my lye container properly after I last used it. Since I was putting it away in a moving box I didn't wear my gloves. Horrible mistake! The container spilled, on me, my hand while I caught it. Lye got on to a couple of fresh nicks on my hand and after vinegar and lots of water, the cuts are, umm brown.  This is disconcerting.



Hmmm...I've had lye get on my plenty and sometimes burn to a bright pink!  What color is your skin if I might ask... I just haven't heard of cuts turing brown... It might be that's it's burnt.  I'm not sure...hopefully some else will chime in!  I'm so sorry to hear that happened!  

Was it lye crystals or lye already mixed with water?


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## RoseMarie (Mar 9, 2010)

Oh my goodness! Since you already put the vinegar on it and flushed it with water to. I wonder if that silver sulfadiazine cream (SSD) for burns would help it? 
Is it burning?


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## Overthemoon (Mar 9, 2010)

It was permixed. Some how only the cuts were hurt. And my skin is white. Ah... quite light.


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## April (Mar 9, 2010)

Overthemoon:

I am sorry to read this news. I don't know what is best to put on it...polysporin...aloe vera...ice?

I hope you heal quickly.

Take care,

April


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## Overthemoon (Mar 9, 2010)

It doesn't hurt, which is probably not a great sign, but I've burnt myself far worse than this, it'll heal in no time. And I'm left handed so I saved my good hand.


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## April (Mar 9, 2010)

Happy to read this.

I am a leftie too.

Wonder how many soapmakers are lefties....and also own pets

Regards,

April


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## agriffin (Mar 9, 2010)

Overthemoon said:
			
		

> It doesn't hurt, which is probably not a great sign, but I've burnt myself far worse than this, it'll heal in no time. And I'm left handed so I saved my good hand.



Well, I would think that if it doesn't hurt that's a good thing...it means that the lye is all gone/neutralized and not burning any more flesh   

Keep an eye on it!


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## ChrissyB (Mar 9, 2010)

Sorry you were hurt.
Most, if not all, soapmakers, will at some time or another have an accident with the lye, hopefully the majority of those accidents are minor.
So the moral of the story....double check that you've done the container up properly!


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## jadiebugs1 (Mar 9, 2010)

April said:
			
		

> Happy to read this.
> 
> I am a leftie too.
> 
> ...



Me Me Me!!!


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## Zenobiah (Mar 10, 2010)

Hah! I am a leftie and have four kitties!


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## karajan (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear the news. I once for what ever reason which I have absolute no idea, put my hand into my lye solution. I wash them off immediately with water but my skin started to flake the next day!


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## MagiaDellaLuna (Mar 10, 2010)

Overthemoon said:
			
		

> It doesn't hurt, which is probably not a great sign, but I've burnt myself far worse than this, it'll heal in no time. And I'm left handed so I saved my good hand.



Every so often I decide that it is too hot to wear my face shield........last time I had a few drops of lye/raw soap land on my cheek while I was whipping the mix.

After washing it off and applying vinegar there were some nasty and very tender burns, but I applied some Rosehip oil and by the next day it had healed completely.


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## Overthemoon (Mar 10, 2010)

Sadly I have myself a deep chemical burn and no sensation in that area, it wouldn't have been a big deal if I hadn't had a paper cut for it to get into, and eat. Some antiseptic cream and instructions to keep it cover (via dr) it should be all better in a week. 

If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body then only left handed people are in their right minds.

XD


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## MagiaDellaLuna (Mar 10, 2010)

Overthemoon said:
			
		

> Sadly I have myself a deep chemical burn and no sensation in that area, it wouldn't have been a big deal if I hadn't had a paper cut for it to get into, and eat. Some antiseptic cream and instructions to keep it cover (via dr) it should be all better in a week.
> 
> If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body then only left handed people are in their right minds.
> 
> XD



Ouch !!!  Hope it heals soon.

There is nothing like a lye accident to shake us up. I am now possitively OCD about handling lye again, but rather safe than sorry.


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## April (Mar 10, 2010)

Oh so sorry to hear this.  

Yes, Rosehip oil is a miracle worker...after any prescription cream.


Sending you healing vibrations.


April


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## Bubbles Galore (Mar 10, 2010)

Oh dear. Hope it gets better soon.


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## loveit_latherit (Mar 10, 2010)

Oh my Gosh! So sorry to hear this news! How you are well soon!!


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## honor435 (Mar 10, 2010)

sorry to hear that, could you try lavender oil? it was discovered by a chemist and he had a chemical burn and used lavender and had no scarring! I used it w a carrier on a sunburn that was blistering(dumb), and it was gone the next day, i smelled stinky! i dont like the smell of lavender.


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## Overthemoon (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I do feel like a schmuck. 

Because of the depth of the burn, I'm sticking to an antibiotic/ antiseptic cream. Once it's closed I'll be using aloe and lavender. The usual rule for burn is to keep them open to air but since this is on the inside of my palm and rather open, I am on orders to keep it covered.

Note so self, don't even pack lye containers without gloves.

That and I'll stick with lye crystals rather than premix. I am just glad that no animals or other people were around.


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## lngrid (Mar 22, 2010)

I read on another thread about your first batch after this accident. I'm glad your hand healed. I hope you have feeling in those spots again.

I use the granules and something weird happened. I measure my lye in a plastic container on a plastic scale I place at the back of my stove-top because that's directly under my range hood fan. This time I ran short of lye so I placed the container holding the lye I had measured directly onto the metal stove-top for stability and toddled off to the hardware store to get more. I also left the range hood fan running for extra ventilation. When I got back I put the container back onto the scale, opened the new jar of lye and slowly began to pour it in. I saw the tiniest of the granules flying OUT of the container in random directions! I wear glasses, so I bent down to the level of the stove and watched them pour out of the jar then fly away from the container, as if repelled by an opposite electrostatic charge! I finished the pour because I was in the safest place in my home for working with lye, but the tiny granules were all over my stove. Everywhere. Even beneath the burner pans. I set everything carefully aside, took apart the whole top of my stove and washed it with vinegar.

Has anyone had that happen? I'm not afraid of lye but I don't like it escaping supervision like that. What do you think happened and what can I do to prevent it in the future? I have noticed that my lye cakes up a bit after opening. Could that be part of it? I'm boggled by this one.


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## MagiaDellaLuna (Mar 22, 2010)

lngrid said:
			
		

> Has anyone had that happen? I'm not afraid of lye but I don't like it escaping supervision like that. What do you think happened and what can I do to prevent it in the future? I have noticed that my lye cakes up a bit after opening. Could that be part of it? I'm boggled by this one.



Plastic container + lye = static (quite often, but not always)
I have found that this occurs more often when the air is dry rather than humid.

Wipe the OUTSIDE of the lye container with fabric softener before opening.


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## Overthemoon (Mar 22, 2010)

I have had that happen. I now don't measure my lye until right when I am about to use it so it doesn't sit around outside of it's jar.

And thanks by hand is doing pretty well, the patches are rising so it may all heal without crevasses, which is great.


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## MagiaDellaLuna (Mar 22, 2010)

Overthemoon said:
			
		

> I have had that happen. I now don't measure my lye until right when I am about to use it so it doesn't sit around outside of it's jar.
> 
> And thanks by hand is doing pretty well, the patches are rising so it may all heal without crevasses, which is great.



Robyn, if the infection has cleared up and you are no longer using the ointment, Rosehip oil will help the tissue regenerate. I got some teeny splashes of raw soap on my cheek not too long ago. Fortunately the skin was not broken but the spots burned like mad. Rosehip oil sorted it in less than a day and there is absolutely no trace of the burns.


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## loveit_latherit (Mar 22, 2010)

Glad you are doing better with your burn Robyn! I was just thinking about you yesterday and was wondering how you were. Good luck to a lye free incident future


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## Overthemoon (Mar 22, 2010)

Thank you both. I'm going to pick up rosehip oil on my next day off. Right now I am using aloe vera.


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## carebear (Mar 22, 2010)

MagiaDellaLuna said:
			
		

> lngrid said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


also, giving the container (closed tightly!!!) a hard, sharp rap with the handle of a knife or some such thing will help dispel it as well.


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## lngrid (Mar 22, 2010)

Thanks, MagiaDellaLuna, Overthemoon and Carebear the wonderful tips. You guys are the reason I have the signature I do. And I love how supportive SMF is. The only reason I haven't been posting here is because I'm addicted to soaping. OMG! I've been soaping in tiny batches, but my house is still filled with more soap than I can give away. I've made dish soap and laundry soap, too. 

I know someone out there is cackling in recognition of a kindred soul. *giggle*


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## Ceri (Mar 22, 2010)

Hi Overthemoon, I hope your burn heals well and  quickly..poor you.

Leaping back a page, I too am left handed and have a pet (my tortie & white cat named Elfin)  must be something in the water...


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## evatgirl73 (Mar 22, 2010)

Overhtemoon, I am so sorry and glad you're healing... wishing you continued fast healing!!!! Scary!

I measure my lye in a plastic container, and wiping the container I'm pouring into (inside) with a dryer sheet helps tremendously. Some days are worse than others, I'll have to try wiping the outside of the lye container as well!


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## Overthemoon (Mar 22, 2010)

Thanks Cera and evatgirl73. Alway check the jar before you carry it anywhere. This was the only time it wasn't properly sealed for me, and it mattered.


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## djk17 (Mar 23, 2010)

glad you're healing well Overthemoon!

last month I got raw soap in my eye (tapped the mould on the counter--gently--and a big gob flew out of the mould and landed straight in the eye.  Weird thing is I'm usually anal about eye protection when handling lye, but somehow in my head the process is already completed when in the mould.  So my glasses were off.  Never again, I tell you.  Fortunately I had excellent emergency care here and there's no permanent damage.  But it's terribly scary! 

and BTW I am left-handed and have a cat...spooky...


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## Overthemoon (Mar 23, 2010)

That's frightening. I where glasses so I supposed I always have a minimum of eye protection. Very minimum but still.

Lefties will inheret the Earth with our cats as the supreme masters.


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## April (Mar 23, 2010)

Left handed, four cats or should I say "four masters".


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## notapantsday (Oct 26, 2015)

I'm digging out this old thread because there's one thing I'm interested in and I have never really figured it out:

If you get a little splash of lye on your (uncovered) arm, face or anywhere else without noticing - does it hurt? Is there any way to notice it without looking for discoloration of the skin or other signs?

I'm always wearing long gloves and safety goggles and I have worked with lye and other dangerous chemicals long before starting to make soap, but I never really had an accident. And I'm often a bit paranoid when I have a tiny itch on my cheek that maybe somehow, a little drop of lye jumped out of the container and onto my cheek.


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## Misschief (Oct 26, 2015)

notapantsday said:


> I'm digging out this old thread because there's one thing I'm interested in and I have never really figured it out:
> 
> If you get a little splash of lye on your (uncovered) arm, face or anywhere else without noticing - does it hurt? Is there any way to notice it without looking for discoloration of the skin or other signs?



I've had droplets on my skin and you can certainly feel it; it burns but it's not  painful per se. You will definitely know it if you get it on your skin. I get frustrated with rubber gloves so I don't always remember to put them on; I am very careful, though; no overly enthusiastic stirring. I certainly wouldn't want to get it in or near my eyes, that's for sure. And whenever I do get it on my skin, I immediately rinse with cool water.


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## lenarenee (Oct 26, 2015)

From my experience, one or a few tiny droplets of lye/water solution on the skin itches or sting....just enough to get noticed and make me do a quick water rinse off. But my lye concentration is usually about 30%.

So far, any emulsified or traced batter splashes have been very small, and I see them, rinse very very well under running water (oil sticks to skin better).

The worst lye incident, was from forgetting gloves, my hands were wet, and I touched the bottle of lye crystals directly - that felt like getting cut by a razor blade...it was sharp and instant. Quickly ran my hand under running water for a full minute, and there was no sign of any damage.

When I soap, I often get weird little itchy sensations. Most I suspect are just from my mind constantly evaluating every little sensation and wondering if there's lye on me. When in doubt, I rinse!


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## notapantsday (Oct 26, 2015)

lenarenee said:


> When I soap, I often get weird little itchy sensations. Most I suspect are just from my mind constantly evaluating every little sensation and wondering if there's lye on me.



Same here. It's like when I'm in bed and I hear a mosquito, every other second I think it has just landed on my skin even though it's probably just sitting on the wall, waiting for me to finally stop flailing my arms and fall asleep.

What I've learned is that Lye loses a lot of its danger if you immediately rinse it off with lots of water. But of course you have to notice... Seems like you do, at least from your experience.


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## cgpeanut (Oct 26, 2015)

Overthemoon said:


> Turns out I did not seal my lye container properly after I last used it. Since I was putting it away in a moving box I didn't wear my gloves. Horrible mistake! The container spilled, on me, my hand while I caught it. Lye got on to a couple of fresh nicks on my hand and after vinegar and lots of water, the cuts are, umm brown.  This is disconcerting.




No vinegar!!!!!!  only running cold water and lots of it.


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## notapantsday (Oct 26, 2015)

That's what I learned as well. Don't know where that vinegar idea originated, I've never seen it in any MSDS.


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## Dharlee (Oct 26, 2015)

I wondered about the vinegar. A while back I saw a post from the BB blog where someone had said they'd had a lye accident with a child. The child reached up when the mom turned her back for a second and the lye water fell on him. He was hurt quite a bit but thankfully got better. His eyes were what they worried about most. The EMT knew the woman when he got there and said next time to use vinegar. I guess the reasoning was that the acid would nullify the base in his mind. I bought a jug of vinegar and thankfully never had to use it but since then have heard some folks say not to use it. I guess the ones who say no are correct then? Thank you!


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## notapantsday (Oct 26, 2015)

Well, there's word of mouth and then there are official safety data sheets like this one:

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924998

The idea of vinegar neutralizing the lye isn't directly wrong, but it's a too complicated solution to a simple problem.

If someone is on fire, you could of course get some ice cubes to neutralize the heat of the fire. Because cold is the opposite of hot. Makes sense, right? Well, it's the same with the lye and the vinegar. Technically correct, but too complicated to be a good solution.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with water, it works fine on its own. As soon as you dilute the lye, it becomes harmless and that's what water does - without causing any damage (as long as it's neither ice cold nor scalding hot).

EMTs often have a ton of practical experience and very good training when it comes to the most common emergencies. But a lye accident doesn't happen all that often and even then, most of the time nobody calls an ambulance. Many EMTs have never actually seen a lye accident. All they can refer to is theoretical knowledge that they may have picked up somewhere during their training - or word of mouth. Even most doctors have little experience with this. That's why large chemical factories have their own EMTs and sometimes doctors who are specifically trained for these accidents. For everyone else, there are material safety data sheets so they can read up on what to do.


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## snappyllama (Oct 26, 2015)

Vinegar does indeed neutralize lye quickly. That reaction also produces A LOT of heat. So if you use vinegar on a lye burn, you stand a very good chance of also thermally burning yourself in addition to the chemical damage you already have. As the other folks posted, there is a reason MSDS always say to rinse with water. Just use cool running water...

Now, you can use a bit of vinegar water on your counter top or floor if you get a spill there. Maybe that's where the confusion comes in? Or maybe it was that scene in Fight Club that really cemented the wrong idea? Either way, the poster you mentioned was irresponsible on two points: 1. Letting a child get anywhere near soap making 2. Not reading the MSDS for a chemical she is using. Not going back and rereading it after an accident is really reprehensible. 

Sorry if that's harsh, but I have no patience for people who endanger children through any means including ignorance.


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## Dharlee (Oct 27, 2015)

You're right. I won't let anyone near my lye solution or raw soap when I do it. And yes, I myself should have read that. I am off to read that post that notapantsday posted now. I guess I have been irresponsible not to do so myself. I don't think pets should be near either. I know my dog would probably lap first, and cry second. Nothing is worth that.


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## shunt2011 (Oct 27, 2015)

I don't allow my husband or dog in the kitchen when I'm making soap.  Too many distractions=disaster in one way or another.


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## Spice (Oct 27, 2015)

cgpeanut said:


> No vinegar!!!!!!  only running cold water and lots of it.





notapantsday said:


> That's what I learned as well. Don't know where that vinegar idea originated, I've never seen it in any MSDS.



I never use vinegar either to rinse lye, water works as well. I once did an experiment, no I did not put lye on myself, but what I did was used vinegar, when I had to wash my utensils out and the one container that had my soap batter, I was able to wash it out better. It seem as if it diluted the oils and lye. could be just me too.:crazy:


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## BWsoaps (Nov 1, 2015)

This has happened to me, I've been cleaning my mixing bowls out with no gloves and the next day my hands where dry and my cuts where so sore. Lye is bad but not that bad, I would compare it too bleach really, and I've had bleach on my hands more than I care to remember, Hope your ok anyway


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## mymy (Nov 2, 2015)

I've been soaping like a plain warrior.  No gloves, no apron, no goggles. (i have them all but kinda lazy to put on). Just need to be extra careful and I always use long  stick to stir the lye solution.


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## gigisiguenza (Nov 2, 2015)

mymy said:


> I've been soaping like a plain warrior.  No gloves, no apron, no goggles. (i have them all but kinda lazy to put on). Just need to be extra careful and I always use long  stick to stir the lye solution.



I can't imagine soaping without goggles. All it would take is one small splash or a barely distinguishable splatter to hit the eye and you could have permanent damage. I can see how some, after years of experience, could feel fairly confident that they can go without gloves, but I still don't think it's safe to do so. No matter how confident a person is, an accident can happen, and gloves provide a measure of protection, so I'll always want to wear gloves. And considering how sensitive my skin is, who needs yet another thing to make it itch?


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## mymy (Nov 2, 2015)

Gigi, me too have super-sensitive skin.  I just don't like to wear 'em all. The SB is always at the bottom of the pot when I'm running it.  Slowly.  Haha


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## Cactuslily (Nov 2, 2015)

Speaking of gloves, does anyone know of really small ones? My hands are freakishly small, and they all feel so awkward and floppy on me. When I was a RN, they had to stock extra small sterile gloves for me, but that's really expensive for soaping.


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## kchaystack (Nov 2, 2015)

Cactuslily said:


> Speaking of gloves, does anyone know of really small ones? My hands are freakishly small, and they all feel so awkward and floppy on me. When I was a RN, they had to stock extra small sterile gloves for me, but that's really expensive for soaping.



Here are some I found on Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0W94TM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 box of 100 lasted me almost 8 months.


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## cgpeanut (Nov 3, 2015)

mymy said:


> Gigi, me too have super-sensitive skin.  I just don't like to wear 'em all. The SB is always at the bottom of the pot when I'm running it.  Slowly.  Haha



You can try to rationalize it all you want.  Safety first. IMO you are being reckless.  What you do in your own soaping room is your business but to come on this board and flaunt your lack of safety is not "cool" in my book.


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## mymy (Nov 3, 2015)

Relax, I know it's not right at all.  I'm not stressing people to not use proper personal protective equipments. I'm just stating that I'm being uncomfortable to wear them. My major is in Occupational Safety and Health and I've witnessed extreme damage compared to lye accident.  It's just my preference.


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## Saintlysoaper (Nov 4, 2015)

mymy said:


> Relax, I know it's not right at all.  I'm not stressing people to not use proper personal protective equipments. I'm just stating that I'm being uncomfortable to wear them. My major is in Occupational Safety and Health and I've witnessed extreme damage compared to lye accident.  It's just my preference.



I have to say mymy PLEASE at least wear the goggles.  I had my accident a few months ago now while I was hand stirring some freshly mixed HP soap batter.  I had taken off my goggles to leave the room but for some reason I just went back to move the batter to check it wasn't sticking at the bottom.  What happened next made no sense and I would never have expected it but a blob of batter flew up and went straight into my eye.   I was in the emergency department till gone midnight and trust me having your eye flushed with a full litre of saline burns like hell!  That was after I had flushed it thoroughly with water at home because they were struggling to get the pH of my eye back to normal. Then I had to attend the eye clinic the next morning as the dye they used showed damage on the surface of my eye.

Eventually it all healed up okay, but honestly, the panic  I went through and the shame I felt for being so blasé and stupid was not fun:sad:

Just wear the goggles if nothing else ( but the other bits would be good too!)


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## cmzaha (Nov 4, 2015)

While I do always wear gloves, I do not wear goggles but do wear glasses, maybe that is not great, but better than nothing, I just cannot tolerate goggles over glasses. I do not wear long sleeves or aprons or enclosed shoes. Like mymy stated it is my preference and I am not telling people they should or should not suit up, it is personal preference. If I have an accident it is solely my responsibility or irresponsibility and will have to deal with the results. As for gloves I find them totally useless if they do not fit properly. The only time I spilled lye was when I was wearing a pair of nitrile gloves that I use for dishes. Now I will only wear the medical nitrile gloves since they fit tight. I also know safety guidelines well and what happens when they are not followed. We had a couple of employees lose finger tips because they refused to use the supplied safety equipment when using saws. As the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink."


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## notapantsday (Nov 5, 2015)

If you don't like goggles over glasses, a face shield might be another alternative. You can get them for about $15 on Amazon.


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## mymy (Nov 5, 2015)

Saintlysoaper - sorry to hear about your lye accident. Like Carolyn, I always have my spectacles on, just not goggles though. Gloves are also occasionally worn. I just make sure that I do all of the processes beside a water source like a sink. I'm not encouraging others to follow my steps, wearing PPE is always the best.


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## seven (Nov 6, 2015)

Like shunt2011 i also like to be alone in my soaping room. I found it hard to concentrate if someone is there asking me what i'm making this and that. I got my 1st lye volcano a few days back. Dunno what i was thinking, i put honey in stinking hot lye solution. As soon as i started mixing, it bubbled up


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## shunt2011 (Nov 6, 2015)

I'm going to be another rebel, I soap like Carolyn.  The only time I've ever had a soaping issues is wearing gloves.  I didn't know I had soap on the side of a glove and I rubbed my itchy nose, next thing I knew it was itching more and I ended up with a  burn between my nostrils and the tip of my nose.  It was quite the look for awhile.  I am extremely careful. I do wear gloves and my glasses.  I can stand goggles or a shield as they steam up and are extremely hampering of my process.

Safety is important, however, sometimes the safety items can actually cause more issues.


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## Saponista (Nov 6, 2015)

@cactuslily I have exactly the same problem. I can't grip anything properly and had to have extra small nitrile gloves at work. I found chemical resistant gloves on eBay and they sell them in actual glove sizes. I bought size sevens as I didn't want them too tight but they went down to a size six I think. They are great as they are really thick and they go quite far up your arms.


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## Punkin2x74 (Nov 10, 2015)

I spent a few months soapping without gloves because the 6 or 7 boxes I originally purchased didn't fit right and I kept having issues not being able to grip properly and actually droping utensils and such. I also couldn't feel anything and I accidentally whiped batter on my cheek just under my eye, I wear script glasses and it's the only thing that saved me from wiping my whole eye.  I finally gave up and decided I would be careful and keep looking.  I bought another two boxes and finally found some that fit nice and are sensative enough I can tell when I have batter on them.  While I got batter on my hand w/o them I didn't feel burning but I did notice the extreme dryness so it's why I kept trudging on finding properly fitting gloves.  I did reorder another 1000ct. Of them so I didn't have to search for awhile.


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