# Pour Lye into water...right?



## crafty86 (May 31, 2011)

Aren't you supposed to pour the water then the lye after...to not make a volcano? Or do I need to read my book again? I could have sworn you pour the lye into the water. Anyways...made soap Saturday and needless to say I was glad I was outside...talk about a volcano....and a lye burn  :cry: gosh! I was like OHHHHH NOO!! Hah and it got super duper hot. Did I miss something? Or do I really need to read the book again?


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## Hazel (May 31, 2011)

You pour the lye into the water. The lye mixture will get hot because of the chemical reaction of combining lye and water.

What book are you reading? Someone mentioned there is a soapmaking book that has a mistake in it and tells people to pour the water into the lye. Big no no. 

I'm sorry you got burned. I hope it's not too bad.


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## soapbuddy (May 31, 2011)

I'm sorry about your burn. Was the water cold? Yes, there is a soapmaking book out there that advocates adding water to lye instead of lye to water. Think of snow on the lake; snow being lye and lake being water.


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## SudsyKat (May 31, 2011)

You've got it right - water first, then add the lye to the water. I'm sorry you had a volcano! Hope you're alright. I wonder what happened to cause that.


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## newbie (May 31, 2011)

I hope you had lots of water handy and didn't get it too badly. You mentioned soaping outside. Could your water have gotten warm? I would think adding lye to warmish water could cause a volcano. Were you in the sun at all?


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## carebear (May 31, 2011)

Somewhat warm shouldn't be a problem. I do 90+ degree water (thats su mer room temp for me) without a problem.


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## HeartToHeart (May 31, 2011)

I put my measured water in the freezer until it has an ice film on top or close to it....Then slowly wisk in the lye... Always mixes right up....


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## Lindy (Jun 1, 2011)

soapbuddy said:
			
		

> ...SNIP... Yes, there is a soapmaking book out there that advocates adding water to lye instead of lye to water. ...SNIP...



That was my first book on soapmaking - fortunately the publisher had inserted a sheet with the correction on it..... 

I'm sorry you were burned, I will be interested to hear more details as well....


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## crafty86 (Jun 1, 2011)

I did add my lye TO my water. And the water was prob tap water cold. So I would say it was cool but not cold nor was it hot. Just like I always do....not sure why this happened but it scared me thats for sure!!!   I usually open my book up...and I did last night and I was right it says add LYE to WATER. Hahah I did it right...I have no clue what happened!  :?


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## IanT (Jun 1, 2011)

just a fun tip to help it dissolve faster too... I always stir up my water so that it makes a mini whirlpool in the container... then slowly pour the lye pellets in... it helps it dissolve a little faster since the water is moving when you pour it in...


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## judymoody (Jun 1, 2011)

IanT said:
			
		

> just a fun tip to help it dissolve faster too... I always stir up my water so that it makes a mini whirlpool in the container... then slowly pour the lye pellets in... it helps it dissolve a little faster since the water is moving when you pour it in...



Neat idea!  I will try it.


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## BeltlineYYC (Jun 14, 2011)

For the record, the book with the bad directions in it is Norma Coney's "The Complete Soapmaker" published by Sterling. I've got a copy right here next to me and the error instructing the reader to add water to the lye is on page 34.

From what I understand, this was corrected in a later edition... but I picked up my copy secondhand so I didn't know about the error until I was reading through the book. Thankfully I had read a few other books before attempting soapmaking with a friend who has been doing this for years, so I never used the bad directions.


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2011)

I hope you don't let the mishap from your first lye experience scare you or stop you from trying again.

1st - Put on gloves and eye protection.
2nd - use COLD distilled water, not tap water. Optional - I sit my lye container in an ice bath (a bowl with ice surrounding the lye container).
3rd - pour your lye in slowly while stirring constantly until disolved. It will heat up (that's normal) and put off dangerous fumes (don't breath them).
4th - Keep a bottle of vinegar near while mixing. If lye should get on you, rinse with water then pour the vinegar on the affected area. The vinegar will neutralize any remaining lye and keep it from saponifying your flesh oils any further.


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## soapbuddy (Jun 14, 2011)

Vinegar and lye will create an exothermic reaction, which means both will get hot. If you get any lye on you, use lots and lots of water, not vinegar.


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## carebear (Jun 14, 2011)

soapbuddy said:
			
		

> Vinegar and lye will create an exothermic reaction, which means both will get hot. If you get any lye on you, use lots and lots of water, not vinegar.


Agreed.  You don't want to exascerbate the damage.
First rule - dilute dilute dilute (aka rinse with lots and lots of water).

Vinegar is great for cleaning surfaces, though.


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## falldowngobump (Jun 14, 2011)

When I first started making soap I read the statement "the snow (lye) falls on the lake (water)" in reference to what gets poured into what. Everybody knows a lake doesn't normally fall on snow.  I always remember that for some reason and have never got confused (although I get confused about other things all the time)


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2011)

So white vinegar does not neutralize lye? Why have I read in books and on the web that it does? Here is one of the articles that says it does.
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapm ... safety.htm

Fortunately, I have never had to find out if it really worked. All this time I was under the impression that it did so thanks for letting me know!


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## Cirafly24 (Jun 14, 2011)

It can neutralize it, but it creates heat while it does...which is no good when it's on your skin, since you could get burned anyway.


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