Does anyone else obsess about clarity of the lye mixture?

[Iris from Oaxaca]

Hello..just wondering if anyone else has had any problems getting a perfectly clear lye mixture... I always seem to notice a bit of cloudiness and to avoid lye bits in the finished soap I've actually started sieving the lye mixture before adding it to the oils. I worry about removing some lye (some crystals do get trapped in the cheesecloth)...is this just obsessive perfectionistic behavior or am I the only one that can't get the lye to dissolve properly?

 

[soapbuddy]

My lye water gets clear after stirring for about a minute. How pure is your lye? Do you wash the lye pitcher out with soap and water after you're done? If you do, that could be why.

 

[carebear]

it's possible your lye is dissolving just fine, but residue in your container or mixing spoon may be causing your water to stay cloudy. happens to me!

i'm pretty relaxed about that. I stir until I'm pretty confident all the crystals are gone and then I walk away. Stir again in a few minutes then let it be.

 

[LadyM]

Mine is slightly cloudy, and I often get the floaty bits on top - but more often when my lye is on the older side.
I read somewhere that the bits incorporate in when you mix and don't remain in your bars so
I've never strained them or had any issue.

I'll try to find that info. and post it!

 

[SudsyKat]

I'm new, but for what it's worth, I've never worried about it - it's sometimes slightly cloudy, but it has not caused any issues thus far.

 

[Iris from Oaxaca]

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate the imput.

 

[Bubbly Buddha]

Do you wash the lye pitcher out with soap and water after you're done? If you do, that could be why.

The lye mixture I use becomes clear within a minute or so of stirring. All I do to clean the pitcher is to rinse it out with vinegar and water. One time I did use soap and I found the next time I mixed lye in it, it seemed to have some oily residue on the top.

 

[dubnica]

wow...I did not know that. Thanks for the tip.