High humidity, lye and static electricity

[chibilightangel]

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it's summer. I've had higher than normal humidity (nothing unusual for part of the time in the summer) and I'm finding it harder to measure out my lye in these conditions. Higher humidity = more static electricity (since the water in the air makes the air more conductive) so all those lovely lye crystals are having a grand old time of jumping around everywhere and getting out of my measuring cup and onto my counter.

I've tried rubbing a dryer sheet over my lye container and around the outside of my measuring cup with no change in behaviour. With lower humidity, I never end up with lye on the counter and last night I had to wipe down twice while soaping (not just at the end like normal) and run the vacuum cleaner after measuring lye.

Does anyone have any tricks to dealing with higher humidity and reducing static in your lye crystals?

 

[agriffin]

Okay, I could be totally crazy. I live in Texas and have the high humidity issues. I get 2lb lye containers. Before I open them, I give them a heavy hard quick shake. LOL.

Now, is this coincidence that it has been helping with the static or...

I'm not sure. But it helps me (at least in my head unless you try it and say it helps you also).

 

[krissy]

i always shake my containers before i open them and i never have issues with static. i live in Atlanta and it gets pretty humid here.

 

[agriffin]

i always shake my containers before i open them and i never have issues with static. i live in Atlanta and it gets pretty humid here.

WHEW! Okay, so it's not just me... LOL

 

[chibilightangel]

Hmm, I'll have to try the shaking... I could swear I shook the container some between the two batches last night. I also keep my container in a plastic (like heavier than ziplock.. it came shipped that way) bag as that way I worry less about possible lye crystals that might cling to the bottle accidentally burning me or someone else.

 

[JackiK]

You learn the darndest tricks on this forum. It never occurred to me to shake the jar (I, too, get mine in 2 lb. plastic containers). We've been unusually dry here in South Texas - a 50 year drought. Will have to keep that trick in my bag for later on.

 

[turbo]

I use waxed paper to measure my lye. Folded in half then into the tray on the scale. If a little clings to the paper, it just goes into the garbage. No cup to wash lye out of. Try rubbing the dryer sheet on the inside of the measuring cup next time.


Mike

 

[busymakinsoap!]

I wonder if plastic containers cause static beads? I never had an issue when I used to buy smaller quantities and poured straight from the lye container into a glass measuring jug.

Now I have a large bucket of lye, and I scoop from bucket to plastic jug and then pour and measure into another plastic jug (confused?) and my beads cling like crazy to the plastic and jump all over the counter.

 

[kelleyaynn]

Humidity actually decreases most static electrical discharges. Water does not make air more conductive - air doesn't conduct electricity, and static electricity doesn't "flow" like the current electricity that powers our electrical devices. Static electricity discharges result from touching objects, or huge differences in positive and negative charges that are near each other, and electrons are transferred from one to the other.

That said, lye is notoriously attracted to water, and will absorb it readily. So in more humid environments, the lye will absorb more water. Static charges can build up on water drops (as in thunderstorm clouds), but that is due to extreme turbulence between the drops. I don't know if the lye crystals absorbing more water because of the humidity, then getting charged due to the crystals rubbing against each other while being poured explains why people often experience more flying lye crystals when it is humid or not. But that would be my best guess in this case. Of course, something else could be going on too. I haven't been able to find a good scientific explanation in my searches yet.

 

[brnicholas]

I order lye from two different suppliers and both come up to 36 pounds in 2 pound, air tight, plastic containers that can be resealed. I never need to open more than twice so they are always fresh. I shake before using.

 

[LoriG]

Lye jumping around

Brand new here...just made my first batch of cold process and had this exact experience...crystals jumping out of the container as I went to pour it. Shook the container before I started. Any thoughts on how to avoid for my next batch?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Hello - there is a more recent thread than this regarding static and lye. I'd check that out as it is active and this thread is 5 years old. Spoiler alert - they suggested using dryer sheets [emoji106]