How can you avoid inhaling Lye fumes?

[DeeAnna]

...wouldnt the vapour still escape when you take off the cover?...

Not really. Once the lye solution cools a bit, the mist no longer forms and there's nothing that wants to escape.

Think about a cup of hot coffee or tea -- at first you can see mist rising in curls from the cup, but after awhile, the mist stops. Same thing with hot lye solution. It only takes 10-15 minutes for the mist to stop.

After the mist stops forming, you still want to keep the lye solution covered but at this point, the need for a cover is not to control mist escaping to harm a person. It's about minimizing the loss of purity as NaOH reacts with carbon dioxide in the air and reducing how much water vapor the lye solution is able to absorb from open air.

Most soap makers don't realize the concentrated lye solution we use for making soap will generally absorb water from the air and thus will gradually increase in volume. We're used to plain water which behaves exactly the opposite. The only time a soap maker's lye solution would lose water to evaporation and decrease in volume is in a place like the deep desert where the relative humidity is super low.

 

[Yael]

For the first time ever, I made soap without ice! And for the first time, I was hit in the face with fumes. I was shocked. Use ice for at least 1/2 of your water- zero fumes. I will never again soap without ice.

 

[TheGecko]

Don’t stand over the bowl while mix. I have a small fan that I sit on the counter that blows the fumes away from me. You can also freeze half of your liquid and it will cut down on fumes.

 

[Soaplizard]

I mix my lye water near an open window while wearing my goggles and mask. I also look away just in case.

 

[Lindy Lou]

I froze my water solid with my recent batch and no fumes that I could tell, kept my face turned anyway. On a sidenotem, It was great that the lye water only went to 100 degrees when I checked. I was making room temp bastile so no higher temps needed to melt a lot of hard oils.

For the first time ever, I made soap without ice! And for the first time, I was hit in the face with fumes. I was shocked. Use ice for at least 1/2 of your water- zero fumes. I will never again soap without ice.

Me too, I really seemed to notice no fumes with my recent batch..

 

[sophiayun]

I agree with using ice, keeps down fumes to nothing..

I use iced water all the time to avoid coughing too! It's so easy now to use sodium hydroxide now.
Temp doesn't drop that low anyway, iced water is recommended

 

[Sunibee]

Hi

How can you avoid inhaling Lye fumes while making CP soaps? It’s impossible for me to avoid inhaling lye even doing it outdoor. I could still smell chemical.

I place the container in my balcony. And leave it there till it cools down and use ice cubes .be it dm water or any other liquid

 

[Kamahido]

I use an ice bath to keep the temperatures down.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I have asthma so I wear a mask while I am mixing it.

 

[Ford]

Have someone else mix it for you.

 

[Vicki C]

Ice in water. Too much ice is annoying you can end up with chunks of lye that are a pain to break up. That’s my experience anyway.

 

[user 49910]

If you are mixing the lye solution outside, just be very careful bringing back into the kitchen area so it is not spilled on anything.
Fortunately I have a outside venting range hood with a strong suction to it and yet I still mix the solution at arms length directly under the fan inlet.
Once one gets a whiff of lye fumes... it's an unforgettable experience.

 

[MLSB]

When I mix my lye with my aloe Vera juice I always mix under my hood vent on my stove. I run the fan until my lye has cooled down to 80 then I mix into my oils. Been making soap for 20 years and never had an issue.

 

[meast]

Kevin Dunn (Scientific Soapmaking book) recommends a closed bottle. Check it is heavy enough to take the heat. I have mixed half first and let it cool before adding the second half. You can mix thoroughly by shaking. I also do this outside or in a ventilated garage.

 

[rdc1978]

I keep my distilled water in the refrigerator, I open a window and use an n95 mask. That does the trick for me.

 

[SoapLover1]

Kevin Dunn (Scientific Soapmaking book) recommends a closed bottle. Check it is heavy enough to take the heat. I have mixed half first and let it cool before adding the second half. You can mix thoroughly by shaking. I also do this outside or in a ventilated garage.

I use a Respirator Mask with a replaceable filter and a vent hood. I sometimes use The Heat Transfer Method when making no scent no color Soap. Therefore, the Lye Solution needs to be hot to melt butters and fats. I use ventilation when doing this, as well. Protect your Lungs at all cost! Blessings!