I bought the wrong lye and now I feel like an idiot.

[CreativeWeirdo]

So... a few days ago, I ran out of lye. My family celebrated Christmas Eve, so I wanted to make soap while I had free time. I decided to check my local mega hardware stores and found ALBERT Super Drain Granules at RONA. Everything I could find said it was Sodium Hydroxide!

Well, I guess it ISN'T 100% sodium hydroxide! It had some little flex, but my ignorant newbie brain thought, maybe it's just this product's "thing". My lye-water solution is dark grey. No big clouds of smoke or fires or anything volatile. Phew! Now I don't know what to do with it. There is no chance in hell I'm using it in soap. Should I just pour it down the drain? I mean, it IS made for the drain!

I feel so disheartened. I'm really mad at myself. Tomorrow, I'll go to Home Hardware and get their "Pure Lye Crystals" (Home 3kg Pure Lye Crystals Cleaner | Home Hardware)

Anyway, please learn from my mistake! Thanks for reading!

 

[AliOop]

Rats, such a bummer! But tomorrow is another day, Scarlet...

 

[Babyshoes]

Oh that's annoying, but it's an easy mistake to make. As long as you learn from it, it's not a big deal. Your drains will be squeaky clean at least!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

That looks suspiciously like aluminium flakes. They add it to drain cleaner because it dissolves in the lye to liberate hydrogen gas that helps with pushing dirt out of drains (overpressure), but is also highly flammable, and the bubbling can distribute caustic lye mist. Residues from the dissolved metal slivers stay dispersed in the lye, and tint it dark grey.
In fact, most of the drain cleaners that are sold here do have aluminium in them, hence are uninteresting/dangerous for soapmaking.

In soapmaking, aluminium would combine with fatty acids to form something similar to soap scum. The aluminium causes a number of issues, and not knowing how much of the weight is actual NaOH isn't the worst of them.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

Thank you all! And thank you @ResolvableOwl for your never-ending wealth of knowledge! As always, it is greatly appreciated!

Good thing I'm SUPER careful when I make my lye-water solutions! I have the kitchen door right beside my sink, and the window above my sink open so the is a really great air flow. Plus I also turn on my stove exhaust to be extra careful; my kitchen is VERY small. I also keep doors closed and keep a fire extinguisher ready. I also use 75% ice and 25% water as my water weight measurement. I kept my distance when I saw it going, and when it looked like it was settling down a bit, and I was certain it wasn't going to catch fire, I left the room.

I did pour it down the sink; rinsed everything with cold water; and wiped everything down with vinegar. I doubt it cleaned the drain since it had stopped reacting even by the time I took the picture, so I doubt it had any affect on my drain. Oh well! You live and you learn. Just now, I hope if someone else Googles it, they can, hopefully, find this and know to stay away. At least if they're looking to make soap.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

That looks suspiciously like aluminium flakes. They add it to drain cleaner because it dissolves in the lye to liberate hydrogen gas that helps with pushing dirt out of drains (overpressure), but is also highly flammable, and the bubbling can distribute caustic lye mist. Residues from the dissolved metal slivers stay dispersed in the lye, and tint it dark grey.
In fact, most of the drain cleaners that are sold here do have aluminium in them, hence are uninteresting/dangerous for soapmaking.

In soapmaking, aluminium would combine with fatty acids to form something similar to soap scum. The aluminium causes a number of issues, and not knowing how much of the weight is actual NaOH isn't the worst of them.

Thanks @ResolvableOwl for confirming my suspicions. I have noticed little silver flakes in most of the granular type drain cleaners that I have bought in the past. So when I started soap making I purchased my lye from soap making supply companies. Sometimes I wonder if I am paying too much, but am concerned about not getting "pure" lye. So I feel better about my approach, not being a chemist and having the knowledge to know any better. I have also taken that approach with my oils, except for refined olive oil, which I buy in 3 liter cans from the grocery store.