Lye disasters

[Carly B]

So it's Sunday. I wanted to make a batch of soap before the football game at 1:00. I got up early and left hubby sleeping, and pulled out all my supplies. As I usually do, I was going to mix up the lye water and let it sit to cool until after coffee, breakfast, and shower.

I've been using a glass mason jar with a handle as my lye jar. I measured the water into the glass, and measured the lye into a separate container, as I usually do. I poured the lye into water and started to stir, and I heard a small pop. The entire bottom of the mason jar cracked off. It was a clean break, so no shattered glass, but lye water went everywhere. (hubby just told me after doing some research that you shouldn't use glass with lye. Got it.)

Got a minor lye burn on my leg, but fortunately it was covered so it was nowhere as bad as it could have been. Of course everything in my work area had to be cleaned and dried off, and it had dripped down into a few things that needed to be cleaned, so as disasters go, this wasn't that awful. But I don't know why it happened since there was nothing that I did differently.

Has this happened to anyone? Any precautionary lye stories to share?

 

[LilyJo]

Not happened to me but it's one of the reasons the general advice is not to use glass. Over time lye can causes tiny scratches or fractures in glass leaving it at risk of failing - that combined with the temperature lye heats up to, it's literally an accident waiting to happen!

So pleased you weren't badly injured

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, it's happened. Not to me, but I know you're not the first one to have this problem. The precaution is to not use glass containers for lye or soap batter.

The fact that lye etches and weakens the glass is one issue, but it's only one reason to argue against using glass with lye or soap batter. Glass breaks from simple thermal shock, from being accidentally dropped, from being scratched by a grain of sand on a shelf, etc. It's one thing when a mason jar breaks with peaches in it (I've had that happen), but it's another thing when the jar is full of lye solution. So it's best to not use glass around lye because no matter why or how it breaks, when it does break, the consequences can be disastrous.

I'm glad you weren't badly hurt.

Here's hoping you make your lye solution in a sturdy plastic #2 (high density polyethylyene) or #5 (polypropylene) container from here on out.

 

[Carly B]

Thank you both. I have learned, got back in the saddle, found a #5 container, and my lye is cooling now. As a precaution, I put the container INSIDE my silicone loaf mold so if something did go wrong, the spill would be contained.

As an aside, DeeAnna, that you SO MUCH for all your soap info on Classic Bells. It has explained so much to me as continue on my soaping journey. It is truly appreciated.

 

[earlene]

Carly, it was a valuable lesson you learned and I am really glad to read it wasn't as disastrous as it could have been, and that going forward you won't be using glass.

An added precaution I use when making my lye solution in a my HDP#2 or PP#5 plastic container is to do the mixing in the kitchen sink. This has been a real help preventing possible disasters over the years. On more than one occasion I have had my lye solution boil up and out over the top of the container (sugar-containing water replacement liquids) and the over-spill ended up in the sink rather than anyplace else it could have spilled over had I mixed elsewhere. With the first time with a volcanoing lye solution, I learned to use a taller container, which helps. But the sink mixing has always been the safest choice I ever made when it comes to mixing my lye solution. When I make soap while traveling, I use a plastic dishpan in place of a sink, setting my lye solution container inside the dishpan.

I hope your leg heals up quickly.

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, I also had a mason jar break on me. Luckly, as soon as I heard the crack I was able to get it into the sink before the bottom broke away so the spill was contained.

I bought some plastic measuring cups and used them for a long time until I came across a stainless steel pitcher at a yard sale. I love that pitcher now.

 

[TheGecko]

The issue of whether the lye solution etches glass aside, all things break down in time...except for Tupperware.

I use plastic to mix my Lye Solution simply because it's lightweight and convenient. I also freeze my Distilled Water because accidents happen and I don't want 200 degree lye water going everywhere.

 

[KiwiMoose]

The issue of whether the lye solution etches glass aside, all things break down in time...except for Tupperware.

That may be so - but then you have the missing lids issue . Or you have the lid, but can't find the container. It's one of the mysteries of tupperware...