Lye fumes

[carebear]

I know the weight of my container and add extra water if necessary. It's important to let it cool with LID ON.

Okay, butttttt.... if you add water into your container with your existing lye solution will that possibly cause a volcano? I don't want an unexpected explosion :cry:

no. but it might warm up a bit so be sure to cover to avoid more evaporation...

remember, you can and should cool your lye solution with the lid on every time - especially in this case.

 

[IrishLass]

I should have specified, but I do the same thing as Carebear does. I cool with my lid on and I also know the weight of my container and add extra water when cooled if necessary (so far, it hasn't been necessary, but I still weigh before and after anyway just in case).

two people mentioned adding silk fabric, is that because you ultimately want it in all your soap anyway, or does it have some other quality that helps with making a master batch of lye?

I use silk because I want it in my soap anyway.

IrishLass

 

[FloridaSoaper]

I'm pretty new at making soap, and the hardest obstacle for me to overcome when I make my soap is measuring/mixing the lye. I have 2 small kids and I'm REALLY cautious about making sure every bit of the process is extremely controlled...that way I can gauge better where lye crystals might be sitting, splashes, etc. (Which I'm sooo careful about that I almost never have crystals falling or splashes.) Anyways, I measure with my scale on a hand towel on my counter, which goes in the washing machine through a vinegar rinse and then a full cycle when I'm done making a batch. I was also mixing in my sink, but it's so humid here in FL that I felt like I needed a bath after I closed the window and I didn't feel like the vapors were actually escaping the house. So I've started taking the measured lye in a glad container or another plastic container only used for soap, and my water in my pan or tall beer glass with makeshift lid, along with my spoon and another hand towel...with my gloves, N95 mask, and wrap around goggles, ha, and carefully get from the kitchen to the back porch. I NEVER soap with kids around...usually when they're in bed or on the weekend when hubby can watch them. The idea of fumes in the house really bothers me...I mean most of us want to make soap to enjoy natural products with no chemicals right? So it doesn't make sense to me that some soapers are a little blase about dealing with lye. It is dangerous! I intend to soap for many years to come and I imagine I'll become a little desensitized to it, but safety precautions are good! Ok...so this is just a little bit of how I soap here in my kitchen...ideally I'd love to have a workshop designated for soap so I never have to worry about lye crystals in food or soap in my oven, LOL, but this will not happen anytime soon! Sorry this is soo long. One last thing...I will be replacing my N95 mask that's for painting/sanding, etc that has a respirator on it, for a sturdier, reusable mask with the replaceable cartridges. The N95 I just picked up at walmart, it was the best they had and better than nothing, but it's not meant to handle chemical fumes which is why I'll be spending some money on something that will. I intend on taking care of my lungs! Happy soaping everyone and hope this helps someone!
Shannon H.

 

[madpiano]

Hmm, master batching lye....sounds like a good idea. I might have to go out and buy one of those liquid laundry detergents for once. I am not sure if they do them in large bottles here ?