My mom has asked me to ramp up production of my soap to sell at her farm stand and I told her I would do it after my son is out of school for the summer. To do this I will need to make larger batches of master batched lye water. I currently store mine in a repurposed glass jar. I was wondering if it’s safe to store the lye water in a plastic container? I could put in in a larger jar or use multiples but I worry about having easily breakable lye jars around with my autistic toddler who gets into everything. For those of you who aso master batch lye, what container do you use to store it?
Master Batching Lye Storage
- Thread starter Rivendell Rose
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- master batching lye
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Oh no, it is very dangerous to store lye solution in a glass jar. The high alkalinity will etch the glass, and eventually it will shatter. Also, if the jar is knocked over and breaks, now you have a caustic mess on your hands that also has glass shards in it. Please, especially with a toddler in your home, find another container right away!
I use several repurposed laundry jugs that are well-marked as containing lye solution. They are perfect for this: the right type of plastic, a good handle for gripping, and a pouring spout that catches drips and sends them back into the container. The twist-on cap is also a good safety measure since it can't be pried open by toddler hands.
I use several repurposed laundry jugs that are well-marked as containing lye solution. They are perfect for this: the right type of plastic, a good handle for gripping, and a pouring spout that catches drips and sends them back into the container. The twist-on cap is also a good safety measure since it can't be pried open by toddler hands.
Awesome, thank you so much!
You are welcome! If you have a laundry jug in your house now, you could temporarily pour out the contents into a bowl, and wash out the laundry container well. Then pour your lye solution into it. Next, pour your laundry solution into the glass jar that used to hold the lye solution (after rinsing it first, of course). And there you go!
My understanding is if the plastic is marked as “7” it is safe. I have a plastic cup marked 7 I can use for the lye mix, no problem. Although I prefer stainless steel. I don’t know about master batching.
If Walter would have just told Jessie #7 plastic…
If Walter would have just told Jessie #7 plastic…
The type of plastic that's used the most with lye is #2, or HDPE. The jugs mentioned above are made of it. Other types of plastic may or may not be safe for use with lye - it usually comes down mostly to how sturdy the vessel is (I'm sure there are other factors as well, someone may add to that). But if you stick to HDPE, you'll be fine
