Your favorite gloves and respirator

[navigator9]

I'm in the group that does not use a respirator. I've been soaping for many years, and have never used one. I'm 67, and have asthma, and here's what works for me...I hold my breath while I pour the lye into the water, and stir...and then I walk away. I wait about 10 minutes and when I go back, the fumes have dissipated, and the water is clear. I do however wear a particle mask whenever dealing with mica, which can easily become airborne, and be inhaled.

 

[user 24326]

I am curious to know about the lye that was spilled. Did you scoop it up somehow and use it or did you dispose of it?

I put the scale in a glass casserole dish in case of spills, and
for the very small spills, I think I just left the lye crystals there to decompose to sodium carbonate.

The larger spill was several ounces, and it got all over my work bench. I had been using PETE bottles for my lye and they seemed to be just fine. I was pouring the lye into my weighing cup and got a clump in the neck. I shook the bottle to break up the clump, and the bottom just broke off. I used a broom to clean the floor and a hand broom for the work bench. I threw the lye outside in the dirt to decompose. While using up the remaining bottles, I put them in a gallon ziploc bag as secondary containment. Lesson learned, DON'T USE PETE.

Now I have to find enough #2 or #5 bottles for 50 pounds of sodium hydroxide...

 

[annalee2003]

In one of the lye safety threads, there was some discussion along the lines of long sleeved shirts might not be the best choice from a safety perspective. If you spill on your shirt sleeve, or dunk a cuff or what have you, you have to take off several articles before you can remove the shirt and get it rinsed off your skin. Takes several seconds, at least. If you're in short sleeves and spill on your arm, you can stick it directly under running water.

Good to know! I was taught to wear long sleeves, but I may reconsider that now.

I was browsing the paint section when I was at Lowes and noticed the full body suits to wear for painting. I considered that almost instead of an apron, but moved on because I thought it was a bit much.
Has anyone ever soaped in a full on protective suit?

 

[Kamahido]

A lot of good information here, thank you! I will have to invest in a good apron then. I ordered these safety glasses which will give me good protection. http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-S...-with-Clear-Anti-Fog-Lens-DPG82-11C/202220499

I called 3M yesterday and was able to talk to their Safety Division and they recommended the Professional Multipurpose model which I also ordered.

I live in Upstate NY (snow country right off Lake Ontario) and getting outdoors to mix would not always be an option given the strong winds and snow. Fortunately I am starting this venture in the fall and will practice mixing small quantities outdoors now and hopefully in a few months before the snow flies will feel comfortable mixing a large batch.

Thank you for the link to those googles. I despise mine and will be giving this a try.

 

[cmzaha]

Do check out DeeAnna's post, while I do not use a respirator, but a heavy mask when doing other projects when working with surfactants, my daughter had to use a respirator when working with all scents and surfactants. I know she had one that works for very fine particle and I would guess DeeAnna has such listed. My daughter had to use it due to a sinus augmentation during all her implant teeth surgeries. Now everything thing burns and hurts her sinuses. I master batch a gallon at a time in my kitchen sink and just stand back. You can also turn on your stove fan to help with the fumes. My house is an open floor plan so I am not cooped up in a little room while making my lye. It can still chock me if I do not stand back for the first few seconds which is about how long the fumes last.

 

[DeeAnna]

Not all safety goggles are chemical splash goggles. Take the time to verify if the Dewalt goggles have an indirect vent design -- this is a key requirement for chemical splash safety.

I can't tell one way or the other from the product listing in your link. These goggles might be perfectly fine, but I'm a wee bit skeptical because Home Depot and Dewalt are more about home construction and not so much about chemistry.

Some safety goggles are intended for impact protection only. This type of safety goggle can have direct venting to allow for better air circulation. Those direct vents are a real weakness for chemical splash control because the direct vents will permit fluids to drip or splash into the interior of the goggle.

The article on my website (see link Post 11) explains more.

 

[jcandleattic]

When my dad found out back when I started making soap that I'd be working with lye, he gave me his respirator that he used to use. It is very similar to this one, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FG27NG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 but much, much less bulky. It's comfortable, I can breathe in it, and just have to change out the filters every now and then. I also use this when making candles and working with FO - I have found that since I've been working the fragrances so long on a continual basis, that I am developing a sensitivity to them, and get headaches (no matter the scent) if I don't wear the respirator when working with them. However, when testing them, or using them in the finished product, since using the respirator, I have no such sensitivity, and have actually found I find the fragrances stronger to my sense of smell because my nose isn't saturated with the scent.

For gloves, I got the 1000 pack of clear nitrite industrial gloves using my old company's U-Line account. They were free (to me) and I've only worked through about 1/3rd or less of them or so, in the 3 years since I got them.
When I need more I will probably just get the same type at Walgreens or something.

 

[IrishLass]

Lesson learned, DON'T USE PETE.

Ditto that 100%! When I first started master-batching my lye solution about 5 years ago, I cluelessly used a PETE bottle to store the solution in. I found out what a horribly bad idea that was within about 4 days or so when I found it had eaten a hole through the bottom side and started leaking out..


IrishLass

 

[Kittish]

Ditto that 100%! When I first started master-batching my lye solution about 5 years ago, I cluelessly used a PETE bottle to store the solution in. I found out what a horribly bad idea that was within about 4 days or so when I found it had eaten a hole through the bottom side and started leaking out..


IrishLass

Eeek! I just bought a big bottle of laundry detergent with the no drip spout that I'm going to repurpose for masterbatching lye as soon as it's empty. #2 HDPE. I learn from the mistakes of others. Thank you.

 

[jcandleattic]

Eeek! I just bought a big bottle of laundry detergent with the no drip spout that I'm going to repurpose for masterbatching lye as soon as it's empty. #2 HDPE. I learn from the mistakes of others. Thank you.

#2 HDPE is safe. Just not PET or PETE containers.. Go this off Classic Bells website -

High density polyethylene and polypropylene are best. Most people prefer containers made from high density polyethylene, HDPE, with a #2 recycling code, or polypropylene, PP, with a #5 recycling code. Containers with these codes have excellent resistance to lye up to the maximum 50% concentration. They are heat resistant enough to withstand the heat of a hot lye solution and are sturdy enough to be a durable, safe container for lye.

Or here, you can read it - https://classicbells.com/soap/lyeStorage.html

HTH

 

[Kittish]

Yes, I know the #2 HDPE is safe. That's why I got it. I meant more that thanks to the mistakes of others, I won't ever make the mistake of using PETE (or PET) plastics with lye (or glass or aluminum).

 

[jcandleattic]

Yes, I know the #2 HDPE is safe. That's why I got it. I meant more that thanks to the mistakes of others, I won't ever make the mistake of using PETE (or PET) plastics with lye (or glass or aluminum).

Ah, gotcha!

 

[earlene]

I use nitrile gloves as well. I have used heavy duty dishwashing gloves in a pinch when I didn't have any nitrile gloves at the ready, but the inability to feel what I'm doing through them makes it seem really unsafe.

If you are worried about getting a hole in the gloves, double-glove. It's what nurses and doctors do in some situations to prevent contamination should a hole develop in a single glove. The lye has never made a hole in my gloves. My FINGERNAILS have, but not the lye. So take-away: Trim your nails to fairly short while wearing gloves.

 

[bathgeek]

My respirator: Safety Works 817662 Paint and Pesticide Respirator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009XAIGY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

My apron: Melby Outdoor Products HD-APRON Heavy Duty All Purpose Apron https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BI1GPSA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

My gloves: Double One Chemical Resistant Gloves,Safety Work Cleaning Protective Heavy Duty Industrial Gloves,Natural Latex 12.2" Length Black 1 Pair Size M (Medi https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MD0ZFQD/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I snitch face masks from the clinic I go to for Dr.'s appointments.
I wear a La Bola apron from when one of our son's worked there. I don't know what the fabric is... sorta polyester canvas? Wears like iron. Washes up like new. Comfortable. It's maybe 30 years old?
In 13 years of soaping, I'm on my second pair of these gloves from MMS:
https://www.thesage.com/catalog/EquipmentandScales.html
If you scroll down that page, past the gloves, there's a soaping spoon that's one of my favorite pieces of equipment -- still going strong after all these years. The long handle is especially great for mixing lye and soap batter by hand.

... here's what works for me...I hold my breath while I pour the lye into the water, and stir...and then I walk away. I wait about 10 minutes and when I go back, the fumes have dissipated, and the water is clear. I do however wear a particle mask whenever dealing with mica, which can easily become airborne, and be inhaled.

This is similar to how I mix my lye. I have a wooden cutting board next to the kitchen sink. I place my scale on it. Weigh water into the container and set it in the sink. I weigh the NaOH or KOH into a container and turn my head so as to not breathe in the fumes. I give a few stirs, set the timer and walk away. I step outside or go to another room. After a minute, I come back and stir until it's clear. I leave it in the sink to cool down.

Note to Kittish: Take good care with HDPE #2 containers. Mine crumpled a couple of weeks ago when the solution went over 190°F (max, which I didn't know at that time. Thanks, Irish. ) while making a 50/50 water/glycerin solution that went to 210°F +. Then, more recently, two more repurposed HDPE #2 former NaOH containers leached plastic into the lye solution @ 180°F. Point being, IME, HDPE #2 degrades faster than Pyrex. I make small batches and I love my Pyrex. :mrgreen: (I'm not recommending that anyone use glass/Pyrex. I'm not a scientist; I just know what works for me.)

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Then use a better condition than "ime" - not everyone understands that, but everyone needs to understand that you have been lucky to date when it comes to glassware and lye solution

 

[Kittish]

Do appreciate the heads up about temperature, Zany. I'll be mixing my masterbatch solution in a great big stainless steel pot, then letting it cool to room temp or just barely warm before transferring to the storage jug.