Lye didn’t dissolve completely
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Where are you purchasing your lye from? Is it a reputable seller? It's not the distilled water. It's certainly something with the lye.
I would try purchasing it somewhere else. Maybe a bad batch. It's hard to say. Sorry, no other ideas. As I said, I've only had this happen a couple times and that was with frozen milk as my liquid. No other issues in 7+ years.
A
amd
Possibility that the lye isn't pure and what is undissolved may be "extras" added to the lye? I've never used lye from the hardware store and honestly have never looked to see what is available (oh my! that's sounds "soap snobbish", I don't mean to be.) What I have read on this forum and other "learn to soap" books, blogs, etc. is that hardware store lye is meant to clean drains, so it doesn't need to be the same grade as what we prefer to use for soap. If the label doesn't say "sodium hydroxide" and sodium hydroxide only, I would suspect that there is some undissolvable ingredient in your lye. Have you zap tested the undissolved particles? (You can do this with a wet finger, btw. I would be skeptical of putting my tongue to a potentially unknown substance.)
I've used the lye from the same store earlier almost 5kgs of it n never had issues. Yes true that it's meant to be drain cleaners..
Here in India. This is what u get 1kg packets. I've even bought it from chemical stores... They r the same.. They supply to the hardware store from whereto buy.. In fact the chemical store recommended me to buy from them..
I'll try to stir it a little longer n see if it has any issues again.. Else will just chuck it into drain (for Wat it's meant) n look for another supplier
Here in India. This is what u get 1kg packets. I've even bought it from chemical stores... They r the same.. They supply to the hardware store from whereto buy.. In fact the chemical store recommended me to buy from them..
I'll try to stir it a little longer n see if it has any issues again.. Else will just chuck it into drain (for Wat it's meant) n look for another supplier
Yes, unfortunately that is all the option left for you. Something is in there besides NaOH. Otherwise it would have dissolved. At least you found out before making soap with it.
I would make a very small batch of soap with a new batch of lye solution that you have stirred very well until hopefully all is dissolved, if any particles are left in the bottom of the cup/lye container I would strain and proceed with the small batch made with the cheapest oils you can use. After 72 hrs zap test the test soap. Good luck
Soapprentice
Well-Known Member
I occasionally have a teeni tiny bits at the bottom but they dissolve if stirred for a little longer and I get lye from our pharmaceutical manufacturing unit, so it is by any means pure.. I guess you need to stir for longer but I never had Crystals that might equal to 1 g.. more like a white dot at the bottom of the steel jug...
Soapprentice
Well-Known Member
Always pour the lye through strainer when adding to the oils... it will help
asmita
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Hi Isha,
Assuming you are from India, I suggest you buy from Pioneer Chemicals in Delhi. They ship all across India so that wouldn't be a problem.
Thanks ashmita... I shall look into their website..
SunRiseArts
Well-Known Member
I have a question regarding this, maybe shunt can help me? I just made a small batch, and I realized I had a layer of thick lye stuck to the bottom of my container when I went to pour in my oils. My lye is from wholes sale supplies and about 6 month old. I do not think the lye was the problem. I probably did not mix it enough .... is in flakes, and usually takes a little longer than the pearls.
Since I had pour the lye in the oils, I went ahead and finished my batch. I disregarded the thick bottom later that was in the lye container. I am certain that there are no pieces of lye on the soap. Is just probably going to be a huge superfat.
It performed well in terms of trace and stuff, and looks so pretty. But I am wondering if I should throw it away.
Since I had pour the lye in the oils, I went ahead and finished my batch. I disregarded the thick bottom later that was in the lye container. I am certain that there are no pieces of lye on the soap. Is just probably going to be a huge superfat.
It performed well in terms of trace and stuff, and looks so pretty. But I am wondering if I should throw it away.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Hi SRA,
I haven't seen you around for a while. I hope you are going well.
Hopefully you didn't use KOH (comes in flakes in Oz) instead of NaOH.
No matter which one if you don't mix the lye with the water until it dissolves it can form a crust on the bottom. If you left that behind in the container then your soap will probably not have as much lye as you thought. You might just have to see if it cures hard enough to use. I wouldn't throw it away. It is going to be light in lye rather than lye heavy.
I've had the flaked NAOH and yes, it takes longer to dissolve. As long as you're sure none of the residue in the bottom went into your soap you should be fine, just a higher superfat but may not really be a noticeable difference. As PJ said it may just take a bit longer to cure out to a harder bar.
IngridK
Active Member
I would suggest no for laundry soap....it would be like using a superfatted soap and then there is the possibility of a slightly 'off' smell developing in your clothes... ;-)
But I wonder if there is a possibility of rebatching this and cooking it into a liquid soap. If the PH tests ok in the end it could be used up at home....
SunRiseArts
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much Penelope and Shunt! I really appreciate it. Actually the bar batch already is hard, so it may have been a minimum that was left. I also superfat at 2%, so they might be usable. I will zap it in a couple of days.
I have never bough NAOH, never made liquid soap either. So no mess up on that, lol. Although sounds like something I would do. Ha!
I have never bough NAOH, never made liquid soap either. So no mess up on that, lol. Although sounds like something I would do. Ha!
OldHippie
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Perhaps you mean KOH?
dixiedragon
Well-Known Member
I've had that happen to me a few times. What seems to help is to run your lye pitcher through the dishwasher. Years ago, I would pour my lye water into the oils, fill the lye pitcher with water and stick my soapy stick blender in there. Sometimes there would be a film left behind and I think that really interfered with the lye dissolving. So I never put my soapy stick blender in the lye pitcher, and I run it through the dishwasher after each batch. I store it upside down so it doesn't get dust in it.
In one batch, I missed the lye cake in the bottom until I had poured the lye water. I mixed some extra lye with water and added it. The soap took a long time to harder, both because of too much water and too little lye. It stayed a bit greasy feeling. Finally after a 6 months or more (can't remember), I shredded it and made confetti soap. That worked great!
In one batch, I missed the lye cake in the bottom until I had poured the lye water. I mixed some extra lye with water and added it. The soap took a long time to harder, both because of too much water and too little lye. It stayed a bit greasy feeling. Finally after a 6 months or more (can't remember), I shredded it and made confetti soap. That worked great!
