Using potassium hydroxide and water as a cleaning solution

[Pauly]

Hi there, this post caught my eye. I was wondering if adding a little essential oil to this solution such as lavender, or lemon Myrtle, would affect the capability of the 0.5% KOH + Water solution?

Thank you! Great forum

 

[DeeAnna]

Essential oils are hydrophobic -- they don't mix with water. They'll only float on top of the water mixture.

 

[Pauly]

Essential oils are hydrophobic -- they don't mix with water. They'll only float on top of the water mixture.

Thank you for the information. That makes sense. Silly me for not realising that.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I was wondering if adding a little essential oil to this solution

Here's a DIY cleaner that contains eucalyptus EO - good for cleaning & sanitizing:

Recipe - Miracle Spray

LECTRIC WASHING SODA MIRACLE SPRAY

1.5 litre 25 oz. water (1 cup boiled)
300ml 5 oz. vinegar
60ml 1 oz. dishwashing liquid
25ml 0.4 oz. eucalyptus oil
3 tsp 0.25 oz. Washing Soda

½ Batch 32.65 oz. TOTAL

Mix Washing Soda with 1 cup boiling water to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a 2 litre bottle.
Pour into left over spray bottles for benches and laundry.
Refill old toilet cleaner bottles to squirt under the rim in the toilet.

Take care when cleaning appliances and cooking surfaces with indicator markings

 

[Pauly]

Fantastic! Thank you! Would it be outside the scope of this forum to create a thread of people’s favourite DIY cleaning sprays, window cleaning solutions, disinfectants etc?

 

[Benjamin Naber]

So I made this KOH cleaner, that ended up being around 0.055% KOH.
used 4 grams KOH to 725 grams of distilled water.

Wear gloves. If you ever washed dishes with fireplace ash before, this stuff is still stronger.
Does not leave a residue or smell.
Oils on surfaces are turned into something else (soap?) and wiped off.
Odors are neutralized.
removes cigarette smoke from vehicle windshield like no other.
grease on the stove stop?? haha, just let it sit for a minute, then wipe away.
stains? gone. removed sweat salts from my shirts armpit areas.

Probably best not to use on anything that needs oil such as leather, unless you immediately treat your surface that uses some kind of oil or conditioner.
do not touch ANYTHING aluminum with it. Creates hydrogen gas -> BOOM!
other than that, just don't be dumb. You're responsible for your own safety, unless you're the kind of person that blames the stupid stove for burning yourself.

 

[DeeAnna]

...around 0.055% KOH.
used 4 grams KOH to 725 grams of distilled water.,,,

Might want to check your math -- 4 grams KOH in 725 grams of water is a 0.55% concentration, not 0.055%.