Lye by Essential Depot

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The shipping is an additional $49. So, just under $110 $120 for 512 oz is about $.23 per oz, right? (I just corrected my math, from $.21 to $.23) Looks good to me and I need lye!

I have ordered this much lye over each of the last two years. I keep the unused bottles well wrapped in plastic and stored in a dry place. Even though I live in a humid, coastal area, I haven’t had any issues with clumping in unopened bottles or performance of the lye over a year.
 
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That is a good price - I have been buying mine from Duda diesel in 50 lb buckets. The buckets are a chore to deal with but I have a process for dispensing it into smaller containers. It works out (now, their prices have increased) to $.19/ ounce with shipping. But the 2lb bottles are handy.
 
Yeah, the price is so good that I'm trying to figure out how long it will take me to make ~700 bars of soap. Actually, wondering if I can sell 700 bars of soap. lol

For anyone using Sodium Gluconate, the price has tripled in the last couple of years or so and I found a great price for that as well and I'm trying to talk them into selling in smaller quantities. The smallest now is 55 lbs for 1.84 a lb. But then there is shipping ... SODIUM GLUCONATE FCC KSHR GR
 
That is a good price - makeyourown.buzz has smaller quantities of sodium gluconate that are more per pound but much cheaper than amazon. I bought 20 lbs last summer that should last me a while.

https://www.makeyourown.buzz/sodium-gluconate/
Wow, 20lbs would last me 320 batches!


I just ordered a 50lb bucket of Red Hot Devil Lye that comes out to $.20/oz. @Vicki C, I'd be interested in hearing how you dispense into smaller containers. 🙂.
That's a LOT of lye!

The two of you must be making soap 24x7!
 
I just ordered a 50lb bucket of Red Hot Devil Lye that comes out to $.20/oz. @Vicki C, I'd be interested in hearing how you dispense into smaller containers. 🙂.
Ah - ok - I don long sleeved nitrile gloves like these
IMG_8985.jpeg
And a face mask and fitted goggles. The goggles have farsighted correction because I need readers but they are annoying because the correction is in the corners so I feel slightly cross eyed. In the summer the goggles fog up because of the face mask so it’s even more annoying. Then I CAREFULLY open the bucket and CAREFULLY scoop lye into old 2 lb lye containers with a plastic scoop. (My containers have a bigger opening than the Essential Depot containers) I don’t measure - I just fill them up.With static electricity it’s hard to have no lye particles escape so I have to do a careful cleanup afterward. Also, it’s impossible to have no lye stuck to the outside of the bottles. It is generally a pain. 👩🏻‍🔬
(Note, technically lye is NaOH in a liquid and I’m talking about the granulated form of NaOH. Nerd alert!)

Wow, 20lbs would last me 320 batches!



That's a LOT of lye!

The two of you must be making soap 24x7!
i do make a lot of soap! It’s a full time business for me.
 
Ah - ok - I don long sleeved nitrile gloves like these
IMG_8985.jpeg
And a face mask and fitted goggles. The goggles have farsighted correction because I need readers but they are annoying because the correction is in the corners so I feel slightly cross eyed. In the summer the goggles fog up because of the face mask so it’s even more annoying. Then I CAREFULLY open the bucket and CAREFULLY scoop lye into old 2 lb lye containers with a plastic scoop. (My containers have a bigger opening than the Essential Depot containers) I don’t measure - I just fill them up.With static electricity it’s hard to have no lye particles escape so I have to do a careful cleanup afterward. Also, it’s impossible to have no lye stuck to the outside of the bottles. It is generally a pain. 👩🏻‍🔬
(Note, technically lye is NaOH in a liquid and I’m talking about the granulated form of NaOH. Nerd alert!)
@Vicki C, Great! Thanks for the describing the process! I actually have a full-face respirator (for bad allergies when I use the leaf blower!🙄) and I also have similar full-length gloves from my days when I had time to manage a full-on reef tank! Just need to order the scooper and I'm set. I do have some old 2lb empty lye bottles so that works for me too! I did place some desiccant packs in the bucket with the NaOH to try and keep it as dry as possible...Thanks again!!!
 
@Vicki C, Great! Thanks for the describing the process! I actually have a full-face respirator (for bad allergies when I use the leaf blower!🙄) and I also have similar full-length gloves from my days when I had time to manage a full-on reef tank! Just need to order the scooper and I'm set. I do have some old 2lb empty lye bottles so that works for me too! I did place some desiccant packs in the bucket with the NaOH to try and keep it as dry as possible...Thanks again!!!
I got my scooper at a dollar store or something it’s nothing special. It’s good if it sort of has a narrow opening. I guess that’s obvious.
The full face respirator sounds much better than my setup.
 
I read somewhere that if you wipe the outside of the bottles, pail & gloves with a dryer sheet you won't have much of a problem with static. You can use the sheet over and over when the stuff on it wears off, just grab another one. I use wool dryer balls, so I wonder if a piece of wool would work as well???
 
I read somewhere that if you wipe the outside of the bottles, pail & gloves with a dryer sheet you won't have much of a problem with static. You can use the sheet over and over when the stuff on it wears off, just grab another one. I use wool dryer balls, so I wonder if a piece of wool would work as well???
I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. Otherwise I love my wool dryer balls! Haven’t bought fabric softener in many years!
 
You might also try some aluminum foil as your de-static agent. Of course, be VERY careful not to have the aluminum foil anywhere near the actual lye, as that would be dangerous. But if one just wipes the outside of the lye bottle with it, and then puts it away from the area, there shouldn't be any danger.

I suggest this bc I read somewhere the wool balls don't work on all materials in the dryer, and that aluminum foil works better for the ones that aren't de-static-ed (if that's a word) by wool. During the winter months, when static is high around here, I do add an aluminum foil ball to the dryer, and it does help.

Until just now, I never thought to try it on my lye bottles. Since I just made a big master-batch of lye solution, it will be awhile before I get an opportunity. If someone else tries it, I'd love to hear back whether it worked for you.
 
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You might also try some aluminum foil as your de-static agent. Of course, be VERY careful not to have the aluminum foil anywhere near the actual lye, as that would be dangerous. But if one just wipes the outside of the lye bottle with it, and then puts it away from the area, there shouldn't be any danger.

I suggest this bc I read somewhere the wool balls don't work on all materials in the dryer, and that aluminum foil works better for the ones that aren't de-static-ed (if that's a word) by wool. During the winter months, when static is high around here, I do add an aluminum foil ball to the dryer, and it does help.

Until just now, I never thought to try it on my lye bottles. Since I just made a big master-batch of lye solution, it will be awhile before I get an opportunity. If someone else tries it, I'd love to hear back whether it worked for you.
I will try it - that’s a clever idea.
 

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