lye question

[Irene]

Hello,
I put some lye into a glass jar and it has hardened (into a clump).
Does anyone know how to break it up,
without using a sharp tool and risk it flying all over the place?
And does anyone know what I should do to prevent this from happening again?

Thanks and advice would be much appreciated!!

Irene

 

[Hazel]

Have you tried putting the lid on and shaking it? This works for me but the lye I have is stored in plastic containers. You could try using a wooden bamboo skewer and see if it would chunk it up.

 

[Irene]

Hello,
Yes there is a lid on it and boy it is solid. I may (as a last resort) try to break it up by jabbing at it with
a sharp something or other haha!
I was wondering, (tell me what you think), if I put in a piece of bread (in the jar), do you think that will soften it up?
I know that works for sugar that has gone hard so. . . . .I am a bit leery though, because I don't want to contaminate the lye.
or do you think that it would contaminate it?

It really is not a bit deal, but I don't want to throw it out, as this begs another question . . .where does one throw out lye??

Have a good Thanksgiving everyone. . .. . .hmmmmmm, I am thankful for this forum.

Irene

 

[judymoody]

Your lye probably got clumpy because it absorbed water from humid air. If it's a big solid lump, I might hesitate to use it because given that it's probably absorbed some water weight, it would be hard to calculate the amount of lye you need for your recipe.

You could dilute it and use it to unclog pipes or to clean your stove. I use leftover raw soap batter to clean my stove grates and it works like a charm. Whatever you do, wear gloves and eye protection!

 

[Irene]

Thanks Judy, that is a great idea!
As it turned out it wasn't that hard to break up, surprize surprize.
You are right about it absorbing moisture as it had taken a trip to an Island (where the
humidity was. . .you guessed it, higher than here).
Also, thanks for sharing the idea of using leftover raw soap batter to clean the stove grates.

Irene