Lye Spill Handled Incorrectly.

[wta_atw]

So yesterday I spilt a bit of lye water in my bathroom floor. Just a few splashes. I quickly threw a ton of vinegar on it, which I realized was a horrible idea and so i went for the water hose and began to spray down the area with water, which sounds like im just escalating the issue. I realized i was flooding my bathroom and it was leading into the room next to the bathroom. I quickly ran to get some towels and dried up what i could. After that i mopped it all up with water and then mopped it up with vinegar water again. I have drenched my sink and toilet with vinegar multiple times since as well. After letting the floor dry i mopped again with water, then water/vinegar, then water and soap. I let it it air out over night and 24 hours later I mopped it up again with vinegar water and then flooded it basically with soap water. Now im just waiting for it to dry and im gonna mop it up with water and then let dry.

Should it be diluted by now?? Haha. Will it ever be safe to be in that bathroom again. I know im beimg dramatic but i just need to clear my head. Dont think im cut out for this soap making.

 

[SaltedFig]

Yesterday?

The lye will not be sodium hydroxide and water anymore, it will be mostly soda ash (it reacts to the surrounding air).

So, unless you have a puddle of it hiding somewhere (which can form a crystal skin that protects the liquid from the air) ... a mop and bucket will finish the cleanup

For future spills, remember to wipe and wash.

Wipe with a dry cloth (paper towel, or dry rag)
Wash your skin and floor with plain or lightly soapy water.
Having a shower after a soapy accident is always a good idea, otherwise make sure you irrigate (flush) any skin that might have had a spill on it.

Vinegar gets too hot too quickly, and is not safe (except, perhaps, as a final wipe down after you've finished cleaning using the wipe and wash method).

Relax, you'll live (and your bathroom will be soooooooooo clean )

Cleanup rags can be washed in the washing machine.

 

[wta_atw]

Yesterday?

The lye will not be sodium hydroxide and water anymore, it will be mostly soda ash (it reacts to the surrounding air).

So, unless you have a puddle of it hiding somewhere (which can form a crystal skin that protects the liquid from the air) ... a mop and bucket will finish the cleanup

For future spills, remember to wipe and wash.

Wipe with a dry cloth (paper towel, or dry rag)
Wash your skin and floor with plain or lightly soapy water.
Having a shower after a soapy accident is always a good idea, otherwise make sure you irrigate (flush) any skin that might have had a spill on it.

Vinegar gets too hot too quickly, and is not safe (except, perhaps, as a final wipe down after you've finished cleaning using the wipe and wash method).

Relax, you'll live (and your bathroom will be soooooooooo clean )

Cleanup rags can be washed in the washing machine.

Thank you so much! Lol. Yeah i was reading that putting vinegar on it right away is a bad idea cus if the reaction. I mean for sure its neutralized though. I mopped it with water just now and im just gonna let it be. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Cellador]

Soaping can be for you! When I first started, I was so nervous about lye, my hands would shake! It gets much easier with practice. Just remember to wear your protective gear....and breathe!

 

[DeeAnna]

Vinegar on non-living stuff is fine to use.

It's always best to contain the spill first. Wipe up a small spill with paper towels. For a larger spill, soak up the liquid with non-clumping clay kitty litter or sawdust and securely seal the used absorbent material in a doubled plastic bag for disposal in the trash. Then clean the area with water or vinegar.

 

[SaltedFig]

Thank you for reminding me of the kitty litter for larger spills.

As an alternative to landfill, biodegradable kitty litter (clay/vermiculite/paper/etc) used to clean a moderate lye spill can be incorporated into a composting system (in a manner similar to lime).

 

[wta_atw]

thanks for the advice yall. I'll def keep some kitty litter around for the next time. Theres still a pretty strong vinegar smell but im sure that will pass in a day or two.

 

[DeeAnna]

If you want to compost lye solution, I'd soak it up in a biodegradable material like Salted Fig suggests and then I'd let the whole mess sit in a bucket for a few days or more before adding it to the compost pile. The NaOH will react with the absorbent material and carbon dioxide in the air and become less dangerous.

 

[wta_atw]

If you want to compost lye solution, I'd soak it up in a biodegradable material like Salted Fig suggests and then I'd let the whole mess sit in a bucket for a few days or more before adding it to the compost pile. The NaOH will react with the absorbent material and carbon dioxide in the air and become less dangerous.

So I would be able to use it as compost then after all that?

Went back to the bathroom and mopped up everything with water and soap twice this morning, just want to be 100% sure its clean. The lye should have def been gone by now correct? The vinegar fumes kinda stung my eyes when I first went in but i was breathing fine and everything.

 

[SunRiseArts]

ha ha OP I always freak out too. No matter how long I have soaped, I always freak out.

 

[wta_atw]

ha ha OP I always freak out too. No matter how long I have soaped, I always freak out.

Haha yeah. Especially since i paint in that area as well. Its my first lye mishap so I just wanted to make sure the area is 100 % safe. Which now im sure it is but its also good to get yalls opinion.


Also would it be bad to use ajax in the future (week or two) to clean the sink?

 

[SaltedFig]

In the future, or right now, that brand will clean just the same as it ever has.

You might find a slight bubbling if you use hot water and bump into a bit of vinegar, but it will be no worse that using bicarb and vinegar in hot water to use the oxygen action to clean windows (as a for instance).

In other words ... you do not need to wait to clean your sink.

 

[earlene]

Once the vinegar evaporates and the sink is dry, you don't need to worry about using your bleach containing cleanser. I've never experienced anything remotely resembling a residue from vinegar after surfaces are dry.

 

[wta_atw]

Once the vinegar evaporates and the sink is dry, you don't need to worry about using your bleach containing cleanser. I've never experienced anything remotely resembling a residue from vinegar after surfaces are dry.

Oh yah I just meant for like when I generally clean the bathroom. After all the vinegar evaporates I am gonna start using the bathroom for its normal uses so. But thanks

 

[SunRiseArts]

Haha yeah. Especially since i paint in that area as well. Its my first lye mishap so I just wanted to make sure the area is 100 % safe. Which now im sure it is but its also good to get yalls opinion.


Also would it be bad to use ajax in the future (week or two) to clean the sink?

We must be kindred spirits. I too am I painter, and I always clean my sink with ajax after either soaping, and specially painting.

 

[wta_atw]

We must be kindred spirits. I too am I painter, and I always clean my sink with ajax after either soaping, and specially painting.

hahah heck yeah, well thats good to hear.

 

[Techie Joe]

Soaping can be for you! When I first started, I was so nervous about lye, my hands would shake! It gets much easier with practice. Just remember to wear your protective gear....and breathe!

Yes, but just don't breathe in the fumes from the lye

People mentioned kitty litter, great idea for absorbing spills but I recommend not using the crystalline kind on a Lye spill.
Its silicon dioxide (silica gel) which reacts with Lye (sodium hydroxide) to form water glass (sodium silicate), which is used as a glue for making rocket stoves, an electrolyte for crystal batteries and is also very useful for making moulds, such as for molten metals. Its not easy to handle water glass but its safe enough to store in jars, it hardens with carbon dioxide.