Making Soap from Washing Soda?

[DeeAnna]

Too many mosquitoes. Other than that, yes, I did. Thanks for asking, Grayce! I hope you're feeling better.....

 

[grayceworks]

I wish! LOL sigh. Guess where I am?!

 

[LunaSkye]

Well now, welly well well. This would be fun to test. Thanks!

According to this post, you add 2 oz of hydrated lime (Calcium hydroxide) to 4 oz of water, and 2 oz of washing soda (sodium carbonate) to 4 oz of water. Mix these two, let sit for up to 24 hours, let the chalk precipitate and settle, then carefully filter all this out for approximately 4 oz of lye at 50% solution. It looks like this lye would be sodium hydroxide, leaving behind the calcium carbonate (chalk).

Makes sense. Be fun to try it out.

Is the resulting chalk caustic as well? I'm only asking because I starting thinking of the chalk used on blackboards and sidewalks.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...Guess where I am?! ..."

Um, please don't tell me you're in the hospital???

 

[DeeAnna]

"...Is the resulting chalk caustic as well?..."

Yes, it would be very alkaline right after decanting the lye solution due to the residual lye remaining in the precipitate (chalk). You'd have to wash the precipitate with water to remove the lye residue.

Pure calcium carbonate (chalk) is slightly alkaline, by its very nature. That's why it's used in Tums for treating heartburn.

 

[grayceworks]

Ok, I won't tell you lol.

 

[DeeAnna]

Oh, bummer, Grayce! I'm sorry to (not) hear this....

 

[grayceworks]

Not that I'm telling you -- but yeah, kidney issue reared its head in the form of a 4cm (not mm, cm!) Staghorn-type kidney stone

 

[DeeAnna]

This sounds seriously painful. I'm sad to hear this, Grayce! I sure hope you are on the mend soon. Warm wishes....

 

[Saponista]

I feel so sorry for you grayce, I know how painful kidney stones can be.
hopefully the doctors will help get it out more quickly for you. Thoughts are with you ***hugs***

 

[grayceworks]

Well, a year and a half ago, the biggest was only 3mm, and that was plenty painful, but would require surgery, because staghorn stones are shaped like deer antlers, and just won't pass on their own. But, no insurance, no surgery! Soooooooo... now I have insurance, and looks like my kidney were keeping track, because I woke up the other day in terrible pain, and said, well, I guess it's about that time, eh?

They scanned me and said, wow, those went forth and were fruitful and multiplied! A lot! The initial one went from 3mm to 4cm! From being less than the size of a pencil eraser, to being the size of a soda cap! With spikey spikes everywhere. And they can't operate right away because of my complicated nature, they want to take a couple weeks to plan it out. Which would be fine, except they don't want to send me home on IV pain meds, even though there's no stronger oral meds that seem to work on me. Sooooo, i'm sitting waiting for some sort of decision. And totally hijacking this thread, sorry. Feel free to move it.

 

[DeeAnna]

Thank you for 'splaining, Grayce. Wowser. I don't envy your situation one bit, but I'm sure glad you have health insurance now.