Soap and plumbing

[whitewitchbeauty]

I was talking to a lady where I work and she was asking me about my soap. I told her I make cold process soap and she asked is that the stuff with lye? I told her it is. I told her that the lye goes through a process (saponification) once the lye and water mix meets the oils when it's 100°. She said it doesn't matter, that kind of soap is bad for the plumbing in drains in People's homes. I told her I don't think that's true but I better make sure. Is that true? Does cold process soap damage people's plumbing and drains?

 

[LittleCrazyWolf]

How does she think the soap at the grocery store is made? With oils and lye. If you have a reasonable superfat and modern plumbing then you shouldn't have a problem.

My house was build in the 40's and I've never had a problem with the plumbing.

I've also had a lady tell me she can't use my soap because I use animal fat...she said she'll just keeping using her Dove Unscented for Sensitive Skin...yeah, that has tallow in it.

 

[Wildcraft_Garden]

I've always been a little wary of raw soap batter. I'd imagine if you make a lot of soap, the Lye might do some harm. I scrape my bowls as good as I am able and wash them the next day once it's saponified.

 

[Relle]

So what happens when people put caustic down the sink ( which most buy it for, other than us) to remove blockages. Doesn't this woman know that's what people do.

 

[rainycityjen]

I think she's thinking of pure lye. I imagine recurring use on corroded metal pipes may not be the best idea. Or in a sink with a disposal since there could be splashback the next time you turn it on. But it doesn't damage PVC, and cured soap certainly isn't caustic enough to cause damage to any type of pipe.

 

[CaraBou]

Or was she referring to oil buildup and soap scum in the pipes rather than the effects of lye?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My thoughts, also. Lye-based soap the way we make will have some superfat, whereas a syndet won't have. That might have been the worry, rather than the lye itself

 

[Arimara]

How does she think the soap at the grocery store is made? With oils and lye. If you have a reasonable superfat and modern plumbing then you shouldn't have a problem.

My house was build in the 40's and I've never had a problem with the plumbing.

I've also had a lady tell me she can't use my soap because I use animal fat...she said she'll just keeping using her Dove Unscented for Sensitive Skin...yeah, that has tallow in it.

I'm done.

 

[Susie]

She's probably from the, "I'll only buy soap with no lye!" club.

 

[whitewitchbeauty]

She is based on what she said. I had to decide what battles to fight and sat this one out ;-)