Can you reheat lye water?

You can safely reheat lye water when making soap, but you need to be careful. Heating it on the stove top can be dangerous and even microwaving it can cause problems. They trick is to heat it in a safe place and slowly. The best way to reheat lye solution is to use a hot water bath.

How do you clean lye?

Sweep up granulated lye with a dry broom. Then, dump them into your drain and rinse down with plain, cold water. Once all the granules are cleaned, use a cloth or mop dampened with plain cold water to go over the entire area several times to make sure you get every last dust-speck of lye cleaned up.

What can you do with leftover lye?

To dispose of the lye, you can mix it with distilled water and pour it down the drain. Lye is actually found in most drain cleaners. If you’re worried about your drain, you can also contact your local waste management services to find out how to dispose of hazardous materials.

How do you dispose of lye water?

Lye is considered hazardous waste and is subject to federal, state and local disposal regulations. Do not pour lye down the drain, into a toilet, storm sewer, on the ground, or put it in your trashcan to go out with your day-to-day trash. Wear long sleeves, long pants, protective goggles and gloves when handling lye.

Can you premix lye water?

Use the diluted lye solution as you would a freshly made pitcher of lye-water to make your soap. You can mix the pre-made solution and store it for later use. Just store it safely.

Does lye water go bad?

The shelf life of lye, sodium hydroxide, when properly stored is one year. After a year it is possible for your lye to work, but you should do a small batch to test whether the lye is still good. If it is actually expired, then it may not come to trace quickly or could separate after it is poured or set up.

How does lye react with water?

Mixing water and lye creates an exothermic reaction that causes a dramatic temperature increase. Adding lye to room temperature water can cause the water to reach temperatures up to 200 ° F. The mixture also creates fumes, which should not be inhaled.

Can you flush lye down the toilet?

Lye is a strong alkaline solution made from sodium or potassium hydroxide. It is used in soapmaking and for cleaning and opening drains. If your toilet becomes clogged, sprinkling a small amount of lye in the toilet will help unclog it. Flush the toilet.

How do you make liquid lye?

How to Make Lye – Method #1

1. Fill a glass or stainless steel pot with ashes.
2. Add soft water to barely cover the ashes.
3. Boil the slurry about half an hour.
4. Let the mixture cool and the ashes sink to the bottom of the pot.
5. Skim the liquid from the top and store it in a plastic, glass, or wooden container.