# Liquid Lye



## debrad636 (Jul 17, 2008)

I used the lye calc. to use this liquid lye. It says it is 100% lye. My batch of soap is still soft. Thought it was reaching trace, so I poured it in mold, still held pour marks on top of mold. After 4 hours, it is still soft.
What should I have done.
Please any help is appreciated. I don't want to waste any more oils.

Thanks Deb


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Hopefully, someone who knows will answer you, but even though the lye is 100% the fact that it is liquid, wouldn't that mean it is lye + liquid? So then if you added more liquid there would be too much liquid in the batch?


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

It is not 100% lye. 100% lye comes in bead or flake form. Something had to be added to make it liquid. Whether your soap did not set up because of too much water or because of whatever else was in the liquid solution, I don't know.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

When you set up your lye cal- not sire which one you use, but the one I use has a lye solution box- check it and put it in as a 50% W\W 
This will have you using more lye then you would think normal, but for your lye to be liquid it has to be pre-mixed. You just need to figure out the ratio of water\lye - I would guess it's a 50% though.

here is the one I use- http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

I would try this out on a small 1lb batch of pure lard soap, just in case it still doesn't turn out.

Good Luck!
Lynn


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

What exactly does your lye label read? What is it called and where did you get it. I only found one source of liquid lye and it is sold in bulk. It shouldn't say 100% sodium hydroxide it should say a percentage of sodium hydroxide with water. Vicki


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## debrad636 (Jul 17, 2008)

The brand name is Rooto. It says Liquid 100% Lye Drain Cleaner. It does say inert ingredient: Water. Said that in small print. Just seen it. Comes in 32 oz, bottle. Got the last of it from hardware store that also carried the dry lye, but they went out of business.
Thanks for all the help. I'll try the 50% in the calc.
Deb


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2010)

Deb, dump this down your drain for what it was intended and get some different lye.. using it as 50/50 and guessing is downright dangerous. do you really want to use this on your skin, family skin when you guessed.
get the flakes, granules and mix yourself and there is no guessing...use a good set of scales..


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## debrad636 (Jul 17, 2008)

I will use the liquid lye for the drains. I dumped the batch that I messed up. Learned from mistake. I am glad that this site is here for us to ask questions. I found another hardware store that will order lye for me, at a reasonable price. Thanks again for advise.
Deb


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