Roebic lye from Lowes has no seal. How do yo tell if it's old?

[dogmom1]

Hi,

I usually order lye online, but just read a post about Roebic lye at Lowes and asked my girlfriend to pick it up for me since she has a Lowes close by. Now that I opened it I see it's not sealed. Is there a way to tell if it's "full strength"? Have those of you who buy it there ever have a problem with it?

TIA!

Ei

Edited December 29, 2011 by dogmom1
Tried to fix the subject but it won't let me!

[Stella1952]

I Googled the name of the product and found this link to the manufacturer so you can match the product image and description with what you have. If you are still confused, you can drop them an email with your question about the suitability of their product for use in soap making. HTH

http://www.roebic.com/newproduct.htm

Edited December 29, 2011 by Stella1952

[Kitn]

If it is not all clumped up , moisture hasn't got to it. I would check tho if it is okay to make soap with , like Stella said.

[dogmom1]

Thanks Stella and Kitn. Not clumpy at all, nice and fine. I wrote to the company late yesterday. I'll let you know what/if I hear back.

[dogmom1]

Received this response from Roebic this morning. Looks like I'll be using their product.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Our Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener is 100% lye and many thousands of people

use this product in their soap making.

We are pleased to be of service in this way and thank you for choosing

Roebic products.

Happy New Year!

[Wessex]

This is what I use to make soap. Since I do not mass produce for selling, I do not need to buy in large quantities. Seems to work fine.

[Stella1952]

Received this response from Roebic this morning. Looks like I'll be using their product.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Our Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener is 100% lye and many thousands of people

use this product in their soap making.

We are pleased to be of service in this way and thank you for choosing

Roebic products.

Happy New Year!

How EXCELLENT!! Like Steve, I don't make enough soap to justify buying in larger quantities. Also, with the humidity down here, I would worry about keeping it fresh. It's always good to know of another brand just in case my local Ace Hardware runs out at the same time as I do! Thanks for the update!

[GailC]

I have recently ventured into soap making, so far using the M&P bases. After spending the morning reading on the web about the ingredients in a M&P base I bought, I started considering the possibility of making soap "from scratch."

My first question has already been answered by opening this thread....where to buy lye! We have a Lowes right here in town.

[dogmom1]

I have recently ventured into soap making, so far using the M&P bases. After spending the morning reading on the web about the ingredients in a M&P base I bought, I started considering the possibility of making soap "from scratch."

My first question has already been answered by opening this thread....where to buy lye! We have a Lowes right here in town.

DO IT!! DO IT!! Be careful and take all the precautions the experts on this forum tell you to take, even if you think you can skip one/some of them. Then have a ball! It's the best fun, such a visceral experience to take oils and butters, mix with a dangerous, caustic substance, and make the best soap you've ever used!

I highly recommend Eugenia's tutorial and her first soap recipe. i didn't do the infusion (can't remember at this moment what it was exactly) but the recipe itself is simple and her tutorial is great. If you follow it you will not be disappointed, the soap is lovely! you may already have seen it and heard all this already but in case you haven't......

Have fun!

Eileen

[GailC]

DO IT!! DO IT!! Be careful and take all the precautions the experts on this forum tell you to take, even if you think you can skip one/some of them. Then have a ball! It's the best fun, such a visceral experience to take oils and butters, mix with a dangerous, caustic substance, and make the best soap you've ever used!

I highly recommend Eugenia's tutorial and her first soap recipe. i didn't do the infusion (can't remember at this moment what it was exactly) but the recipe itself is simple and her tutorial is great. If you follow it you will not be disappointed, the soap is lovely! you may already have seen it and heard all this already but in case you haven't......

Have fun!

Eileen

Thanks for the encouragement, Eileen. I believe I am going to do it! It's fascinating to me that you can make a caustic substance, add it to oils and voila!, soap. I don't understand how you have to be so careful of lye, but once you blend it in a bunch of oil, you can wash with it! And I never, ever in my life wondered how soap lathered until I started making soap.

I'll have to find eugenia's tutorial. But now I'm thinking I'll have to buy a log loaf and a soap cutter and on and on. But I can't cut straight worth a hoot. I may stick to the molds I have for a while.

[Stella1952]

I don't understand how you have to be so careful of lye, but once you blend it in a bunch of oil, you can wash with it!

The lye mixes with the oil and undergoes an exothermic (heat producing) chemical change which uses up the lye to turn the oils into salts. This is called saponification. Any excess oil remaining after all the lye molecules have been used up remains in the soap as "superfat."

Eugenia's tutorial is wonderful, but personally I would read MANY tutorials before taking the plunge. The net has many, many WONDERFUL resources for beginning CP & HP soapers. I suggest you first spend some time studying so you can understand the commonalities between different instructions, the basic terminology, the chemical process of saponification, properties of oils, etc.

One can begin with very simple formulas from the oils found at the grocery store - coconut oil, olive oil, lard, sunflower, safflower, canola, grapeseed oils. I read loads of formulas, then used SoapCalc to concoct my own. Playing with my formula in Soap Calc taught me how different oils and formulas affect the predicted properties of the soap (conditioning, bubbly, cleansing, etc.). It's VERY easy to use. I find that I learn more by understanding and making my own formulas than I do by simply following someone else's "recipe." It DOES help to compare, however, so it is not a waste of time to read and study the formulas of others - especially when the "recipe" is accompanied by photos of the finished soap.

For FOs, be sure you use ones that are okay for B&B use - some candle FOs go both ways, some do not. DO check the reports of others about FOs as some cause the chemical reaction of the soap to accelerate - that can cause unnecessary excitement for a noob. For dyes, use ones for CP soap or just go without at first. Materials like paprika, tumeric, and cocoa can color batches quite nicely. Just do simple stuff at first - use water instead of other liquids. KISS - keep it simple!! Trying to do more advanced things at first can leave you scratching your head at which thing caused a problem...

You can start making soap without all the fancy schmancy "stuff" and do so quite inexpensively, especially if you already have a scale and at least one thermometer (several can be very handy). Your biggest expense if you are on a budget will be a stick blender. An inexpensive one will do fine.

But now I'm thinking I'll have to buy a log loaf and a soap cutter and on and on. But I can't cut straight worth a hoot. I may stick to the molds I have for a while.

I did not buy any molds - I used ones I found around the house - a Velveeta container, a plastic cream puff box, even lined some sturdy cardboard boxes. I found a long, thin-bladed slicing knife to cut the soaps. I didn't worry much about whether I cut exactly straight - that's an easy-to-solve problem for later on once I got some experience under my belt.

I use a 2 quart plastic pitcher in which to mix my lye and water. It is tall, easy to control splatters and pours without dripping. I use plastic mixing bowls (I have a set with pour spouts - VERY handy!) and other large plastic containers in which to mix the soap. I save plastic containers from yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. and these become mixing containers for colors. I weigh my lye in them and immediately rinse them out after adding the lye to the water in the pitcher. You cannot use metal materials containing aluminum. I use plastic and silicon spoons and spatulas, chopsticks and bamboo skewers for stirring and swirling. I line molds with freezer paper, plastic sheeting (dry cleaner bags or unprinted grocery bags), or saran wrap. Sometimes I do not even line the molds because I don't have much problem getting the soap to release from plastic "molds."

Remember to NEVER add water to lye - it will make a volcanic reaction that can spew lye water everywhere. ALWAYS add lye to the correct amount of water. Wear goggles and dishwashing gloves, as one drop of raw soap or lye water in your eye can damage your eye forever. Raw soap can also cause chemical alkali burns on your skin, so wear the gloves. You do not need to be so apprehensive as to wear a haz-mat suit - just use care and common sense. As you know, people have been making soap far longer than they've been making safety equipment!!

I do all my mixing right in one side of the sink (keep the other side empty to rinse containers and implements) so that if there is a booboo or splash, there's no problem in cleaning up. I clear space on both sides of the sink to be sure I have room to set things, especially if something is going awry. I keep a gallon of white vinegar next to the sink (with the top loosened) in case I splatter some lye water or raw soap on any unprotected skin. If I do splatter some on my skin, the first thing is to put the affected area under cold running water, then splash on some vinegar and I'm good to go.

You need to think ahead to have some space where you can leave the soap for a day or so in the mold to gel and harden enough to demold and cut. Then you need to have a place where you can air-dry the soaps for a month or more.

When you make soap, make sure there are no kids, cats, dogs, or even husbands around - you want to devote 100% of your attention to what you are doing. Don't answer the phone - they'll call back! Don't answer the door, either. I print out my formula from Soap Calc and hang it at eye level in front of me. I gather all my materials together, make sure everything is within reach so I don't have to wander around looking for stuff, and it's soapin' time!!

This is not difficult nor should anyone be afraid to make soap because of lye. It DOES take some study, organization, preparation and common sense. It does not have to be expensive. It's a LOT of fun and extremely addictive!! Make simple formulas until you get the "feel" for soapmaking, then you can try different methods (HP or CPHP) and more complex formulas and decorative techniques. Before you know it, you'll be a helpless addict like the rest of us!! HTH & GOOD LUCK!! :-)

[Stella1952]

I don't understand how you have to be so careful of lye, but once you blend it in a bunch of oil, you can wash with it!

The lye mixes with the oil and undergoes an exothermic (heat producing) chemical change which uses up the lye to turn the oils into salts. This is called saponification. Any excess oil remaining after all the lye molecules have been used up remains in the soap as "superfat."

Eugenia's tutorial is wonderful, but personally I would read MANY tutorials before taking the plunge. The net has many, many WONDERFUL resources for beginning CP & HP soapers. I suggest you first spend some time studying so you can understand the commonalities between different instructions, the basic terminology, the chemical process of saponification, properties of oils, etc.

One can begin with very simple formulas from the oils found at the grocery store - coconut oil, olive oil, lard, sunflower, safflower, canola, grapeseed oils. I read loads of formulas, then used SoapCalc to concoct my own. Playing with my formula in Soap Calc taught me how different oils and formulas affect the predicted properties of the soap (conditioning, bubbly, cleansing, etc.). It's VERY easy to use. I find that I learn more by understanding and making my own formulas than I do by simply following someone else's "recipe." It DOES help to compare, however, so it is not a waste of time to read and study the formulas of others - especially when the "recipe" is accompanied by photos of the finished soap.

For FOs, be sure you use ones that are okay for B&B use - some candle FOs go both ways, some do not. DO check the reports of others about FOs as some cause the chemical reaction of the soap to accelerate - that can cause unnecessary excitement for a noob. For dyes, use ones for CP soap or just go without at first. Materials like paprika, tumeric, and cocoa can color batches quite nicely. Just do simple stuff at first - use water instead of other liquids. KISS - keep it simple!! Trying to do more advanced things at first can leave you scratching your head at which thing caused a problem...

You can start making soap without all the fancy schmancy "stuff" and do so quite inexpensively, especially if you already have a scale and at least one thermometer (several can be very handy). Your biggest expense if you are on a budget will be a stick blender. An inexpensive one will do fine.

But now I'm thinking I'll have to buy a log loaf and a soap cutter and on and on. But I can't cut straight worth a hoot. I may stick to the molds I have for a while.

I did not buy any molds - I used ones I found around the house - a Velveeta container, a plastic cream puff box, even lined some sturdy cardboard boxes. I found a long, thin-bladed slicing knife to cut the soaps. I didn't worry much about whether I cut exactly straight - that's an easy-to-solve problem for later on once I got some experience under my belt.

I use a 2 quart plastic pitcher in which to mix my lye and water. It is tall, easy to control splatters and pours without dripping. I use plastic mixing bowls (I have a set with pour spouts - VERY handy!) and other large plastic containers in which to mix the soap. I save plastic containers from yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. and these become mixing containers for colors. I weigh my lye in them and immediately rinse them out after adding the lye to the water in the pitcher. You cannot use metal materials containing aluminum. I use plastic and silicon spoons and spatulas, chopsticks and bamboo skewers for stirring and swirling. I line molds with freezer paper, plastic sheeting (dry cleaner bags or unprinted grocery bags), or saran wrap. Sometimes I do not even line the molds because I don't have much problem getting the soap to release from plastic "molds."

Remember to NEVER add water to lye - it will make a volcanic reaction that can spew lye water everywhere. ALWAYS add lye to the correct amount of water. Wear goggles and dishwashing gloves, as one drop of raw soap or lye water in your eye can damage your eye forever. Raw soap can also cause chemical alkali burns on your skin, so wear the gloves. You do not need to be so apprehensive as to wear a haz-mat suit - just use care and common sense. As you know, people have been making soap far longer than they've been making safety equipment!!

I do all my mixing right in one side of the sink (keep the other side empty to rinse containers and implements) so that if there is a booboo or splash, there's no problem in cleaning up. I clear space on both sides of the sink to be sure I have room to set things, especially if something is going awry. I keep a gallon of white vinegar next to the sink (with the top loosened) in case I splatter some lye water or raw soap on any unprotected skin. If I do splatter some on my skin, the first thing is to put the affected area under cold running water, then splash on some vinegar and I'm good to go.

You need to think ahead to have some space where you can leave the soap for a day or so in the mold to gel and harden enough to demold and cut. Then you need to have a place where you can air-dry the soaps for a month or more.

When you make soap, make sure there are no kids, cats, dogs, or even husbands around - you want to devote 100% of your attention to what you are doing. Don't answer the phone - they'll call back! Don't answer the door, either. I print out my formula from Soap Calc and hang it at eye level in front of me. I gather all my materials together, make sure everything is within reach so I don't have to wander around looking for stuff, and it's soapin' time!!

This is not difficult nor should anyone be afraid to make soap because of lye. It DOES take some study, organization, preparation and common sense. It does not have to be expensive. It's a LOT of fun and extremely addictive!! Make simple formulas until you get the "feel" for soapmaking, then you can try different methods (HP or CPHP) and more complex formulas and decorative techniques. Before you know it, you'll be a helpless addict like the rest of us!! HTH & GOOD LUCK!! :-)

[sudsnstuff]

I use Roebic from Lowes all the time and never had any problem. It is cheaper at our local tractor supply company.

Dawn

Suds ~n~ Stuff

[jackie]

thanks for pointing that out Dawn. I bought my Roebic at Lowe's--- I didn't even think to check Tractor Supply--they have it for less than Lowe's here.

[GailC]

I finally found the Roebic lye at Lowes yesterday. I had to ask a few times to find it; got a blank look when I asked where the Lye was. I had forgotten the name "Roebic." Someone said to check the plumbing department when I said it was drain cleaner. It was there; not in the cleaning supplies section where I checked first.

Got a wide putty knife at Lowes too, as I have read several different places that soapers use a putty knife to slice their soap logs. I'm sure learning a lot! Just waiting for my oils from Bramble Berry to take the plunge into CP soap making.