# Soap making lye



## sugar bandit #2

Hello,
Does anyone know if Lowes, Home depot, Menards etc sell red crown lye (or equivalant) for cold process soap? I had almost all my ingrediants together to make my first batch of soap this weekend except the lye. I thought this was a very common product in hardware stores but I guess it's been replaced (lye) with a product that can't be used for soap making. I'll probably have to have it shipped from brushy mountain.
Thank you


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## iddee

Lowes and Home Depot, along with most hardware stores sell it. It is sold as drain cleaner. Search the ingredients until you find the one that says "100% Sodium Hydroxide". That will be the lye you want for soap making. Potassium hydroxide can also be used, but is not as common in the local stores. Do not use any that have additives. 100% Sodium Hydroxide ONLY.


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## beemandan

sugar bandit #2 said:


> I thought this was a very common product in hardware stores but I guess it's been replaced (lye) with a product that can't be used for soap making.


It is my understanding that many of the lye products were removed from stores because it (lye) was one of the main components used by meth labs. I'm not sure if its a fact but the stuff sure disappeared from the store counters around here quickly.


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## Bizzybee

So the story goes beeman.

Potassium hydroxide is used for liquid soaps. Sodium for bar soap. Lowes and home depot neither carry any kind of pure lye. The only hardware around here that I've found that carry's it is ACE. I forget the brand, but they replaced red devil with it when it was pulled off the shelves.


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## iddee

Both lowes and home depot carry it here. It is not red devil, but does say 100% sodium hydroxide.

sugar bandit #2, if you can't get it there, pm me and I'll send you some.

The brand name is ROEBIC. It says CHRYSTAL DRAIN OPENER
It is a 2 lb. container. I've forgotten the price, but I think it was 7 or 8 dollars.


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## Focus on Bees

anyone here ever make their own lye using wood ashes ?


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## J-Bees

Old Fashion Lye Soap
www.texassoap.com Used for psoriasis, poison ivy, sensitive skin and more. $2.20 bar.
Strong to Gentle Lye Soap
www.MoSoap.com Old Fashion lye soaps handmade in several strengths, bulk savings
Old Fashioned Lye Soap
www.soapshed.com Grandma's Remedy! Use for Laundry, lice, bed bugs, and Poison Ivy.


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## berkshire bee

If you make your own, you don't know exactly what you'll have for strength. The sapponification charts base amounts on close measurements and a known strength of lye


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## sugar bandit #2

*Found it @ Lowes*

Hello and thanks for the help.
I did find 100% Sodium Hydroxide @ Lowes last Sunday. I think it was $7 or so. The brand name is Roebec.


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## Texas Bee

My wife found at Lowes too. Roebic K-67 Granular Bacterial Drain & Trap Cleaner.

I looked up the web sit for roebic.com, for their MSDS sheets. I don't think this is the right stuff.

I will keep looking for the real lye.

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


I did find this though... http://www.lyedepot.com/index.html


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## iddee

Texas bee, that isn't it, but go to your link and look at the 13th msds down. Chrystal drain opener. It is 100% sodium hydroxide. That is what you are looking for. Check my post above.


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## Texas Bee

Thanks iddee.....


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## D. Patrick

sugar bandit #2 said:


> Hello,
> Does anyone know if Lowes, Home depot, Menards etc sell red crown lye (or equivalant) for cold process soap? I had almost all my ingrediants together to make my first batch of soap this weekend except the lye. I thought this was a very common product in hardware stores but I guess it's been replaced (lye) with a product that can't be used for soap making. I'll probably have to have it shipped from brushy mountain.
> Thank you
> 
> 
> sugar bandit #2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hello,
> Does anyone know if Lowes, Home depot, Menards etc sell red crown lye (or equivalant) for cold process soap? I had almost all my ingrediants together to make my first batch of soap this weekend except the lye. I thought this was a very common product in hardware stores but I guess it's been replaced (lye) with a product that can't be used for soap making. I'll probably have to have it shipped from brushy mountain.
> Thank you
Click to expand...

YES, Menards has 99% lye called santeen lye. Has anyone used this product??


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