Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My Quest for Lye: Please DO NOT use Drano!

on Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Good old sodium hydroxide! Veteran soap makers know that in order to make scrumptious cold process soap, you must include lye in your recipe. But, because lye is a highly reactive chemical and is also commonly used in meth labs, it is near impossible to find unless of course you have a friendly neighbour who happens to be a chemist! If you happen to find lye online, you will find that most companies will not ship it due to it's reactive properties.

Lye is a common ingredient in many household drain cleaners. If you check the active ingredients on your 'Drano' bottle, you'll see sodium hydroxide listed. DO NOT use 'Drano'! In order for your soap to be successful, you need to use PURE sodium hydroxide. 'Drano' also contains other chemicals and aluminum shavings that will harm your skin and perhaps will cause a different chemical reaction in your soap recipe.

So, where can you find lye?

Most soap makers will tell you to simply run to your local hardware store, but in my experience most hardware stores do not carry pure lye.

If you are a proud Canadian soap maker like myself, heed my words: I have been to 'Home Depot', I have been to 'Lowe's', I have been to 'Rona'. They do not carry any such product that is pure lye, and furthermore they usually cannot even tell you what it is! At least in Canada... specifically, Toronto. However, you can find it at 'Home Hardware'. I know... I would think a big box store like 'Home Depot' would carry it over our tiny neighbourhood chain. 'Home Hardware' carries only a few bottles at a time and it is made by a company called 'Gillett's'. The label clearly says 'Gillett's 100% Lye'. This brand, I've heard, can also be found in some IGA stores across Canada.

If you live in the Huntsville, Ontario area, there is a company called 'Canwax' that carries sodium hydroxide. They used to be located in Mississauga, but have recently relocated to cottage county. You can find their address here: www.canwax.com . I believe they only offer local pickup for their sodium hydroxide, but carry excellent soaping supplies at great prices.

I know most of you American soap makers used to use a brand called 'Red Devil', but it is no longer on the market. I've heard that you can buy lye from 'Home Depot' and 'Lowe's' in the states. I've also heard from fellow soap makers that you can find it at 'Ace Hardware' and even 'Wal-Mart'. I know 'Backyard Style' carries a brand of lye called 'Robic'.

I invite any soap makers who have experience buying and using lye to comment about the brand they use and where they buy it, as this can be the most difficult ingredient to find when creating cold process soap. Please also state your location.

I hope this information helped my fellow crafters get an idea of where to buy your soap making lye. As always, happy crafting!

P.S. Do NOT use 'Drano'!!!

37 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 12, 2010 at 5:44 PM

    Home Hardware in small towns in Manitoba and Northwestern Ont. carries their own brand Home lye crystals in a 3kg bottle for $25-29.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJanuary 10, 2017 at 3:37 PM

      I get my Lye Crystals from Home Hardware in Okotoks. Its a bit frustrating since I live in South East Calgary and have to drive about 25 minutes to get to the store, but such is life. It costs $27.99 and comes in 3kg containers. The brand is by Home Hardware I believe since the container only has a blue label called Home on the front. You can also get 500g containers for $8.49 that is under the same brand and called Pure Lye Crystals. I get the larger Free Flowing ones because it lasts longer and is better value for money. I have made hundreds of batches of soap using this and it works great.

      Delete
    2. UnknownMarch 8, 2017 at 6:50 PM

      Is that brand 100% pure sodium hydroxide? I saw it online but can't see an MSDS sheet.

      Delete
    3. UnknownOctober 5, 2017 at 5:12 PM

      I got the MSDS at the store and the only ingredient is sodium hydroxide. Just to be sure I contacted the manufacturer which is CP Industries in Ontario and they confirmed it was food grade.

      Tom

      Delete
    4. AmyMarch 17, 2019 at 4:25 PM

      Thank you so much for your article. And, yes, Home Hardware was were I found my "LYE" 3kg 100% Pure Lye Crystals for $29.99 and 1kg for $8.99. I did not want to buy it online (was also triple the price on /Amazon 1kg=$28.99). I want to support my local stores so hunted for a few days talked to some people and finally ended up at Home Hardware, what a great feeling!!!!!!Thank you all! (Ottawa-Nepean-Kanata-Ontario) Time to start making my wonderful soaps....

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMarch 16, 2011 at 11:29 AM

    This is an older post, but to update from the U.S.:

    You can no longer by lye at Home Depot's or Lowe's. You CAN get it at Ace Hardware in San Diego county, California. But I haven't been able to find it anywhere else except that one store.

    You can order it from The Soap Dish. You have to order at least one other soap supply and you can only order 3 containers at a time. They will only ship Ground via UPS. I don't know if they will ship to Canada, but it might be worth checking out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 14, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    Try Ebay folks you can get lye on Ebay.com or Ebay.ca.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bill_the_BakerJuly 8, 2011 at 1:10 PM

    I get my Lye from www.Essentialdepot.com . their Lye is excellent quality and nicely priced, and if you use the code "ship30" you receive an additional 30% off shipping!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownSeptember 26, 2012 at 7:41 PM

      Great, thanks Bill, but they do not ship to Canada!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 5:05 PM

      Yes they do ship to Canukia. I ordered 32 lbs of KOH, and it was delivered to my door in Toronto. They have an arrangement with our customs as well as our Government

      Delete
  5. Bill_the_BakerAugust 15, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    hey everyone, im just stoppin in again to remind everybody to check out Essential Depot ( www.essentialdepot.com ) they're selling High quality food grade Lye, 2lb's for 3.44

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2012 at 6:55 PM

    Essential Depot has cheap products but expensive shipping to Canada. It would have cost me over $40 to ship a few bottles (I live near Toronto).

    The good news is that Canwax is now shipping lye (but in 1kg containers only) and their shipping rates are much better. I get my oils from them as well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Liquor PigApril 30, 2012 at 6:36 AM

    Lye is pretty basic to make at home. No weird equipment is involved... Just rainwater, wood ashes and a wooden barrel.

    http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownApril 3, 2016 at 2:11 AM

      thats how you make potassium hydroxide. not sodium hydroxide. KOH is for liquid soap.

      Delete
  8. AnonymousNovember 17, 2012 at 8:08 PM

    Montreal quebec, store on mount-royal near saint-denis called Bella pella. So far the only place i have found!!!! 1kg 19.99$ plus our 14% tax. :) good luck. Made a batch today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousDecember 9, 2012 at 7:44 PM

      ^^
      Wow thanks a lot, I live in Montreal , and I've been searching for pure Lye for a long long time. I'm going there tomorrow :)

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2013 at 12:17 PM

      Thanks sooo much for this info!! I live right around the corner from there and have been looking for lye a long long time. Great!

      Delete
    3. AnonymousJuly 5, 2014 at 2:48 PM

      I am new in this...can someone explain to me why high quality lye from ess.depot cost around $7,- / kg and in MTL Saint-Denis 19.99 / kg? Thank you....

      Delete
    4. Felix FelicitusDecember 23, 2016 at 8:49 AM

      For anyone else in Montreal, Co-op Coco sells Lye and many other base ingredients required to make home products

      Delete
  9. UnknownDecember 28, 2012 at 2:41 AM

    The chemical compound is prepared by dissolving Barium Oxide in water
    Barium Hydroxide Manufacturers India
    This results in a Barium Octahydrate that can be converted to Monohydrate upon heating in air

    ReplyDelete
  10. MartineJanuary 3, 2013 at 5:12 AM

    Go see www.saffireblue.ca ... lye is at $7.81 a kilo. Based in Ontario.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cindy LouFebruary 6, 2013 at 10:47 AM

    A store on Bank Street in Downtown Ottawa called Planet Botanix has sodium hydroxide, http://www.planetbotanix.com/ I paid $7.95 for 600grams. They also have other items to make soap with, they carry some oils, herbs etc. They will order items for you also.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousMarch 30, 2013 at 11:06 AM

    Just buy it from canadian tire, jesus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 15, 2013 at 4:49 PM

      Canadian Tire no longer carry it either...

      Delete
  13. UnknownJanuary 7, 2014 at 4:28 AM

    Excellent post! I must thank you for this informative read. I hope you will post again soon.Kind regard Barium Hydroxide Manufacturers

    ReplyDelete
  14. threenornsFebruary 12, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    i live an hour south of huntsville, in minden. i went to my local Home Hardware.

    for $23, i now have in front of me a jug labelled 100% sodium hydroxide.

    it was as easy as walking over to the shelf and putting it in my cart.

    if you buy lye from Canwax, they will only ship it by courier as Canada Post will not handle hazardous materials.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. threenornsFebruary 12, 2014 at 10:45 AM

      btw: it's a 3-freakin-kilo jug of the stuff. i've used it to unstop the basement bathroom sink, wash the cement floor after pet accidents, make several batches of soap, and i think i'm going to try pretzels next (the label specifically says it's safe to use for cleaning milking equipment and containers, so it should be safe enough).

      Delete
    2. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2014 at 10:42 AM

      But is it "Food Safe" for those pretzels threnorns????

      Delete
    3. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2014 at 10:43 AM

      There is Food Safe Hydroxide and the other Sodium Hydroxide used for cleaning and soap. Check Carefully!

      Delete
  15. AnonymousMarch 22, 2014 at 6:27 AM

    Thank you very much for this post! Canwax is only 20 minutes from my location and I had no idea they existed.

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownDecember 14, 2015 at 12:51 PM

    In Ontario Home hardware carries it. I bought it at home hardware for I think $7.9 less than 1kg. In Ottawa, I just called http://www.bscchem.com/HomeSoapManufacturers and they said they sell it $25 for 5 kg(minimum) which comes to $5/kg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownDecember 30, 2015 at 8:13 PM

      Really? I'm in gatineau and have been searching forever!! I was gonna head over to planet botanix next week

      Delete
  17. Vintage SewingJanuary 4, 2016 at 2:18 AM

    that link given to order from the states .1 gallon bottle I checked shipping alone was 188.00 with duty although sale was on a gallon of 17.00.... so not worth it to me to order online either :(

    ReplyDelete
  18. Can Know AnythingNovember 30, 2016 at 5:24 PM

    I was able to find 100% per lye at Home Hardware in Ontario.

    ReplyDelete
  19. UnknownMarch 8, 2017 at 6:44 PM

    Does anyone know if this is okay for making soap??? It says pure but I wasn't sure if it was 100% sodium hydroxide.

    https://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Indoor-Living/Home-Commercial-Cleaning/Cleaners/Household/Specialty/3kg-Free-Flowing-Lye-Crystals-Cleaner/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I3226431?Ntt=Lye

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJanuary 3, 2020 at 10:37 AM

      i read in their reviews some one used it for soap and it works for them.Also its 100% lye.According to spruce blog any thing with 100% lye is safe to use on soap.

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete

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