Teach Soap

Hi all-
I soaped tonight and opened a new container of lye. It's a brand I've been using for a while with no issues, and the lye is in tiny micro-pellets. I always pour my lye into a square tupperware to measure it, but tonight when I started to pour it the pellets literally started shooting straight out of the bottle, going everywhere. Once I did get it measured and tried to pick up the tupperware with my gloved hands it started shooting up the sides of the container, like it was running away from my fingers. It seemes as though the pellets were static charged. It made a big mess, and I actually ended up getting a tiny burn from it. Has anyone ever had a similar experience and/or knows how to avoid this? It is very hot and dry here, not sure if that might have any effect. Thanks in advance!
Lisa

I think I read somewhere that you can wipe the opening of the lye container with a static cling dryer sheet and that it would help that. I haven't tried it yet, because we don't buy dryer sheets.

Yes I had this happen to me exactly how you said! It went like that the entire jar, and the next jar did something similar but not as bad. What finally helped was to stuff two dryer softner sheets in the bottle and gently remove them when I needed to use the lye. The second bottle went static when I first opened it, so I learned my lesson... always open the jars ahead of time and put the dryer sheets in. I also am careful not to have anyone else around, as the clean up for getting all those little beads is tedious. And now I wear a face mask... as one of them landed on my lip, not a bad burn but think its better to be safe.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

If you are pouring into a Tupperware container, wipe it down with the dryer sheet also, and don't just wipe the opening of the lye container - wipe it over the whole container. I started using stainless steel containers for my lye, and don't have the static problems any more.

Wipe all your containers with a fabric softener sheet. I keep one in my 50 lb. bucket of lye as well.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks everyone! I will definately start wiping down with the dryer sheet!
Lisa