Sodium hydroxide is used to manufacture soaps, rayon, paper, explosives, dyestuffs, and petroleum products. It is also used in processing cotton fabric, laundering and bleaching, metal cleaning and processing, oxide coating, electroplating, and electrolytic extracting. It is commonly present in commercial drain and oven cleaners.
For those, like me, that are not knowledgeable about this type of thing.
Interesting stuff
I started buying it to make soap, but it’s wonderful to have around the house. For example, it’s powerful at cleaning organic gunk of my projects. I take the leftovers and pour them in my AC unit to kill mold. (Bleach is what’s recommended for that use.)
What’s really wild is that sodium hydroxide is a solid at room temp. If you handle a pellet of it, it feels soapy. Not because it actually has a soapy texture, but because it’s converting the oils on and in your skin into soap in real time. (Don’t do this)
It won’t hurt you if you stick your hand in a beaker of liquid. (As long as you wash it off quickly enough!) But you will locate every break in your skin and have perfectly clean nails and skin!
Also known as lye. Most dish washing detergents contain some amount of it, and it’s also used in the making of some baked goods such as pretzels and bagels.
That’s why mixing household cleaners is very dangerous, NaOH is so common but also so strong, that there are oftentimes unforeseeable reactions and products you definitely don’t want
I just remember my science teacher saying 20 years ago it was and dumped it on a wooden table and it ate right thru it.
It’s like probably the most dangerous “normal” acid. There are some badass mf acids out there
What about bases?
A classic would be sodium hydroxide, a pretty strong and also very common base
For those, like me, that are not knowledgeable about this type of thing.
Interesting stuff
I started buying it to make soap, but it’s wonderful to have around the house. For example, it’s powerful at cleaning organic gunk of my projects. I take the leftovers and pour them in my AC unit to kill mold. (Bleach is what’s recommended for that use.)
What’s really wild is that sodium hydroxide is a solid at room temp. If you handle a pellet of it, it feels soapy. Not because it actually has a soapy texture, but because it’s converting the oils on and in your skin into soap in real time. (Don’t do this)
It won’t hurt you if you stick your hand in a beaker of liquid. (As long as you wash it off quickly enough!) But you will locate every break in your skin and have perfectly clean nails and skin!
Also known as lye. Most dish washing detergents contain some amount of it, and it’s also used in the making of some baked goods such as pretzels and bagels.
That’s why mixing household cleaners is very dangerous, NaOH is so common but also so strong, that there are oftentimes unforeseeable reactions and products you definitely don’t want