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Post by LauraD on Sept 11, 2018 14:52:29 GMT
I went to my local hardware store to get some lye and they were all out. The employee said everyone's been buying it for soap (as am I!).
Just out of curiosity, anyone else finding that their store is out?
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Post by Skandi on Sept 11, 2018 15:19:59 GMT
not here, it's everywhere you can even buy it in the corner shops. used as drain cleaner.
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Post by Use Less on Sept 11, 2018 16:16:40 GMT
I've never made soap. I don't eat enough meat to generate the fat required. I think there's a little chunk left in the basement from when I was a girl. My Dad's grandmother made it!!! Best thing for stained laundry, and Dad used it when he got near poison ivy. Maybe I should buy beef suet...
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Post by Skandi on Sept 11, 2018 21:25:25 GMT
I've never made soap. I don't eat enough meat to generate the fat required. I think there's a little chunk left in the basement from when I was a girl. My Dad's grandmother made it!!! Best thing for stained laundry, and Dad used it when he got near poison ivy. Maybe I should buy beef suet... I don't use any animal fat in my soaps, it's not necessary at all.
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Post by LauraD on Sept 12, 2018 13:45:01 GMT
Skandi, we use it for drain cleaner here too, but it's getting harder and harder to find - probably because it's also used to make meth. There are also a lot of other drain cleaners available that claim to be safe on plumbing pipes. @redfish, I've only been able to find it at the local hardware store; everyone else has a different type of drain cleaner that is not 100% lye. And yes, I have to show my driver's license to buy it. As I'm not a hard-core soaper (yet), I hate to order it online: I suspect that it will only provide savings if I buy a large amount, and I don't want it just lying around for years. Use Less, most of the soaps I've made are castile soap: olive oil, coconut oil, a touch of castor oil, lye, and water. I really like the feel of the soap, but it tends to dissolve rather quickly. One of these days I plan to buy some lard and use that for a good old-fashioned hand-cleaning soap. Maybe I'll throw some coffee grounds in for good measure...
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Post by bowdonkey on Sept 13, 2018 0:37:29 GMT
Same here, walmart and most food stores don't carry it because of meth cookers. As of a couple weeks ago you could still get it at Menards, though it's going up in price.
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Post by LauraD on Sept 13, 2018 13:06:55 GMT
Thanks, bowdonkey, that gives me an alternative source!
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Post by Maura on Sept 13, 2018 14:58:18 GMT
Red Devil stopped making lye because of the meth heads. Best lye. When that happened the grocery stores around here all stopped carrying lye for the same reason-- meth makers. The little hardware store in town orders it for me. I make soap for Christmas presents, so I'll buy four or five 'jars' of it. Some one else uses it for soap making and they buy a couple.
I made lard soap last year. You can get it in a three pound tub for $6. Just make sure it is 100% lard. If it does not have to be refrigerated, it's not pure lard. I prefer vegetable oil soap. I use olive oil and coconut oil.
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Post by dustawaits on Sept 13, 2018 18:29:28 GMT
Ask the Amish... they buy it bulk.
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Post by LauraD on Sept 14, 2018 13:18:28 GMT
Got the lye last night. The cashier was nice, too - didn't even ask for an ID. I checked the Menard's website, but they wanted $6 for a one-pound container; the hardware store only charged $4 including tax. So Menard's will be my second choice due to price. What shocked me was looking on Amazon - $10 for a one-pound container? Wow, just wow!
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Post by Skandi on Sept 14, 2018 17:45:21 GMT
good grief that is expensive. we pay about 1/5 of that here. (the $10 price that is)
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Post by farmchix on Sept 16, 2018 9:15:39 GMT
My local hardware will order it for me. I buy a case at a time.
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Post by rick on Sept 1, 2019 21:19:35 GMT
Check Do It Best. We get ours from the local DIB Hardware store.
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Post by LauraD on Sept 3, 2019 12:45:54 GMT
rick, I don't think we have any of those around here. I'm just glad that the local hardware store carries it!
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