Tips for Using Caustic Soda at Home

The use of caustic soda in everyday life is due to one of its properties - to neutralize fats and other organic pollution. It is the ability to dissolve congestion from dirt and organic accumulation that helps to cope with the cleaning of sewers in the private sector and apartment buildings. In addition, caustic soda (caustic soda, sodium hydroxide, caustic) is also used for making soap at home.

Cleaning drain pipes and sewers with caustic soda

There are two ways to clean the drain in the washbasin, bathtub or shower, as well as a toilet or sewer system in a private house. The first is more suitable for cleaning drains in the sewage system of a private house, the second is for cleaning siphons and drain pipes in high-rise buildings. Instructions for use, 1st option:

• 2 kg of caustic soda is poured with cold water (4 l);
• the resulting solution is poured into the sewer;
• about an hour it is undesirable to drain the water: at this time caustic soda breaks down fats and other organics.
• after an hour, pour water (12-15 liters) with a temperature of 85-90 ºC.

With regular cleaning of sewer pipes by this method, the house is guaranteed to not have an unpleasant smell from the pipes, which appears due to the decomposition of food debris and other biological substances. Instructions for use, 2nd method:

• up to 150 g of caustic is poured into the neck of a sink or bath;
• Further, up to 2 liters of hot water are carefully poured onto the powder;
• after 5-10 minutes, hot water is poured repeatedly;
• about an hour should not be allowed to enter the neck of the water.

Tip

Caustic soda can be used after cleaning pipes with acidic substances to neutralize aggressive effects.

Cleaning pots

Since sodium hydroxide copes well with fatty contaminants, it is used to cleaning panspots and other cooking utensils. It is worth noting immediately that this application is not suitable for dishes made of aluminum or Teflon. but enameled, cast-iron and steel pans brings to an ideal state. For this procedure, you must:

• pour water into a large metal container (at least 10 liters);
• pour caustic soda there (200 g);
• add 1 bar of laundry soap grated on a coarse grater;
• pour 150 g of stationery glue (water glass);
• stir everything well and put the dishes in the mixture;
• bring to a boil and keep on low heat for another 2 hours;
• get cleaned dishes and wash well under running water.

Tip

In the same way, you can deal with old fat on plates, only the boiling time is reduced to 10 minutes.

Soap making

Caustic is used in another area - for soap making. Its use is mandatory, since caustic soda is the main ingredient in the composition of soap:

• caustic soda;
• vegetable oil;
• essential oil;
• purified (distilled) water.

There are many soap recipes in which proportions vary and specific components are added (this is the secret of soap making), but using the main ingredients, you can experiment and make soap yourself. To do this, caustic is combined with water, vegetable and essential oils are introduced into the solution. The components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained, after which it is poured into molds, where it solidifies within a day.

Tip

For cosmetic purposes, caustic soda with a high degree of purification is needed. It can be purchased at soap shops.

Caustic storage and precautions

To figure out how to properly store caustic soda at home, you need to find out what it is. What is caustic soda? First of all, this chemical is a strong alkali that causes burns. Therefore, both the solution and the powder must be kept out of the reach of children, in a tightly closed container with the appropriate label. Caustic also refers to combustible and explosive substances, therefore, it should be away from heating appliances and open flame sources.

Caustic soda is stored in a sealed container: powder in paper bags or plastic cans, and liquid in a container made of dense polyethylene with a rubber stopper. The shelf life of both liquid and granules is 12 months. A self-prepared 3% solution can also be stored for up to 12 months, however, before use, you need to check if a precipitate has formed. If flakes are observed in the solution, it is possible that conversion to potassium carbonate has occurred and it has lost its properties. The transparency or opacity of the container does not affect the properties of the caustic.

When working with sodium hydroxide, the following precautions must be observed:

• work in rubber gloves;
• protect the eyes and mucous membranes from the ingress of a chemical;
• avoid ingestion.

If the caustic does get on the skin, you should immediately rinse it with running water. In case of accidental ingestion or in contact with eyes, it is better to immediately consult a doctor, as this can cause serious vision problems (death of corneal tissue) or burns of the larynx and esophagus, as well as the stomach.

A Few Different Facts

Caustic in everyday life is also used for other purposes.

• For disinfection in farms for dangerous infectious diseases in cattle, the premises are treated with 4% sodium hydroxide solution. Animals during the processing of the output.
• When cleaning metal surfaces from rust with acid, caustic is the main ingredient for passivation. After treatment with acid solutions, the metal is treated with a mixture of formalin, caustic soda, ammonium and water.
• To remove stubborn grease stains or oil stains from clothing. Things are soaked for 2 hours in water with the addition of a 2% sodium hydroxide solution - 1 tbsp. spoon per liter of water. After that, they are erased in the usual way. If the wash is hand, rubber gloves must be worn.

Attention!

Caustic soda stain cleaning method is not suitable for silk and wool fabrics. In a 10% caustic solution, they dissolve without residue, but even a lower concentration will bring noticeable damage to these tissues.