Drain cleaner sodium hydroxide - ok to use?

Formulating

Drain cleaner sodium hydroxide - ok to use?

Posted by GeorgeBenson on April 23, 2022 at 9:05 pm

I’m in Hawaii and I cant get sodium hydroxide delivered to me from any online shop, the only place I can find it is at the hardware store in the form of drain cleaner. Is it ok to use this as a ph adjuster cosmetics? It says pure 100% sodium hydoxide on the package.

Sincityfire replied 2 years, 7 months ago 5 Members · 10 Replies
10 Replies

PhilGeis

Member
April 23, 2022 at 9:30 pm

No.
GeorgeBenson

Member
April 23, 2022 at 9:39 pm

@PhilGeis care to expand? Why not?
PhilGeis

Member
April 23, 2022 at 9:45 pm

It’s a household product held to no standard.
Syl

Member
April 23, 2022 at 10:52 pm

@GeorgeBenson you need to buy technical grade 99.9% pure. The kind you get a the hardware store is gray instead of the normal white color, not the same thing. It has to ship ground… I would contact the University of Hawaii, they should have a chemistry lab, find the lab manager info and contact him regarding a supplier list.
Camel

Member
April 24, 2022 at 2:00 am

Perhaps @Graillotion can help…?
GeorgeBenson

Member
April 24, 2022 at 2:28 am

I was actually able to find some here today at a craft store that is white and says “99% pure, meets food chemical codex specifications”. Not sure if that’s legit?
Syl

Member
April 24, 2022 at 4:10 am

My supplier Belle Chemical in Montana also sells food grade, he told me it was the same as the technical grade, It is used to make hominy.
I have come across some poor quality technical grade that would not completely dissolve in water. Hopefully, you have the good one.
Syl

Member
April 24, 2022 at 4:14 am

There is a higher grade that is close to 100% pure that is used by the semiconductor industry, it is very expensive and not necessary for our application.
Camel

Member
April 24, 2022 at 4:19 am

Syl said:

My supplier Belle Chemical in Montana also sells food grade, he told me it was the same as the technical grade, It is used to make hominy.
I have come across some poor quality technical grade that would not completely dissolve in water. Hopefully, you have the good one.

I also order my sodium hydroxide (and potassium hydroxide) from Belle Chemical. I have had a good experience with them. Unfortunately, I don’t believe they will ship to Hawaii.
Sincityfire

Member
April 26, 2022 at 11:08 am

I’m not from Hawaii but I have used the 98% sodium hydroxide drain cleaner from my hardware store to make soap because it says you could on the packaging and it even came with a recipe. Now I’m not so sure if that was a prudent choice.