Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide) Uses and Precautions

Over the last week we've seen a fantastic spike in the popularity of our caustic soda pearl. Also know as sodium hydroxide or lye, this product is one of the most versatile cleaning products available and is a common weapon in many commercial cleaners arsenal. It is however very dangerous and should be handled with care. In this blog entry I'll get some of the safety concerns out of the way then proceed to tell you some of the ways caustic soda, when used with care, can offer a solution to all kinds of cleaning tasks.

The dangers of caustic soda

Before we go any further it's best to stress the dangers of sodium hydroxide. The product is a powerful alkali which is extremely corrosive. Contact with eyes, skin, dust inhalation or ingestion will cause severe burns (ever seen Fight Club?), deep ulceration and subsequent scarring. Always use sufficient protective clothing when handling and using the product. 

Caustic soda also reacts badly with aluminium and zinc and can react violently with acids and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Do not mix with bleach! 

For more information make sure to download a copy of our safety data sheet 

The uses and Benefits of Caustic soda

Now we've got the safety concerns out of the way we can concentrate on what makes this product so useful. 

As a caustic cleaner: Caustic soda is commonly added to water to create a caustic solution. This is extremely effective for cleaning process equipment. This is especially true in the food and drink manufacturing and catering industries where ensuring 100% clean and infection free equipment is essential for health and safety reasons. 

As a De-greaser: Lye is a powerful de-greaser making it ideal for cleaning stainless steal and glass bake ware. It's also a fantastic cleaner for greasy storage tanks. Sodium hydroxide is also the primary ingredient in our oven cleaner gel. 

Drain Cleaner: One of caustic soda's most common and traditional domestic uses is as a powerful drain cleaner. The sodium hydroxide converts the grease clogging the drain into soap (again, a la Fight Club). Soap is water soluble so the clog should flush straight out in a matter of minutes. The chemical also quickly decomposes complex molecules such as the proteins found in hair another common cause of clogged drains! 

    

So there you have it. Caustic soda is a very versatile cleaning agent with a range of uses. It is very powerful making it appropriate for even the toughest tasks list heavy duty de-greasing and oven cleaning. With that comes the danger however so consult the safety datasheet and make sure you've taken the appropriate precautions.   

If you would like to place an order for caustic soda you can click here or give us a call on 0800 074 1031.