Household ingredient · Alkali / drain cleaner
Sodium hydroxide (lye, household)
- CAS
- 1310-73-2
A strong alkali used in drain and oven cleaners. It can burn skin and eyes, so US law requires child-resistant packaging at 2% or more.
- Corrosive
- Expert review pending
Concern level
Strong evidence of harm at high intake, emerging evidence of harm, or a common allergen or irritant. The concern level sets how many points sodium hydroxide (lye, household) costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
-
CorrosiveRegulatory
Household products with 2% or more free sodium or potassium hydroxide (10% for dry forms) must use child-resistant packaging. [1]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Restricted | Child-resistant packaging required at 2% or more (liquids) or 10% or more (dry forms) under the "Poison Prevention Packaging Act". | — | [1] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (8)
- lye
- caustic soda
- caustic potash
- sodium hydroxide
- potassium hydroxide
- sodium hydroxide solution
- potassium hydroxide solution
- sodium hydroxide lye household
Sources
-
16 CFR 1700.14 Substances requiring special packaging (Poison Prevention Packaging Act)
“all other household substances containing 2 percent or more by weight of free or chemically unneutralized sodium and/or potassium hydroxide, shall be packaged in accordance with the provisions of § 1700.15 (a) and (b).”
ecfr.gov