I’ve got a clogged sink, and have been reading the labels on a bunch of different products lately. I’d always assumed that they were a strong acid of sorts, which would dissolve whatever sort of material was built up in the pipes. But I’ve noticed that a lot of these products specify that they’re non-corrosive, so I’m not sure what other sort of mechanism may be at play here.
Yep. Strong bases feel soapy to the touch, not because they are, but because they’re literally turning your skin into soap almost instantly.
I learned this about bleach a while back! I remember wondering why bleach felt slimy to the touch, even though it looked like it had roughly the same consistency as water. Turns out it wasn’t the bleach that was slimy, it was me. I am the slime.
This was a horrific fact to read
Thick bleach is actually slimy, though.
Thick bleach is just bleach that has already found a victim.
That may be true, but lye and bleach are still slippery with gloves on.