[jessaustin]

Yeah but sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), which McGee is baking up in his oven, isn't as dangerous to use and have around as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is.

[dagw]

The stuff sold as "Lye Water" in Asian supermarkets isn't actual lye (NaOH), but rather a dilution of potassium carbonate or a mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate.