I should have figured the "Lysol" would be making the rounds as I just saw a bit about using antifreeze to tan a snake skin this morning..
Shannon, I'm sorry, but repeating bad information makes it MISinformation. Beginners need to understand that they've been saturated with this type hogwash for years and when they actually begin, they tend to gravitate to this horsespit. The real point is that if you NEED a bacteriacide for your hides, you've already been screwing the pooch before you began. Slippage is caused by bacteria UNDER THE EPIDERMIS causing it and the hair it contains to slough off the skin. Bad field care is usually the first step to achieving it. Then comes prolonged handling by the guy working on the hide prior to salting/pickling/tanning/dry preserving/whatever. NOTHING WILL STOP A HIDE FROM SLIPPING ONCE IT BEGINS. Stop Rot will prevent the bacteria from gaining a foothold to make a hide slip. And not least importantly comes the pH. That has a significant impact on slippage. You do realize that a pH higher than 7.5 (up to a 12.0) is what is used to intentionally remove hair and create rawhide and buckskin,don't you? If you wash your hides in a strong soap (high pH) before you salt it or pickle it, you're inviting it to become buckskin. Stop Rot may be a bit pricey to some of you, but you'll soon learn that it's worth its weight in gold if you dawdle or tarry while you're processing a hide. Buy some.
I understand your point, my point was just that we or I was not intentionally trying to spread misinformation..I actually never saod it was ok, I asked the same question as the original post. I fully understand what it is that makes the hide slip, I did not know that Lysol changes the pH like it does. I will not try it now that I know hwta I do. I thank you and Cyclone for clearing that up. And I do have stop rot and I love it. I asked about a bacteriacide in a relaxer bath because I had also read in a different post that it is recommened in for something like that. I have some air dried hides that someone wants me to at least try to make into a good wall hanger or make them better looking than what they are, so that is why I asked.
Author
