Wednesday, January 11, 2006

dropping the bar of soap ...

Does anyone out there still use soap in the bar form? In any capacity? On the sink? In the bath or shower?

The bar of soap is anachronistic. It's outdated. I guess it's still seen as serviceable and functional on airplanes and in hotels. But even then, it's those little tiny bars, not the big, easy to drop in the shower, bar. I'm guessing that the time of the soap bar in these last two bastions is quickly running out.

If you are one of the folks still using the bar of soap, can I ask you a question?

Why?

No. Seriously. Why the BAR of soap, when there are so many other soap alternatives out there?

I'm guessing you use liquid soap for washing dishes ... unless you use the powdered soap for dishwashers. But still, that's not a bar!

I use liquid soap for the bathroom sink, and have pretty much since it came out. No soap scum on the sink or soapdish (and now the soapdish is moot!), no having it pop out of your hands onto the floor. Nope ... now it just a pump or two of liquid soap. Big giant refill bottles for when the little bottle is used up.

In the shower I use a liquid soap too — a nice, manly body wash. LOL ... no loufa ... I use one of those little roundish, fluffy scrubbers with the little rope handle. Shit ... I just found out that's also called a loufa. Or loofa. Oh well. LOL ... Anyway, the lather is amazing and easy. You can shower so much faster with a body wash than with a shampoo and washcloth.

So why are there still so many different kinds of bars of soap? I would have thought by now that there would just be a few bars of a few brands taking up a tiny part of the entire soap section of stores, but here still are tons of soap bars available.

I remember when growing up that we had two types of soap bars — regular bath and sink soap, and then Lava. Lava was for getting the really gunky shit off your hands, after working in the yard all day or on a car. The harsh lye of Lava.

The first liquid soap I can remember is from one of my uncle's farms. He had this stuff that was like industrial strength liquid Lava, meant for people who regularly had to clean grease and oil and that kind of crud from their arms. I think it was called ... shit, I can't remember now. LOL ... Though the best thing to clean off oil/grease is WD-40 (which now makes Lava, by the way!) and then a strong soap.

So ... any of you out there sticking by your bar of soap? Do you also have the watches you have to wind, and the Kodak camera with the square flash? LOL ... Just wondering!

Random Guam Fact Of The Day
• The Chamorro phrase for "bath soap" is "habon umo'mak."

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh what WAS that stuff called???? I worked in a newspaper plant for ages and that's what we washed up with. And my dad and I used it after working around the farm.

Damn, I can smell it.

This is going to drive me crazy all day now, you know...

Thanks a lot, D.

Anonymous said...

Ah! It's called GLOOP!

I had to call my Dad.

I'm so ashamed...

Suze said...

Dzer, like you when liquid soap appeared I changed over straight away.

Can't stand using soap with pubes stuck to it. Yuck! LOL.

Steppin' On Toes said...

I can't use bar soap. The thought of someone else touching and rubbing it on their body....errrrrrrugggggggghblaaaaaaaaaaaa

sassinak said...

i use beautiful tea tree oil soap made by some folks that i adore. they make all sorts of bar soap and it's all decadent and delicious and made with all natural ingredients.

but i don't use a washcloth, just a bar and my hands

also grainned it's so hot that you know how to change out brakes.

SignGurl said...

I use bar soap in the shower. The girls and I have one bar and hubby (who usually showers daily at the gym) has his own. I feel cleaner for some reason when using bar soap. Also as Gigi stated, it lasts longer.

I love Bath and Body Works products and so do my girls who wash their hands no less than 10 times a day each. I am a frugal one with the liquid handwashing soap. I usually dilute it 1 to 1 with water making it last longer and it still has awesome sudsing abilities. I know, I'm a cheap bitch but that stuff costs a fortune and we are hand washing freaks in my house.

Jabbertrack said...

I am a bar soap man

because men use bar soap

and I'm a man

:)

DZER said...

crscntmoon: I’ve heard that … interesting. LOL

chrissie: I always knew that you liked to go both ways! LOL … and you got the cutest lil shoulder shrug ;)

AAG: sorry to drive you crazy (a little sorry LOL) … but I couldn’t think of the name, so whatcha gonna do? LOL

grainne: hell … I had no idea they had soap with prizes in it!

And I think I’ve seen the go-joe or something very similar … haven’t tried foaming soap dishwashing liquid yet … and I like concentrated anything! LOL

AAG: Gloop? That’s it! I was thinking “Gunk” or “Goop” or something like that … way to call the dad! LOL

gigi: hmm … I didn’t count on the squirting kid factor … good point!

suze: need help building a nice lather? ;)

murphy: I can’t remember the last time I bought shampoo!! Word!

gigi: hey; I’m secure with my feminine side ;)

jax: embedded body hair! soap that touched other crotches touching yours! nasty! though, can you do that body rubbing motion one more time? ;)

sass: my ex once sent me some all natural soap, though it was from a different tree-hugging company … LOL … was peppermint, I think.

and grainne is hot with her auto-mechanics, ain’t she?

jenn: I never really price compared the different versions, though I usually buy the cheaper bodywash stuff. For me there’s a convenience factor too … you can shower faster with bodywash, thus saving water! LOL

chrissie: I love your cool globs, baby!

jabbertrack: they have manly men bodywashes these days … or you can just take some raw lime and scrub it over yer body too … hell … ain’t real men only supposed to bathe once a week, on Sundays? LOL

DZER said...

holy crap that was a lot of typing in one comment ... I need to wake up in the middle of the night to hit half of these LOL

Tara Tainton said...

Ah, don't knock it! I've yet to find ANYTHING better than a simple bar of soap for lathering up the legs for shaving. Shaving cream doesn't cut it...no pun intended. And yes, I still use a regular razor...nothing else does the job as well and incredibly smooth legs is a priority. ;)

The Lava soap mention cracked me up. I remember marveling my military father using that stuff. I think he liked the pain more than the cleanliness...

DZER said...

tara: you should consider a shaving gel ... they lather EXTREMELY well ... take it from a guy who shaves his own skull sometimes LOL

and yes ... smooth legs are a priority ... nothing jars one as much as running his hand up the smooth calf of a stripper ... only to hit stubble on the thigh ... *shudder*

and you gotta love-a the lava ;)

terry said...

i'm a bar-soap-in-the-shower girl, too -- dove for sensitive skin. lasts longer, cheaper, causes no allergic reaction.... and doesn't interfere with any of my perfumes or yummy body butter (body shop coconut, anyone??).

whoda thunk your simple soap question would prompt so much discussion??

SignGurl said...

ooohhh Terry! I love the coconut body butter. I feel like I'm somewhere tropical everytime I use it.

DZER said...

terry: I can't believe so many people are still bar-of-soap people! LOL and cocout ... mmm

jenn: hmm .. I AM tropical everyday! LOL

gigi: what a grout story!

da buttah said...

oil of olay shower moisturizer is my god!

DZER said...

buttah: I just knew that you were silky smooth! a good apricot scrub after the bodywash is great for sloughing off dead skin too ;)

Shay said...

my roomate still uses their bar soap in the shower, but we have liquid soap for our hands.
I find that it is still a bit messy (tho not as messy at the bar) because it leaves little strings of soap on the edge of the sink from where the soap refused to separate from the nozle to my hand.

DZER said...

shay: obviously, you need to invest in a top-of-the-line soap dispenser, such as the Soaper 3000 Squeeze Please model, which eject soap as subsonic speeds to prevent nozzle string drips ;)

so your roommate soaps you up with hs/her bar soap? or do you have your own? LOL

Jon said...

I still use a bar, but no longer an Ivory guy. Now I use Lever 2000. My oldest son uses a body wash (BOD I think). He smells a hellofalot better than I did at 13.

I do not expect people that come to visit (and use my shower) to use my bar. I'll ask them what they use and stock up.

It took me 3 years to use up a bottle of conditioner from an ex-girlfriend. I bought a big bottle because she has a lot of hair.

Good question though.

Now what about shaving stuff. Blade or electric? Shaving cream or gel? Shave upward, downward, or both?

My answers: Blade, gel, both (gotta be really close. I want my face feeling like a babies butt... but not smelling like one)

DZER said...

jon: it's all about the bath products these days, ain't it? LOL

and when I do travel (rarely), I bring along or buy my own stuff ... you don't want stranger's embedded hairs ...

I use gel myself, for both skull and face ... though I often (once a week) get it shaved at the barbershop ... one of my indulgences LOL

sassinak said...

i'm with tara tainton on this one... bar soap lathers the best and it's MUCH less irritating than shaving cream (and no rusty rings on the tub)

DZER said...

sassinak: have you tried any of the shaving gels? CRAZY, smooth, even lather ... nothing better for my skull, that's for sure ;)

Hoochie Mama said...

K, I'm a bar girl all the way... in the shower that is. I use Dove, my son uses Ivory, and the ex uses Lever. We all have our own and guests have a choice.

Hand soap - Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Soap.

Laundry detergent - Liquid Tide

For shaving - shaving gel or a body scrub

Shay said...

haha
I have my own liquid body wash and puff ^_^

DZER said...

tequilagirl: I would have put you as a bodywash girl ... go figure.

shay: if you ever need help with your puff, give me a holler ;)

kathi said...

Where did my comment go?? Hmmmm

DZER said...

kathi: hmm ... is blogger messing with us again? *grrr*

Oh So Wonderful said...

I know I'm late but I'm on Chamorro time, so who cares....LOL!

I use a body wash...Victoria's Secret.

Just thought I'd share cause I'm catching up now that I'm back on the rock.

DZER said...

wow ... can't believe you came all the way back this far! what a compliment! LOL