Soap Scum

[SilverMaple]

I've had a few people tell me that while they love the idea of handmade soap, they just won't use it because of 'the mess it makes in the shower' with soap scum. Others claim it clogs drains. And of course, these people tend to be saying this in front of others who are considering buying something at a show! But, I digress...

Now granted, I have noticed I need to be a bit more diligent with my tub/shower cleaning using soap instead of body washes, but nothing to really complain about. It's more of an oily scurf than the impossible-to-remove soap scum most detergents leave behind. I'd rather have to give my shower a once-over with the Magic Eraser every now and then when the alternative is to have dry, itchy skin. One of my shower drains is slow at times, but whether that's from the soap used for bathing, me dumping rinse water from soap pots down it, or simply a complaint of a 100-year-old house, I have no idea.

That TV ad showing how 'soap' leaves a scum on the body and 'Dove' does not isn't doing us any favors either, although I suspect the 'soap' in question is more of a detergent bar than actual soap.

And then earlier today, a friend called me after going to Bath and Body Works at the mall (I sent her to see if she liked a fragrance I was thinking of using in a soap and body butter she wanted). In visiting with the sales clerk, she mentioned how a friend of hers makes handmade soap. The clerk was adamant that handmade soap leaves 'dangerous and filthy deposits' on the shower and bathtub, while BBW's 'far superior products' do not.

Has anyone else run into this type of 'handmade soap hater' crowd concerned about soam scum?

 

[Vic1963]

I have noticed since we use the soaps that we make that we do have tub scum a little more than we do with body wash. BUT, we still LOVE the bubbly lather that we get with our handmade soaps...

Some of mine are worse than others, the ones that I use lard in, and my ones that I used soybean flakes or Tallow, seem to do it worse for some reason.....BUT, still not bad enough to merit not using it.

I love the idea of not using detergents on my skin and body.

BUT, I make a 100% coconut oil soap, that I use to clean my tub and sink....so, soap dirties the tub.....and soap cleans the tub...LOL.

I'd say your soaps are awesome !! Some people would gripe if their chicken laid a golden egg.......lol.

 

[Saltysteele]

you hit the nail on the head, Vic.

BBW - what are they doing that is different from every other detergent producer? Aside from all the pretty flavors, nothing. Like the sales clerk had any flipping idea what she was talking about, when referring to homemade products.

I'm tellin' ya, there is nothing the raises my hackles as much as when a "sheep" decides to chime in and let you know "what they know," when really they know nothing, but have been told everything with no research on their behalf.

 

[carebear]

I have not run into handmade soap haters. But I have run into people with legitimate issues with soap scum, soap bars that get soft and gooey, and the drain clogging thing.

All true - and for some of us it's worth dealing with or finding ways to avoid. For others, not so much.

Handmade soap is not superior. Commercial bars are not superior. True soap is not superior. Syndet bars are not superior. All have their place and their supporters for good reason.

 

[Guest]

I haven't run into a soap hater , yet .
I have noticed that soap scum is directly related to what kind of shower or tub you have .
We had an acrylic molded tub thingy in our last house , soap scum loved that sucker . This house has a cast iron , enamel ? coated tub, no soap scum , at all ever . Downstairs is acrylic , it gets soap scum , depends on the recipe though too on how bad it is .
We clean the shower or tub after we use it , so soap scum is not an issue . I don't understand why it really is anyway ,if you clean your tub and shower after you use them. Soggy mushy soap though is an issue .
I would ask the people that complain and go back to store bought , what do they think it does to their skin if it leaves the tub or shower looking so clean .

Kitn

 

[tincanac]

ditto on the acrylic versus enamel thing!!!

If someone does make a derisive comment about handmade soap clogging the drain, I'd just point out that a scummy drain can be easily taken care of with a few flakes of caustic soda (lye) and some water, or even ....a more diligent cleaning schedule :wink: - but dry, flaky, scaly skin persists longer and costs a fortune to repair :twisted:

 

[Rosey]

You know, maybe I'm crazy but I actually have to scrub my tub LESS since using handmade soaps.

 

[LJA]

I have. They loooove my soap but won't buy bars of soap because "you get more scum" than body wash. I agree, you do. But it's minimal and before I made soap I was a bar soap hater for the same reason. :shock:

It is what it is, I s'pose. I just scrub my tub more. It's worth it to me. To others, it may not be.

Edit: Interestingly, Kitn - I have an acrylic air tub.

 

[Guest]

There we go . I hope more people chime in with things they have noticed about soap scum .

Kitn

 

[krissy]

i have definitely noticed more soap scum and i have also noticed that it is supper easy to get it off. i have had to use all sorts of cleaner to remove soap scum after using a commercial bar of soap but i noticed that i can even use the same bar of my soap that made the scum to clean the scum.

 

[LJA]

So what's the chemical in the store bought commercial stuff that prohibits it?

 

[jarvan]

I think the soap scum helps me clean my tub. Call me crazy, but it IS soap!

 

[Maria]

Since soap reacts with minerals in water, maybe people with harder water have more of a problem with soap scum. It is no trouble to clean the showers here.

 

[Saltysteele]

Since soap reacts with minerals in water, maybe people with harder water have more of a problem with soap scum. It is no trouble to clean the showers here.

i had wondered about that, as well, maria. we've got a water softener, and have no trouble with soap scum, whether homemade, store bought or whatever.

it got me to wondering about if salt was added to the soap? the reason being, the salt in the softener strips the resin beads of the charged minerals.

if you were to add salt, would it not attract the minerals that are causing the issue?

has anyone noticed soap scum with salt bars?

 

[IrishLass]

My salt bars actually remove soap scum from my shower. I use it on the shower doors and it gets them sparkling clean.

I haven't noticed any extra scum beyond the norm since using my handmade soaps, but like Krissy mentioned, I too have noticed that the scum that I do get is much easier to remove since using handmade.

We have a fiberglass shower floor with ceramic tile walls and textured glass doors. Although we get scum on the shower floor and on the glass doors, I never get any scum on my ceramic tiled walls, so maybe there is something to be said about different surfaces being more scum prone. We have hard water, btw.

IrishLass

 

[kittywings]

I live in a hard water area but haven't noticed a soap scum issue... though when I made my "all purpose cleaner" (1/3 dish detergent & 2/3 vinegar in a spray bottle) with my supposed 100% coconut "cleaning soap" instead of the dish detergent, I got a greasy film on everything. I don't really give scum a chance to build up though, so I can't be 100% sure, but my mom hasn't said anything either.

I guess if someone complained to me about it, I'd tell them to spray their shower down my the dish det./vinegar mix every week or so and there's no issue!

 

[wookie130]

Bah! Soap scum!!! I don't let it get to me, although I'll admit that my tub gets a bit scummy with my handmade soap. Nothing a shot of some warm vinegar water won't cut right through!!!

 

[gekko62]

Soap is a weak salt of sodium(or potassium if it's liquid soap) which combines with calcium & magnesium in water(hardwater =more/soft=less) which forms 'scum'. No idea why it adheres differently to various surfaces tho.
Also the superfatting we do would leave some oil on the bath-tub as well as on skin.
So it's a trade off isn't it? Dry itchy skin & a clean shower,or a bit of scum & skin softer & better conditioned than it's been in years.No brainer for me!:wink:

 

[Saltysteele]

i agree!

i HATE that all-over itchiness post showers!!

 

[Cortney]

i agree!

i HATE that all-over itchiness post showers!!

ME TOO!!! Once on a trip, pre soapmaking, I forgot my lotion and suffered lotion free from Nevada to Colorado. I was so itchy I resorted to using rosebud on my face, arms, and neck. Stupid me didn't even think to stop and buy some lotion lol

So yes, I'll take the scum over yucky feeling skin any day!

I've noticed an increase in soap scum in the tub and shower but it was the easiest scum removal I've done. We have moved 5 times in 7 years and I always clean bathrooms before anyone can use them. Some of that scum was impossible to remove after one good scrubbing. Sometimes it would take me several weeks to remove it, if at all.