Strange question....

[Nightlilly]

A little back story...I regularly fight with the shower drain in my home. I'm pretty sure the main issue is the way the pipes were laid and meet up with another shower and the laundry in this jumble between the walls.... don't ask! Anyway, every month or so the main shower starts to clog (regardless of preventative measures) and I eventually end up standing in a few in few inches of water at the end of my shower. This leads to a "fight to the death" that I have been winning so far with the help of every ceptic safe drain cleaner I can find, any kind of wire I can shove down the drain (they never get past this darn 90 degree angle) and the last time a plunger (won me the battle!).

So the issue.....I've been researching soap making for a while now and before I started to make my own, I wanted to try out other homemade soap to see what types work for me. I've been purchasing different bars here and there at farmer's markets and such and using them in my shower. I haven't bothered to use my store bought soaps or body washes in this time. A couple of days before I started using them, I had noticed the water starting to do it's build up in the tub while showering and knew another fight was soon coming. A few days after I started using these CP soaps, I was showering and noticed I was no longer standing in an inch of water, it was going right down the drain!

I know this isn't from some sort of lye heavy soap. I apparently have a curiosity driven soap licker in the family. So, I'm wondering if it could be something that commercial soaps have in them that could be contributing to the clogging drains? I'm really curious as to why the CP soap would clear that up so fast. It's the only new item in my shower routine. Does anyone have any input?

Regardless, I'm thinking it's a FABULOUS excuse to do some serious soaping!

 

[MKRainville]

(my guess) Because the cp soap is made with lye and most commercial soaps are more detergent based loaded with lotion for moisturizers and surfactants for bubbles (like SLS) that the CP soap is pure that it doesnt have much to cling on to... I dont know.. I always thought that because the soap was made with lye that it would help clear the drains quicker. But I am not too sure, I would like to know why this is.

 

[roseb]

Interesting! I too have a problem with the drains in this house. I'll keep this in mind and see if I experience the same.

 

[Ginka]

Actually, as you said that, now I think back and can confirm that we had the same issues until few months ago ( that's when we started using my CP soap!).

 

[Moody Glenn]

(my guess) Because the cp soap is made with lye and most commercial soaps are more detergent based loaded with lotion for moisturizers and surfactants for bubbles (like SLS) that the CP soap is pure that it doesnt have much to cling on to... I dont know.. I always thought that because the soap was made with lye that it would help clear the drains quicker. But I am not too sure, I would like to know why this is.

Hello!! I think MKRainville has the correct answer. Detergent based soap has lather that doesn't dissipate quickly in the water as compared to handmade lye-based soap. The detergent bubbles prevents the water from flowing smoothly through the pipes. This causes a 'back-up' of the water. I have this happen all the time when making my bubble bath powder. After I make it in my basement work shop I wash the containers I mixed the SLS and other detergents. As the bubbly water drains all seems fine until - splash - everything backs-up and slightly floods the floor. The first time I made my powders and cleaned the pots I had a major flood! I eventually discovered the detergent bubbles filled the drain pipe and prevented the water to flow properly.

Handmade cp and hp soap lather dissipates better in water and thus your pipes drains the water better. It has nothing to do with lye since properly made soap has no reactive lye remaining in the soap. The problem is the massive amount of detergent bubbles filling the pipes.

 

[roseb]

Wow, you learn something new everyday!

 

[jean1C]

Just a note. If you happen to have problems with your drain again, I was listening to a Saturday morning AM radio show last year and the guy on it suggested that it may have something to do with the fan in the bathroom. It seems there is an incorrect air exchange or something? I know I made a mental note of it since we had a similar problem and still do.

 

[Nightlilly]

Thanks everyone! I assumed it was the soap because that had been the only change, now I can explain to the family why soap making has been upgraded from a hobby to a necessity, can't have those drains clogging up again! All jokes aside, the drain issues were becoming a serious pain.

 

[AngelMomma]

I have trouble with our shower drain. It has not gotten any better since using CP soap. But I don't think its a soap issues........I think its an I have a Teddy Bear for a husband issue Hahaha!

 

[Nightlilly]

Lol...hair was an issue for us also, so we bought this little plastic "strainer" that's meant to sit over the drain and catch hair. It works really well but didn't completely stop the problem just delayed it.

 

[Nite Hawk]

If the outside septic vent is clogged, ( could be leaves etc) the air / water exchange doesn't work properly, and the toilet and tub often will not drain properly. Had that experiance. Toilet refused to flush properly for an extremely long time until a plumbing "snake" was ran down the outside vent and it cleared out, and then everything worked properly!!

 

[robtr31]

I have trouble with our shower drain. It has not gotten any better since using CP soap. But I don't think its a soap issues........I think its an I have a Teddy Bear for a husband issue Hahaha!

as a soaper we all have lye which is a great drain clearer. gets some in the drain and a little water or if water in drain just some lye clean it right out let it sit when starts to drain hot water down drain.

when we wash up after making soap those left over oils are not soap yet so wipe out with paper towel and wash them next day when they are soap if I get little work shop at home I mite put in a grease trap under the sink