Slippery when wet

Ivory soap is known for its purity, but i thought it was harsh and eventually discovered that people in the soap industry agree (personal communication).

Rinse and repeat

though shampoo manufacturers direct us to apply shampoo twice, the second application often seems unnecessary. maybe it's a ploy to induce us to repurchase more often?

meanwhile, everyone knows soap is poor shampoo because it makes your hair gummy. ironically, washing hair with soap can work quite well if the soap isn't too complicated and you apply it twice.

more generally, soap scum often rinses off after a second washing with the same soap. when i have to wash one or two things in my kitchen, i use soap instead of detergent.

another technique is using a sponge as a soap dispenser. wipe soap with a damp sponge a few times, add water, and knead the sponge to make lather. this technique minimizes soap usage. less is more!

Push down & turn

so old-fashioned soap isn't as bad as new-fashioned people think it is, but there are issues. we can put astronauts on our moon, but nobody has invented a good soap dish. the ones that try to keep soap dry, e.g. with ribs or drainage holes, can erode wet soap.

soap dissolving in its own slime is a sad sight, but putting wet soap on a smooth surface can reduce the amount of slime. soap kept like this resists removal, and simply lifting and/or twisting the soap can damage it. pushing down while twisting seems to help.

Just right

people claim that Savon de Marseille can be used to wash anything, e.g. babies & floors. they might be right, but it seems costly.

on the other hand, blending soap is fairly easy. what started as a way to use scraps of soap salvaged from hotel rooms is now an integral part of my life. i have a grater dedicated to flaking soap, and a strategy for blending soaps that are unsatisfactory as-is. i look forward to exhausting my supply of relatively inferior soap, but the results are good already.

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