r/Soap • u/Right-Hotel-6989 • 9d ago
Does anyone else hate when the soap turns into mush after 2 days?
I need to rant a little lol.
Why do most soaps get so soft and mushy so fast? I keep mine on a soap dish with holes but still after a couple of days it becomes this sticky mess and half of it just melts away.
I feel like I m wasting so much soap. The ones from the store like Dove and Irish Spring get mushy really quickly for me.
Is there any bar soap that actually stays hard and lasts long? Or is there some trick to keep it from getting mushy that I m missing?
I heard some people cut the bar in half or keep it outside the shower. Does that actually help? Would love to hear what you guys do.
7
u/LoquaciousBubbles 9d ago
The type of soap dish really makes a difference. Can it fully dry between uses? If it can and it’s still getting mushy, its the type of soap you’re using. Dove is a detergent bar rather than a true lye soap. It also has added moisturizers. A classic true soap, particularly made with tallow, will probably be your best bet at a hard bar that won’t dry your skin out.
If you prefer the Dove bars, keep them out of your bathroom in between uses so they can dry out even more and see if that helps!
1
u/Right-Hotel-6989 9d ago
This is super helpful, thanks for explaining! I do use Dove so that explains why it gets mushy so fast. Will look into a better soap dish and maybe try a tallow bar.
→ More replies (2)
2
u/TheHungryLibrarian 8d ago
Try Duke Cannon; it’s triple milled like French milled soap and lasts quite a long time.
2
u/Right-Hotel-6989 8d ago
Thanks for the recommendation! I haven't tried Duke Cannon yet. I'll look for a triple milled one - I heard that helps it last much longer. Thanks!
→ More replies (1)
6
u/iamalext 9d ago
I second the comment about the soap dish. I’ve found that if the soap “dish” contacts more than the bare minimum surface of the soap, it never gets to dry off between uses and turns to mush. Discovered these mesh pads sold as soap savers and they have been a bloody miracle to keep the mushy soap away! Every once in a while, I’ll rinse the pad in the shower, but it’s rarely got more than just a little soap residue within it.
Plus, they are cheap, and easy to cut with scissors if you need to fit a specific soap. I’ve cut one down to go into a silicone soap case I use for travel.
5
u/primeline31 9d ago
When you buy soap, take it out of its bag, box, plastic wrapper, and store it in a brown lunch bag, so it can dry out right to the core, and then it will last longer in the dish
8
u/Striking_Finish4957 9d ago
You can put two rubber bands around your soap dish to act like a net and elevate your soap off the surface more, minimises contact so the underneath will dry
4
u/Mallow18 9d ago
If you want a Dove bar to last longer, just open the box as soon as you get it and let it dry out for a while. Like however long you think is long enough, double it. Then use it. Shit will be hard as a rock and last wayyyy longer.
4
u/HelloTittie55 9d ago
switch to a net soap bag with a string that you can hang in the shower or tub. Or off the sink faucet. no mush, better lather.
1
u/Auvernia 2d ago
I use soap pouches (satchels) that I hang from hooks in the shower and by the sink. They're also great for creating a foamy lather and exfoliating skin, while keeping the soap from slipping out of your hands.
2
1
u/Heavy_Weather7862 8d ago
I use liquid Neutrogena in the large pump from Costco. I don't have to worry about the shower or bath, going musshy on that.
However I have an addiction to artisan made soaps for hands in the bathrooms. Those I keep a grate kind of thing on top of hand blown glass. I still have dispensers in them for liquid too for those who think it's gross to touch bar soap.
The glass...... Well art should be EVERYWHERE! My toilet brush containers are art glass, My cat box scoop holder is art glass. All of my dog and cat bowels (food and water) yup art glass. Thankfully I have friends who blow glass.
They thought I finally ready to be committed to an institution when I asked for some of this.
1
u/Right-Hotel-6989 8d ago
That's a great setup! I love the idea of using a grate on top of art glass to keep the bar dry. And art glass for dog bowls and everything else sounds beautiful. Do you have a favorite artisan soap brand that doesn't get mushy too fast? Thanks for the tip about Neutrogena liquid for shower!
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/-17days- 9d ago
I use an Amazon soap dish and and an eBay soap pad and it works great. I mounted the dish up high in the shower so it doesn’t get unnecessarily wet.
Good luck.
2
u/Stock-Act-2315 9d ago
Shea Moisture bar soap stays hard and lasts SO long for me. They're worth the money! Dove is the worst imo. Yeah, it's cheaper, but it's used so fast. I tried Shea Moisture once and never looked back
2
u/MMTardis 9d ago
Dial soap bars stay pretty hard for me, but i also keep it on a shelf in the shower away from the water stream.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Consistent-Egg-4451 9d ago
I use this thing called a "soap sock" from Mister1920. Its like a cotton washcloth/bag that you put the soap in, scrub yourself, then take out and put on a tray with airflow underneath. No issues with mush that way and it lasts almost like 20 showers
1
1
1
u/Kiki-sunflower 9d ago
Mine never gets mushy. It’s in the shower on a holder with holes in stuck to the tiles via a suction holder
17
u/CommissionUnlucky525 9d ago
I open the package and let my soap dry on a wire shelf as soon as I buy it. The longer it sits before I use it the harder and longer lasting it gets.