Bath Soaps & Cleaning

[mrsalvo]

Was wondering what bath soaps / body washes members are using, and clean up routines in shower stalls and bathing areas. Also if there has been any issues with soaps and body washes.

Currently on a search of switching to something that is easier clean up and not so intensive in scouring my shower area. I HATE SOAP SCUM, the build up, WITH A PASSION. It's getting extremely hard for me to bend down and clean the tub area as I have developed arthritis in my lower back. The last time I thoroughly scrubbed everything down I was down in my back for a whole day. I have a shower head above in a bathtub.

Had been using bar soap, Zest, but learned after using it that they reformulated it and now have build up in the area. Getting ready to scrub it again and I can't tell you how I'm dreading the chore. I usually use a towel to wipe down the walls after taking a shower and that has greatly helped on the wall build up and keeping it clean, the tub area is the problem. I have hard water.

I conducted an intensive search on the issue and found that SoftSoap Body Wash
isn't suppose to leave any scum behind. Has anyone used this? Wondering if it would be alright for sensitve skin. I am throwing out, donating to homeless shelters, my bar soaps. I cannot handle this anymore.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. This situation is an aging thing, sadly to say. I rather eat dirt than scour a bathing area. LOL.

Barry

 

[DADoES]

 
I haven't used bar soaps in probably a couple hundred years, except Lava for clean-up after working on something grungy/greasy. 

Some body wash liquids are known for causing graying of wash cloths.

I've been using Nivea Men Deep Active Clean with Natural Charcoal for several years.  It's a gray color presumably from the charcoal but interestingly has not caused any graying of white wash cloths.

I have hand-held showerheads and I sit on the floor of the shower stall with the showerhead hanging down to avoid spraying all over the walls of the stall.  Stand up when done, dry myself with the wash cloth.  Rinse the lower area of the walls and floor with cold water, squeege it dry, then step out and finish drying self with a towel.

 

[jamiel]

The spray-on daily shower cleaners seem to have some value, as does a squeegee. We notice a biiiiiig difference on the shower walls with a water softener on city water here in Michigan versus un-treated hard water in Palm Springs. I would think that body washes without lots of oils would be best; not sure whether there are any detergent bars left (maybe Vel?). Probably bar soap wise the least-oily Dove formulation would be best...IDK whether Lever2000 uses the Dove surfactant formulation.

 

[supersuds]

Lever 2000 was reformulated a few years ago and it's only a shadow of its former self. It's almost impossible to get it to lather. It's also made in Mexico. I wouldn't mind that much if it was as good as it used to be, but it isn't.

Over the past couple of years, I bought up a lot of vintage bars of Zest on Ebay. Sometimes you can get them for a reasonable price. Praise is an even older (and rarer) soap that is a syndet and doesn't leave a ring.

As for a tub cleaning routine, I clean with a foaming cleaner after every use, without fail, even if using Zest. If you let things go, it becomes too difficult to get the accumulation off.

 

[ea56]

I use Zest and David likes to use those new liquid body washes,  either Dove or Old Spice brand.  We thoroughly dry the tile walls of the tub/shower enclosure after each shower with a dry hand towel and rinse out the tub with cold water.  We had a nice handheld shower head on a goose neck extension so the shower head is high enough for my 6”5” husband.

 

We use a cotton shower curtain with a with nylon liner that gets washed every other week. David does the cleaning and uses Ajax or Comet to clean the tub and tile weekly, which are both 40 years old now and still look like new.

 

 I haven't noticed that Zest leaves anymore soap scum that it ever has and we have very hard water.  I think that wiping down the tile after each shower makes a big difference and not having a glass shower door makes for less chance for soap scum build up.

 

 I hate those glass shower doors, way too much maintenance for me, they just never look really clean unless you spend lots of time cleaning them every day.  Throwing the nylon liner into the washer every two weeks is easy breezy, and its always nice and clean.

 

And since the drought a few years ago I’ve gotten used to taking “Navy Showers”, wetting down first, turning off the water, washing my beard first, then lathering my hair, then working my way down my body with the Zest from neck to feet.  Then I rinse off and dry off with a bath towel.  This takes only 10 mins, saves both water and electricity.  I’ve gotten used to it and don’t miss letting all that hot water cascade down my body and the drain.

 

Eddie

[this post was last edited: 12/21/2020-17:12]

 

[mrboilwash]

Body wash in general doesn`t leave much soap scum because it hardly reacts with hard water minerals as regular bar soap does.
I think it doesn`t make much of a difference if a body wash contains more or less skin conditioning oils because the sebum that is washed off from your skin will leave a film on the shower walls and tub too.
So the cleaning intervals will certainly be prolonged when switching from soap to body wash but you`ll still have to scrub the tub.

If stained washcloths are a concern then it might be good advice to use a body wash that doesn`t list anything "Polyquaternium" in its INCI list.
The stuff is known to make invisible hard to remove stains on fabrics which attract soil or dye from other fabrics of the washload and then those stains become visible after washing. [this post was last edited: 12/21/2020-16:38]

 

[warmsecondrinse]

6'5" ?? You're distracting me. Stop.

My soap 'problem' is finding a combination of soaps strong enough to keep my acne under control. Everyone's like, "But your skin is so clear!" Yes, BUT the time and energy required to to keep it that way... Keeps. Going. Up.

I've had great luck with Scrubbing Bubbles. Like you I'm riddled with arthritis and try to avoid the hands&knees scrubbing as much as possible. Scrubbing Bubbles really works well.

 

[easy]

Scrubbing Bubbles

I too use Scrubbing Bubbles and find it works really well. I spray it on all the tiles and the tub and let it stay there for about a half hour. Then I put Pine Sol and ammonia in a bucket with very warm water and wipe everything down with an old hand towel. All the scum wipes right off without killing your back. I know Laundress hates it but I like the scent of Pine Sol.

Just read the label before you buy Scrubbing Bubbles. For a while the expression "Kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria" disappeared from the label. I don't know what they took out and/or replaced. I don't know if any of the "non killing" variation is still out there on the shelves.

David

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Vitabath (the green stuff) is my all-time favorite. Not cheap but a little goes a long way. Neutrogena Rainbath is nice too. If I ever decide to take a bath, I like Palmolive dishwashing liquid. Madge thought it was perfectly fine.</span>

 

[countryguy]

About 3 years ago, I was told about this trick for keeping the shower/bathtub clean and it works great for me. Fill a large spray bottle with water to within an inch or so of the top. Then add a few long squirts of your favourite dishwashing detergent (I use Dawn). Attach the sprayer but don't shake the bottle. Then after every shower, just give the walls and floor a quick spray down.

Gary

 

[mattl]

I use Nivia for men the Cool version and i do get a moderate amount of build up on the glass doors, but a quick rub down with a knock off Mr. Clean magic eraser seems to do the trick. I'll try the Dawn and water method and see if that works to keep it in check.

 

[imperial70]

Yardlees old English lavender bar soap and a squeegee.

I find the bar soap doesn't dry my skin.  I was using Nivea for men but then I found my skin drying out. I squeegee down the shower walls and door before exiting the shower.  Never give anything a chance to build up.  I do use dawn dish soap occasionally to wash down the shower. 

 

[circlew]

If you want to know the truth, I use Dawn or VO5 shampoo as body wash. I have other shampoo for my hair.

 

[superocd]

I'm probably one of the few ppl under 30 using bar soap

It's been my preference since I was a kid. It seems like I get more out of it than I would with body wash gel. I buy whatever I see at the big blue store or the big red store -- sometimes Irish Spring, sometimes Zest, sometimes Ivory. I found Jergens at a Dollar Tree and loved it -- smelled EXACTLY like the little bars of soap that every mainstream chain hotel and motel in America seems to use (I love the "institutional" scent of hotel soap). Went back to pick up some more after going thru my stash and they were out 100%. Thought I'd buy some on Amazon, they want like $10 for three bars -- nope, I don't like it that much.

I only use gels when I go to the gym (wait -- what's a gym? Haven't been to one in almost a year, lol). Since it's been darned near impossible to maintain a gym membership without worrying about whether COVID spikes again & things end up closing again, which they have, I've nixed the idea of a gym membership. Hopefully things change & things open up, cuz I've gained 25-30 lbs, lol. Anyway...

My wife *will not* use bar soap, says it's unhygienic and can't understand how I -- as someone who has OCD -- can shower with something that's used over and over again. I occasionally spritz it with some bleach water. She has 98,275,941 different body washes, shampoos, conditioners...same with hair stuff, toothpaste and dental products, skincare stuff, etc. I keep it simple.

As for soap scum, I wax our acrylic (fiberglass?) surrounds every six months after a good stripping/deep cleaning. The two surrounds that we have are original to our house (built in 2004) and have held up very well - they look new. The previous (and first) owners were more of the "never home, always away" type so they never had any real wear, and water is fairly soft in our area so that has helped.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

I use Pears body wash

And the only kind of cleaning routine I use Is simply just rinsing all surfaces with hot water and there’s no soap scum

 

[askolover]

What do u use to clean the shower? Before I go a water softener I used The Works. It made a huge difference in how much elbow grease I had to exert. Wear gloves and have a fan running or window open because it has some strong fumes.but it really does work...has an acid in it.

 

[retro-man]

We use Dove body wash and the tile walls stay clean it is mainly the tub that gets soap residue. I have tried Scrubbing bubbles and multiple cleaning products. The easiest and works the best for me is formula 409. Spray it on, wipe it off with a towel and clean as a whistle. No scrubbing or waiting for it to work. Can do the tube and tile in about 5 minutes. No long periods of bending down and straining the back and knees.

Jon

 

[gizmo]

bar soap vs liquid

first... YMMV.

I have psoriasis, but no active skin patches for ages - years? Also psoriatic arthritis, which is no picnic when active but it is in remission, I've been off the drugs since March and so far so good.

When my skin was at its worst I was advised by dermatologist to use liquid washes like Dermaveen or QV. these might be Aussie brands but probably similar to other liquid washes allegedly for sensitive skin. My skin was always awful, rough red scaly patches on face and torso. A friend, an older woman, said she had very sensitive skin too and only used Dove Extra Sensitive bar soap. She said all the liquid washes are basically detergents with some oils added to lessen the damage but they are fundamentally bad for your skin. I was skeptical but gave it a try. I have never gone back. My skin loves the stuff. I use it for hair and body, same stuff. No hair conditioner. If I need moisturiser, I use generic sorbolene creme. No more liquid wash.

It possibly does leave more residue on the shower, but I chose to wash my skin in a skin friendly product, not a shower walls friendly product. I regularly wipe down shower walls after a shower with a microfibre cloth (rinse walls first) and occasionally spray shower glass and tiles with dilute chlorine bleach. (Spray, shut door and walk away.) Glass shower door, no curtain. We have a worm-farm waste water system buy they don't seem to mind a little dilute bleach every now and then.

Works for me...

 

[thomasortega]

#1 ever: Algemarin bubble bath. It's the classic of the classics. It turns the bath water dark blue and the foam is also blue. It smells like heaven.
#2: Badedas bubble bath. It's not like the vintage Badedas but at least it comes very close to. Also amazing.... It's the #2 only because Algemarin never changed the formula.
#4: L'Occitane lavender bubble bath (that one in an aluminum bottle) The problem is it costs $40-something per bottle, so I use it only in extremely special occasions, like when I have a date with my husband.
#3: Nivea (original blue) shower gel (but I use it as bubble bath). That's the "affordable alternative" as I usually bath more than 3x/day during the winter or 5 during the summer and I can't afford over $300 per month only in bubble bath.

Soap bar:
#1: L'Occitane Lavender (That huge one that looks like a brick. The only thing i don't like is that it's too big and absurdly hard. It takes forever to finish. So I usually use half, save it wrapped in toilet paper, then use other soap bars for a couple of weeks and then come back to it.
#2: Nivea original blue (imported from Germany, luckily Amazon has it very inexpensive and I buy in bulk. (That's my everyday soap because it's affordable and a soap bar lasts me like 3 or 4 baths only.)
#3: Brazilian Natura or O Boticario soaps (available on Amazon)
#4: Every once in a while, brazilian "Phebo" Amazonian or Roses soap. (Also available on amazon)

During the winter:

#1: Natura Séve almond oil
#2: Nivea bath oil

What can never miss in my shower/bath. I actually have a small stock of them in my linen closet, just in case.

#1: Nivea shower mousse (it comes in an aerosol can just like hair mousse), original blue. This product is somewhat new (released 1 year ago) but OMG.... it's awesome.
#2: Nivea in-shower moisturizer, the one in a blue bottle.
#3: Aussie Miracle moist 3-minute treatment. Gosh, my hair has never been so moisturized, even using expensive stuff. This product works way better and it's ridiculously inexpensive.

Not shower products, but include to this list because I freak out with the idea of looking old. (I bet you all know I'm still 29 y/o, right?):

#4: Neutrogena Hydro-Boost water gel (that one with tons of hyaluronic acid that you feel "frying" your face the moment you rub it. During the first seconds it burns, but right after that, it feels so amazing. (I actually need to go to costco to get more, they have those giant jars)
#5: The good and old Nivea that comes in a giant blue tin. (original from Germany, not the horrible Mexico-made stuff sold here in the USA). I wish they sold it in buckets like restaurant-size butter.
#6 L'occitane hand cream (most of them, except green tea) that come in a small tube that looks like toothpaste.

What I really, really miss:

#1: Algemarin bath oil (white liquid that came in a white bottle that looks like a shell, it instantly turns the bathtub water white as milk)
#2: O Boticario bath oil "pods". (actually, It's being really hard to find bath oil that come in round pods and is not that "el cheapo" stuff that usually comes in funny pods shaped like hearts or dolphins.
#3 I forgot the name, but it's like Jelli Baff but for adults... it's a huge bag (like 3 lbs) that you pour in the bathtub and it transforms the water into a slushy gel. But it doesn't have the bright colors or fruity smells like the jelli baff for kids. I loved the lavender one.

Things that I hate more than ... (i won't say the name of that political party because I don't want to start a political talk here):

#1 The new Dove bubble bath. What the hell Unilever had in mind to make a "High Efficiency" bubble bath? It's kinda like bubble bath, but with no bubbles at all... (and I poured the whole bottle, literally and i had the Conair Fart-O-massage wannabe a jacuzzi bubble thing that sounds like a vacuum cleaner on on maximum power.) It's also "scent-free". The problem is, I bought "Rose" and I sniffed the bottle, it smelled like roses (wow, incredible, isn't it? a rose bubble bath that smells like roses) and.... when you pour in the water, the scent disappears in seconds and the bath water smells like Elmer's glue. Unilever actually refunded me because I complained and I wrote a giant 1-star review.

#2: Whatever cheap bubble bath, like "Equate". It feels like bathing in CLR mixed with Easy-Off. I leave the bathtub with my skin feeling like sandpaper.

#3: I forgot the brand that Costco version of Dove. The problem is it leaves a horrible soap scum everywhere. It also melts literally in ONE shower, just like Dove.

#4: L'oreal Elvive (Whatever product)

#5: Axe Whatever shower gel. It makes me smell like a gym bag.

#6: Dove bar... Not horrible, I actually like the scent, but it melts too fast (one shower) and if I use more than 2 bars in a row, my skin starts to crack as if I were using lye soap.