I personally think that liquid body soaps are a

[Cil]

Waste of money. I have gotten some last christmas for presents and I'm now using the last one. They don't even last a month and I'm the only one using it. I'll stick to bar soaps that I know last at least a month for one bar.

[Shamrock1121]

It is expensive, UNLESS you know how to make it go farther..... :D

I use "the FOAMPUMP". This is a pump container that holds 2+cups of liquid. Place 2 T. liquid soap into the container and fill it with 2 c. water (shake). It pumps a mousse-like foam. Instead of using an 8-to 10-oz. liquid soap pump dispenser in the kitchen in a month, it takes years to use it by mixing it with water in the Foampump.

I also have a Euro-Foamer in the shower. Once again, you mix liquid soap with water. It takes 1/4 of the clear cap (on the top of the dispenser) of soap and 2 caps of water. I used an expensive bottle of liquid bath soap for years using the Euro-Foamer.

Hubby likes bar soap, so I keep the slivers and make liquid soap out of them for use in a standard pump dispenser.

The CHEAPEST bar of soap is ZOTE, the laundry bar made in Mexico. Not only is it great for pre-treating spots and making homemade laundry detergent (WAY cheaper than Fels Naptha); you can slice this jumbo-size bar into 1/2-3/4-inch slices and use it in the shower as well. One 80-cent bar of ZOTE sliced into bars has lasted us a year.

It's scented with citronella, so it may help repell mosquitoes.

-Karen

[Katrina-Sisu]

Shower gel or bathwash can give girls and guys yeast infections in their nether regions. The treatments for those are pretty expensive.

Also if you have a chemical allergy or a tendancy for dry skin, shower gels and liquid soaps make it worse.

Kat

[Katrina-Sisu]

Oh and wanted to say I hate those things lol. I am a big fan of plain old non-smelly bar soap lol.

Kat

[crunchycon]

The only plus about the liquid body soaps is that they leave considerably less soap scum in the shower. Having said that, if you wish to use a liquid soap vs. bar soap (I switch, depending on what I have on hand), use cheap shampoo. A little dab'll do ya!

[MotherCharlotte]

I cringe when I think of how much I used to spend on liquid body wash in my younger days...it's true that the stuff doesn't last very long at all and it's ridiculously expensive.

Now that I am older and wiser ;). I use generic brand goat's milk soap, I get it on sale for $1 a bar and I find one bar lasts for a pretty long time, maybe a couple of months. I've tried using Ivory which is even cheaper, but I found it made my skin itchy. Now I just use Ivory bars as hand soap. Ivory can be got for so cheap, when it goes on sale it's 10 bars for $2 usually.

Bar soap does leave scum in the tub, but it can be washed off with a bit of elbow grease, so I can live with that. :)

[Shamrock1121]

....... Bar soap does leave scum in the tub, but it can be washed off with a bit of elbow grease, so I can live with that. :)


MotherCharlotte -

We've found in our hard water, adding epsom salts to the bath water and using a high-fat soap (like Dove or Caress - we use the Aldi brand that's similar and less expensive), it helps prevent soap scum. *I buy 8# bags of Epsom Salts at Sam's Club. *You can "doctor" it up with some essential oils if you like. *

Adding a shot of all-purpose cleaner like Shaklee's Basic H or Nature's Sunshine Concentrate to the bath water can also help with scum. *

To keep the shower stall clean and spot-free, we use a small squeegee to remove drops of water from the walls after each shower.

We had a water softener at our last home, and I loved it because I could use a couple drops of liquid Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, or liquid Kirk's Castile Soap. *When I mixed those in a Foam Pump Dispenser they lasted ever so long.

When we were very poor and hubby was in college, a store went out of business and I got Ivory Soap for something like 10-cents a bar. *I bought all we could afford and we used Ivory Soap for years after that. * ::)

Modified to add: Heads up when buying bar soap.... As with many other things, the size of the bars are getting smaller and smaller and the price remains the same, or goes up. Make sure you don't just go by number of bars, but also unit price - how much per oz. I got lucky at a salvage store about a year ago and found bar soap at reduculously low prices and stocked up.

ZOTE is still the cheapest we use. *

-Karen

[millctrader]

just a note- my grandson had really bad dry skin, the doctor said that using liquid soap was the worste thing you can do for your skin- it is exremely drying.

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear Katrina-Sisu,

You wrote:

Shower gel or bathwash can give girls and guys yeast infections in their nether regions. The treatments for those are pretty expensive.



Oh well. *So much for Axe and it's added "Bom-Chicka-Wah-Wah!"

http://youtube.com/groups_videos?name=bomchickawahwah

;D *;D *;D *;D *;D *;D *;D

Fortunately, it hasn't done that to me, but one probably could make one's own shower gel if you knew the essences to make it.

In the meantime, I only buy Axe when it comes in a special two-for-one pack and with the occasional enclosed Devil Ducky offer. Even then, I use it in combination with bar soap to make them both last longer.

[ryanmercer]

I"m odd and just use pure bars of glycerine.

[MYellowRose]

I use the cheapest kind and put a spot about the size of a nickle on the net scrubbie that I bathe with. We've had our current bottle for several months. Have learned to give the girls a bar of Ivory soap as they tend to play with it. Bought DD the kind she liked for Mother's day from the girls and I and I know she will make it last several months. I think this is one of those products where you either love it or you hate it. I personally love the stuff and know how to ration it so it lasts a long time. When I lived alone one 19 oz. bottle would last me from 4-6 months of daily showers.

[Maranna]

I buy Irish Spring bar soap from the Dollar General store. I get 8 lg bars for $2. Then I take them home, take them out of their boxes and put them in with my clothes. The soap dries out, lasts longer and makes my clothes smell better.

When I store seasonal clothes in the portable closets, I add several bars of soap.

Since I'm alone, one large bar will last me a couple of months.

[swedishfish]

the one liquid soap everyone should have in their gear is Dr Bronners. Use it for your hair, teeth, body, laundry, dishes, or carpets. http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm check out the FAQ. Its pretty cheap when you realize it can take the place of many many essential dry goods and sundry products you should have in your preparedness gear. Add a small bottle to your BOB and be happy