Can soap be "dirty"?

[grubworm]

ok...as a person that has used community bathrooms most of my life (navy bootcamp, navy subs, offshore oil rigs, campground bathhouses, etc) i really want to know: Can soap be dirty?
i've google searched this, reached out to procter & gamble and even hit up MENSA trying to get an answer to this. i had asked a shipmate years back and he quickly stated that soap CAN'T get "dirty" and is just inherently safe to use no matter what. i then pointed to the bar of Ivory soap left in the crew's shower and the "artifacts" left embedded in it.
"Lather up!", i said. he knitted his brow as he briefly studied the bar of used soap and then silently departed...

so now i ask YOU, good members of the overlanding society...Can soap be dirty??

 

[RatAssassin]

A bar of soap, left wet and somewhat softer on the outer layer until completely dry can pick up anything and everything around it, scrubbed into it, dropped onto or landed upon resembling an equally unappetizing Christmas fruitcake.

 

[a12houk]

Loaded question for sure. I would concede that a bar of soap can pick up gunk; but, it would still be completely safe to use.

Soap will assist in removing dirt, which is not really an issue. It's true strength lies in breaking up fat molecules. Even if "dirty" it will wash away both bacteria and viruses because of its ability to dissolve fat. COVID can't live on soap.

Wash your hands, even if the bar looks gookey!

P.S. - a few twirls under running water until all the stray hairs are gone, I'll use it on my face after that.

 

[Ubiety]

So many ways to define dirty ;) Of course my mind went straight to pillow talk, hahaha.

The internets have this to say
If you’ve used a public shower, you’ve probably wondered about that bar of soap that’s conveniently sitting in the soap stand. Is it really safe to use? Fortunately, scientists have conclusive answers for this question. Way back in 1965, a study was done where it was found that even soap that was used by someone whose hands were intentionally contaminated with bacteria did not transfer those germs to the second user. These findings were confirmed in another study performed in 1988 (by a soap manufacturer). So, don’t be afraid to use that bar of soap, no matter where it has been sitting. There’s much more risk of germs from not washing your hands than by washing them – even with a less than perfectly clean bar of soap.

 

[a12houk]

So many ways to define dirty ;) Of course my mind went straight to pillow talk, hahaha.

The internets have this to say
If you’ve used a public shower, you’ve probably wondered about that bar of soap that’s conveniently sitting in the soap stand. Is it really safe to use? Fortunately, scientists have conclusive answers for this question. Way back in 1965, a study was done where it was found that even soap that was used by someone whose hands were intentionally contaminated with bacteria did not transfer those germs to the second user. These findings were confirmed in another study performed in 1988 (by a soap manufacturer). So, don’t be afraid to use that bar of soap, no matter where it has been sitting. There’s much more risk of germs from not washing your hands than by washing them – even with a less than perfectly clean bar of soap.

BOOM - GOOGLED!

 

[Ubiety]

BOOM - GOOGLED!

I found some other "interesting" examples of "dirty" soap first but family friendly forums and all ;)

 

[bgenlvtex]

Dude, you didn't get Monkey Pox from that bar of soap.

 

[grubworm]

i remember back in the 80s we had "navy issue" soap. it was made in Wuhan...back then i thought Wuhan was a city in Wisconsin...

also, the movie Demolition Man came out and had the scene where you used "the three seashells" in the bathroom.



we had something similar on the navy submarines...

 

[TOMICON]

OMG! I am actually laughing this community is great!

 

[MazeVX]

I would just assume that "real" soap that's cooked and not just some sort of modern crap has some chemical characteristics that work against it so bacteria wouldn't survive on its surface and the dirt you can see is mostly not dangerous.

So I voted for no as long as it is real soap

 

[Mike W]

I'm not sure why I felt the need to read this thread, but that is 3 minutes I am not getting back. Carry on.

 

[grubworm]

I'm not sure why I felt the need to read this thread, but that is 3 minutes I am not getting back. Carry on.

every vote counts...

 

[YoKramer]

While yes soap can get "dirty" you can also then clean the soap by washing it with and another bar of soap making that bar dirty and someone elses problem.

 

[Carnage_95YJ]

While yes soap can get "dirty" you can also then clean the soap by washing it with and another bar of soap making that bar dirty any someone elses problem.

Lol!

 

[Anak]

Oh absolutely yes.

I have seen a bar of soap dropped by The Varmints... artifacts is a good word...

But on the other hand, it is not too hard to wash the bar of soap and restore its virtues.

Now liquid soap, that could be another issue. Let mold start growing in that stuff and there is no way to redeem the soap.

 

[Viking1204]

This has to be an "I'm bored" thread LOL! Not sure how @grubworm can be bored in the middle of a trailer build!

 

[MOAK]

I don’t use soap. It’s all a dirty little conspiracy to keep us all from becoming french. I’m still waiting to hear what MENSA has to say about this.

 

[grubworm]

This has to be an "I'm bored" thread LOL! Not sure how @grubworm can be bored in the middle of a trailer build!

my mind starts to wander when i'm doing mundane stuff like sanding plywood or painting cabinets...