AIBU to return to using liquid soap?

[littlecabbage]

I switched to bar soap about a year ago, in an effort to reduce plastic waste (i.e. the bottles and pump mechanisms that come with liquid soap).

Since then, the cloakroom and bathroom basins have become slow to drain on many occasions. Pouring boiling water down only eases the problem slightly, and I have tried combinations of white vinegar and bicarb of soda (as recommended by t'internet). Eventually I have had to unscrew the pipe under the basin and clear out the clogged soap.

But in the last few weeks, two of my outside drains (that the kitchen sink and dishwasher drain into) became blocked, and I had to pay someone over £100 to unblock one of the pipes. He said it was full of food waste and soap. We are pretty good at scraping plates into the bin, so I suspect it was mostly soap.

Does anyone else get this issue? Surely our grandparents would have always used bar soap? I have ordered a bag of washing soda crystals (again as recommended by t'internet) to use in the basins/sink on a monthly basis, but am worried that if it doesn't work, the outside drains will block again.

Very tempted to return to liquid soap.....AIBU?

I haven't had a problem with blocked drains yet, but oh my god the soap scum on our shower is something else since we switched. And actually if that's what it's doing to our shower then it probably is clogging up the drains! We live in a really hard water area....

Trying to be eco is so haaaaaaard!

Re firm soap - you need to look for triple milled soap. It stays waaay firmer than other soap. I've been using the same bar for about the last year.

We have a local food (and other things) co-op, you pay a small amount to be a member then you can go and refill lots of things from huge vats, hand soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, rice, pasta, flour, grains, sugar, salt, too many things to list here, you just take your own jars and bottles, mine are mainly glass now other than laundry and I have two huge old comfort bottles I refill. They also have a deal with local allotments for fruit and veg, it's very cheap and the cleaning and sanitary products are all eco friendly ones. Have a Google/FB hunt for similar in your area.

Another vote for splosh.

We have their hand wash in the kitchen and it does the job. We order the refills online.

HG drain unblocker. Unblocks anything. Any amount of hair, food bits etc. We live in a hard water area, but I will never give up my soap. Liquid stuff makes my hands sore. Apart from the fact that bar soap does leave you cleaner and actually fully washes off!

We buy large bottles of hand-wash and decant. We buy as large as possible bottles of shower gel as we can. I can't use soap as it makes my skin dry, flaky and causes it to itch so much I scratch until I bruise and bleed (this happens anyway but us much worse after soap). I find soap leaves a sort of film on your body that doesn't seem to rinse. We have been trying to reduce plastic usage in many ways but I'm afraid soap on a no go.

The trouble with using plughole unblockers like Mr Muscle etc, is that I would feel like I was negating any positive environmental effect of using soap, by chucking a load of chemicals down the sink!

Am hoping washing soda is fairly benign?

Splosh looks great! Love that you even send back the refill pouches for recycling. And it is cruelty-free, which is something I will not compromise on.

Would vinegar down the drain work - have no idea but usually that’s suggested with bicarbonate of soda?

flouncyfanny You're welcome!

Splosh link for those interested:

www.splosh.com/

Would vinegar down the drain work - have no idea but usually that’s suggested with bicarbonate of soda?

Doesn't work, I tried it.

Buy 5litre containers from office supply shops? Though I suspect it is not soap that's clogging your drain - hair is the culprit here

The idea of Splosh is great, but e.g. the handwash is full of sodium laureth sulphate and phenoxyethanol, both of which I try to avoid ☹️

Do you use drain/plug catchers?

It does sound like a lot more is going down the drains than just soap.

When you used bicarb and vinegar in the past, how much did you use and how often? You have to use LOADS combined with soda crystals. I'd do it once a week initially and then once a month.

It’s expensive but the Neals yard hand soap is very hard and lasts a long time. Smells nice too. I caught the sale and got 3 bars for £10. Also a sensible size.

We live in an area with hard water and have to constantly clear the pipes/drains etc out.
I now tend to run the shower a little longer just a couple of minutes whilst drying.
We use traditional soap and shower gell.

Even amazon sells 5 litre bottles now.

They also have this offer at the which us goid amazon.co.uk/Carex-Original-Hand-Refill-Litre/dp/B07GVCBHT8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=carex+hand+wash&qid=1568100620&s=gateway&sprefix=carex&sr=8-4]]

It's a good idea to run extra water like KUGA says especially if you have a dishwasher.

If you are using sodium bicarbonate then you're using baking soda. You need sodium Carbonate which is a different compound, also known as washing soda which is much stronger and more effective. Also check what is in your soap. I've had the same problem with an olive oil based soap which I have now stopped using. I was also able to order a free drain strain from my water company. It prevents lumps of food or soap getting in drain, and hair which was my biggest issue in bath drain. The free strainer are only in certain postcodes/water companies but they can't be expensive to buy.

We have drain strains on kitchen sink and shower. Def not hair blocking the bathroom and cloakroom basins, as none present when I clear the pipes. It's just a fairly homogenous, gelatinous lump of soap. No fibres or bits of food. Shower drain has never blocked and is the only one where we don't use bar soap.

We always wipe oil and fat off plates and pans with kitchen paper, which goes in bin, not sink.

He said it was full of food waste and soap someone isn't

Washing soda is great stuff, used it regularly as a teenager when the hand wash was done with hard soap. I only need it occasionally now (use bar soap but 1-person household) and get it at Sainsbury. Put it in the plug hole and pour boiling water on it.