A friend of mine has not used soap for half his life!!

[WTAFSHOCKEDANDMORTIFIED]

changed name for obvious reasons
He's a long time friend of mine.

How I found out.
He does work on buildings ranging from plastering to laying patios. He's qualified for many things but all are manual jobs.
He was round doing a job for me in the garden which made him get rather dirty. I noticed when he washed his hands, when I made him a hot drink, he would just swill his hands in the kitchen sink with water.. But I didn't think much in it but I noticed as the hand wash is obviously there.

Well, once he finished I asked if he could look at a job that wasn't done properly previously in my bathroom.

Once he removed his trainers (no footwear in my home as a rule) both myself and he noticed his feet stunk from the garden job. So he asked if he could wash them to put some fresh socks with a change of footwear, that carries around with him in his van (his trainers were now soaking)
I pointed out to him where the shower gels were... And he said "no I don't use those" .. So I pointed out the baby friendly soap I've got for my youngest (thinking it was more about the type of gels)

He continued to say "no.. I don't use those.. I just use water. Water is good enough".

I'm stunned to silence as he just swills his feet in water.

After a few hours.. As he's still had the left over of the garden job to finish.. Just putting things back etc... I ask him... "are you winding me up about the soap?" (he's a bit of a wind up merchant tbh)... But he sticks with it... "No.. Waters fine.
You don't need to use all those chemicals on your body, it's not good for your skin, I don't use deodorant either cos they put aluminum in them"

I am shocked cos he then said he's not any of them for 20+ years now!!! He's a grown man!!
Trust me... He absolutely stinks of BO but I just put it to the fact he's doing the jobs he does...

I'M ABSOLUTELY MORTIFIED!!!

Am I out of touch here? Is this normal? Do others do this?
AIBU to think this is disgusting!!??
I can't help but put my mind to his lower areas... I mean... Ewwww. He doesn't use soap on his ASS!!
For half his life he's not used soap!!!

I would like to add... He's a very good friend and in all honesty would be amazing as something more than friends.
I'm not on here to bash him.
I have feelings for him. I'm not IN LOVE but I "could" of seen it progressing down the line to something great. He's a great person.
I just can't now continue knowing this. I have to some how pull back.
I'm from a family of eczema. Not severe as such but we use diprobase soap and emollient in the bath, qv and epaderm products here.
We have to watch what we use, so I did think that those products would of been okay for him to use.
So yes.... I was not expecting him to say he hasn't used soap for half his life.

I don't know if he washes his clothes in products or has washing up liquid...
I've not even thought of that till this thread.
He has a dog and his home smells of dog quite a bit but some peoples home do with dogs. Some don't. Maybe you can be "noseblind" to that smell.

Either way,
I didn't know so many people just didn't use anything but water for hygiene. It's been an educational thread to me for sure.
He's vegetarian, so there's no worry of raw chicken cross contamination.

I still do not know how not to offend him by not continuing with "what could of been".

I personally (which obviously, it's not for everyone), need someone who uses a cleaning product, other than water to clean themselves.

@Iheartpizza

I can't imagine the state of his nether regions. Dodged a bullet there didn't you?!

The bullet in his nether regions?

If he does plumbing and doesn't wash with soap he's likely to have residue from all sorts of black water on him and his clothes.

I suppose some people don't have smelly sweat so if they washed regularly with water and wore clean clothes every day it would be fine. Surely hands need to be washed with soap though, and other body parts sometimes, rinsing with water just doesn't work very well. Aluminium free deodorants are available too, maybe you could suggest them to your friend.

My child uses soap for hand washing but not for body because of sensitive skin, there is no issues

That was his initial trade for many years before he trained up on the others

Trust me, me head has gone there to. He's done bathroom refits, leaking pipes, soil pipe replacements etc.

His portfolio for the business is very extensive. He's done some very impressive work. How can you relay new piping and move a toilet location in a bathroom, but not wash your hands?
There must be contamination of "toilet matter" that would of gone on his hands/clothes etc.

How can you not wash your hands after such work?

There must be contamination of "toilet matter"

My posh friend looked after her next-door neighbour's daughters aged 11 and 8 for a day. They were in her bedroom and she was showing them the things on her dressing table. 'What's that?' one said, pointing to a bottle. 'Toilet water' she said. 'YUK!' they both went together.

Oh yeah definitely- you can’t just not wash or you will smell. She is always in the shower and will wear special less irritating deodorant for office days etc.

He's anti social and gross. Imagine someone has sex with him. Urgh

Fuck the haters it's gross. Imagine her went for a poo and then made you a cup of tea. Gross.