After using your soap...

[dcole]

How do you clean the leftover lather?

I have just switched from using The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream, which I loved, but did not like the ingredients in it. I have decided to start using natural soaps and got some from Soaptopia. I grated it into my own bowl and have found the soap provides a very nice lather and like it a lot. I do not know what to do with the soap when I am done though. For now, I spash some water in the bowl to get the extra lather out. I don't know if over time this will hurt the life of the soap.

What do you all do to clean your mug/bowl after you shave? Thanks!

 

[Marco]

A simple rinse under running water is all you need. Then leave the soap without the lid to air dry, then close the lid.

 

[attime6]

A simple rinse under running water is all you need. Then leave the soap without the lid to air dry, then close the lid.

+1, that's all you need

 

[njpaddy]

I hold the bowl upside down under running water to rinse any lather off the outside of the bowl, but I don't bother rinsing the soap or inside of the bowl. I just leave the soap uncovered for at least an hour before putting it away.

 

[AverageJoe]

After I load my brush, I make a 'clean sweep' (with my brush) on the puck to get as much excess lather off of it as I can, then store it with the lid off. If my brush was wetter than expected, I'll drain off any excess water before storing as well.

 

[Brent]

I hold the bowl upside down under running water to rinse any lather off the outside of the bowl, but I don't bother rinsing the soap or inside of the bowl. I just leave the soap uncovered for at least an hour before putting it away.

I do the same, though I'll cover the soap. Most bowls are not airtight (i.e. Tabac and the wooden bowls) so they dry out on their own. For the one or two that I have that is airtight I don't bother with it and don't experience any problems. I figure it's the same as creams. Invariably a bit of water will remain on the cream, I don't let that air dry (as I'm concerned the cream may dry out).

 

[kingfisher]

No need to rinse the soap container. I don't leave any leftover lather in there. If you do rinse, it will definitely decrease the life of your soap (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is the subject of much debate).

When loading the brush, you generate a little extra proto-lather? Scoop it out with your index finger and add it to your brush. Voila! No "leftover lather." If you're generating too much "extra lather" to scoop up and add to the brush, I'm gonna say that you started with a brush that was too wet. You should start with just enough water in the brush to emulsify the soap to get the amount of soap you need to make lather for your shave. There's no need to make enough lather for 10 shaves every day of the week.

I allow my soap to airdry outside the bathroom while I'm at work. When I get home from work I put the lid back on and store it away until the next use.

 

[mhdena]

I rinse my AOS & Harris wooden bowls, pat them dry with a paper towel and then cover.

Its not necessary to let the soap dry without the lid, imo.

 

[gus1942]

+1, that's all you need

+2

 

[Kramerica]

Too simple for a B&B answer, Marco. Here is a more complex approach:

1. Turn your hot water on, and allow to run for 1 minute 43 seconds. You may hear people say that 1 minute is enough, but trust me on this, the extra 43 seconds is time well spent.

2. Purchase a reasonably priced pH test kit. You want your rinse water to be absolutely neutral, otherwise di-phenol based petrification can occur on the top layer, which can adversely affect a tallow soap. If your pH is anything but 7, you'll need to add an acid or base to bring the number to 7. I'd call a water purification expert and consult with them on how to get your water back to a usable pH.

3. The temperature must be exactly 100 Farenheit. You don't have to be exact, 101 or 99 is fine, but nothing outside that range.

4. Run the water over the surface of the soap, with a flow rate between .72gpm and .75gpm. Do not run the water in the center, maintain a flow on the edges and turn your soap at a COUNTERclockwise (northern hemisphere) or CLOCKwise (southern hemisphere) rate of 10 to 10.324 rpm.

5. Rinse for 1 minute 12 seconds.

6. Allow the soap to rest for 6-8 hours in a climate controlled 71 degree room, with no more than a 10% humidity factor. Buy a reasonably priced de-humidification system for your entire house if need be. (hey, a good shave is worth it).

7. Once the resting period is over, you MUST put the cover back on the soap within 20-24 minutes.

8. Allow the soap to fully rest and recover for 6 days after this.

YMMV

(Yes, that was all BS...do not do ANY of that...Marco was dead on)

 

[Marco]

Too simple for a B&B answer, Marco. Here is a more complex approach:

1. Turn your hot water on, and allow to run for 1 minute 43 seconds. You may hear people say that 1 minute is enough, but trust me on this, the extra 43 seconds is time well spent.

2. Purchase a reasonably priced pH test kit. You want your rinse water to be absolutely neutral, otherwise di-phenol based petrification can occur on the top layer, which can adversely affect a tallow soap. If your pH is anything but 7, you'll need to add an acid or base to bring the number to 7. I'd call a water purification expert and consult with them on how to get your water back to a usable pH.

3. The temperature must be exactly 100 Farenheit. You don't have to be exact, 101 or 99 is fine, but nothing outside that range.

4. Run the water over the surface of the soap, with a flow rate between .72gpm and .75gpm. Do not run the water in the center, maintain a flow on the edges and turn your soap at a COUNTERclockwise (northern hemisphere) or CLOCKwise (southern hemisphere) rate of 10 to 10.324 rpm.

5. Rinse for 1 minute 12 seconds.

6. Allow the soap to rest for 6-8 hours in a climate controlled 71 degree room, with no more than a 10% humidity factor. Buy a reasonably priced de-humidification system for your entire house if need be. (hey, a good shave is worth it).

7. Once the resting period is over, you MUST put the cover back on the soap within 20-24 minutes.

8. Allow the soap to fully rest and recover for 6 days after this.

YMMV

(Yes, that was all BS...do not do ANY of that...Marco was dead on)

You really made me laugh out loud!

 

[Kramerica]

Thanks, Marco! That WAS kinda fun.

But, hey, if we didn't ALL take this too seriously, there wouldn't be 3.9 million posts on B&B.

I do love this place.

 

[mharris127]

A simple rinse under running water is all you need. Then leave the soap without the lid to air dry, then close the lid.

+3

I store my soaps in twelve ounce coffee cups without lids and it seems to work just fine for me.

 

[JCinPA]

Too simple for a B&B answer, Marco. Here is a more complex approach:

1. Turn your hot water on, and allow to run for 1 minute 43 seconds. You may hear people say that 1 minute is enough, but trust me on this, the extra 43 seconds is time well spent.

2. Purchase a reasonably priced pH test kit. You want your rinse water to be absolutely neutral, otherwise di-phenol based petrification can occur on the top layer, which can adversely affect a tallow soap. If your pH is anything but 7, you'll need to add an acid or base to bring the number to 7. I'd call a water purification expert and consult with them on how to get your water back to a usable pH.

3. The temperature must be exactly 100 Farenheit. You don't have to be exact, 101 or 99 is fine, but nothing outside that range.

4. Run the water over the surface of the soap, with a flow rate between .72gpm and .75gpm. Do not run the water in the center, maintain a flow on the edges and turn your soap at a COUNTERclockwise (northern hemisphere) or CLOCKwise (southern hemisphere) rate of 10 to 10.324 rpm.

5. Rinse for 1 minute 12 seconds.

6. Allow the soap to rest for 6-8 hours in a climate controlled 71 degree room, with no more than a 10% humidity factor. Buy a reasonably priced de-humidification system for your entire house if need be. (hey, a good shave is worth it).

7. Once the resting period is over, you MUST put the cover back on the soap within 20-24 minutes.

8. Allow the soap to fully rest and recover for 6 days after this.

YMMV

(Yes, that was all BS...do not do ANY of that...Marco was dead on)

Do we have a post of the year competition? If not, we should! Of course Topgumby would have the most entries, bit this just might win!

 

[Cochese2323]

Too simple for a B&B answer, Marco. Here is a more complex approach:

1. Turn your hot water on, and allow to run for 1 minute 43 seconds. You may hear people say that 1 minute is enough, but trust me on this, the extra 43 seconds is time well spent.

2. Purchase a reasonably priced pH test kit. You want your rinse water to be absolutely neutral, otherwise di-phenol based petrification can occur on the top layer, which can adversely affect a tallow soap. If your pH is anything but 7, you'll need to add an acid or base to bring the number to 7. I'd call a water purification expert and consult with them on how to get your water back to a usable pH.

3. The temperature must be exactly 100 Farenheit. You don't have to be exact, 101 or 99 is fine, but nothing outside that range.

4. Run the water over the surface of the soap, with a flow rate between .72gpm and .75gpm. Do not run the water in the center, maintain a flow on the edges and turn your soap at a COUNTERclockwise (northern hemisphere) or CLOCKwise (southern hemisphere) rate of 10 to 10.324 rpm.

5. Rinse for 1 minute 12 seconds.

6. Allow the soap to rest for 6-8 hours in a climate controlled 71 degree room, with no more than a 10% humidity factor. Buy a reasonably priced de-humidification system for your entire house if need be. (hey, a good shave is worth it).

7. Once the resting period is over, you MUST put the cover back on the soap within 20-24 minutes.

8. Allow the soap to fully rest and recover for 6 days after this.

YMMV

(Yes, that was all BS...do not do ANY of that...Marco was dead on)

I am also entertained! Very well thought out. Pretty sure some new guy is in his den with a thermometer right now

 

[elsmooth]

+1, that's all you need

+2

 

[saintpat]

Wipe it off with a towel. I replace the wooden lid which doesn't seem to keep it from drying out just fine.

 

[fccexpert]

Not sure what a "natural" soap would be since presumably lye was used for saponification. But with respect to your question, I rinse the brush under running water and just let any excess lather on the soap puck dry in place. I face lather, but if you use a separate lathering bowl, just rinse it out with water.

 

[JonJeffman]

A simple rinse under running water is all you need. Then leave the soap without the lid to air dry, then close the lid.

Are we only talking about hard soaps or soft italian soaps too? I have a few RazoRock (La Famiglia, Artisan, Fresco) and I just leave any extra lather and throw the lid back on once I'm done shaving. Is this a bad habit to be in?

 

[brybry642]

Are we only talking about hard soaps or soft italian soaps too? I have a few RazoRock (La Famiglia, Artisan, Fresco) and I just leave any extra lather and throw the lid back on once I'm done shaving. Is this a bad habit to be in?

I do the same. With my softer soap (Cella, Razorock, Proraso) I just leave the extra lather in the bowl. For hard soaps, I rinse them off with cold water and let them sit uncovered for a few hours to air dry.