Lathering with Distilled Water

[temjeito]

Fellow Hard-Water Latherers,

After months of inconsistent and often frustrating results, I decided to try lathering with distilled water. I bought a gallon jug and bowl-lathered some MWF with my Semogue 1305. Holy mackerel. The amount of soap that usually gets me through a two-pass shave yielded enough lather for a week! I'm sold on distilled, so my question is: any tips/tricks/warnings from those of you who use distilled water?

Do you soak your brush in it?
Do you rinse your brush in it?
Do you put it in something other than the gallon jug it comes in to make it easier to meter out small amounts (I was thinking of one of those olive oil bottles with the ball bearing in the spout)?

Thanks in advance for your wisdom,

Michael

 

[deoxy4]

I have read countless posts where members with hard water have given away or trashed soaps because they can't get good lather . Distilled water is the solution as you found out. I don't use distilled water to wash out my brush. I put it in an empty KMF 11 ounce pump bottle to make metering easier. Any medium sized pump bottle should work.

 

[Mandina]

I use it to soak the brush but not to rinse the brush, and the results have been fine. Oh yeah, I've been meaning to pour some of the water into a small bottle, but I keep forgetting to do so. Caution, however: olive oil, and perhaps some other such oils, can be destructive to lather, so be careful what kind of smaller bottle you use.

 

[eyebright]

Bed Bath & Beyond and similar places sell attractive 2 qt. glass "iced tea" dispensers with a spigot that would work great.

 

[malocchio]

All you need to do is soak your brush in it.If your lather needs more water,use the distilled.Rinse in tap water.I recently moved to a hard water location,the distilled water really helps.

 

[mftoms59]

If you face lather keep the distilled water you've soaked your brush in if you need to do an additional dip, I re-hydrate between passes with standing sink water, without noticeable degradation on my second lather application. I only rinse my brush when the shave is completed, using sink water, and I keep a used 1 liter water bottle, filled with distilled, under the bathroom sink.

 

[Antique Hoosier]

I did it for years in Florida when living in a cottage that had well water. Always grabbed a gallon or two of distilled water when at Publix. Now I'm back home again in Indiana on fairly good city water and a brand new last year top of the line water softener. Lucky me. I never let any of my good brushes touch well water.

 

[whavens]

I am in Southern Indiana, our water here is pretty hard. I use distilled water to soak. And if I need to add water to my lather. I use a water bottle to keep it in.

 

[vocalistbob]

I am one of those guys who gave up on a lot of soaps (primarily artisan soaps) because I wasn't able to raise a decent lather using our local hard water. I am sure that distilled water would solve that problem, but I prefer to use hot water for a hot lather and don't want to waste time heating the distilled water in the microwave and then transporting it to the bathroom. It's much easier and simpler to use soaps that work well with hard water - MWF, MdC, DR Harris, Tabac.....

 

[temjeito]

I am one of those guys who gave up on a lot of soaps (primarily artisan soaps) because I wasn't able to raise a decent lather using our local hard water. I am sure that distilled water would solve that problem, but I prefer to use hot water for a hot lather and don't want to waste time heating the distilled water in the microwave and then transporting it to the bathroom. It's much easier and simpler to use soaps that work well with hard water - MWF, MdC, DR Harris, Tabac.....

Yeah, I'm a cold water shaver, so not an issue for me. You could keep an electric kettle in your bathroom...

 

[bassopotamus]

Yeah, I'm a cold water shaver, so not an issue for me. You could keep an electric kettle in your bathroom...

Or microwave the water

 

[vocalistbob]

Microwaving is a pain and a waste of time IMHO, however, it DID occur to me that I could pour hot tap water in the interior of my scuttle and soak the brush in room-temperature distilled water. It wouldn't give me the hot lather I prefer, but at least it wouldn't be cold. Hmmm...I might just have to order some more Barrister and Mann to try this theory out.....

 

[takeshi]

It's much easier and simpler to use soaps that work well with hard water - MWF, MdC, DR Harris, Tabac.....

It's also a matter of technique. Harder water will require more soap. That said, "hard water" isn't all the same as hard water can be considered anything from ~4 grains (moderately hard) to 10+ (very hard). My water is about 9 grains but I imagine if it was harder I'd seriously consider distilled or getting a water softening system.

 

[Allegrabene]

I've got moderately hard water but haven't had too many issues lathering just about any soaps I've tried. However, this thread peaked my curiosity about what distiller water would do. I got a gallon jug of the stuff for $1.50, used only a half cup of it to soak my brush and could not believe how much easier it was. I only had to load the brush half as long and the lather exploded. Now my soaps will never die

 

[Reevers]

I've got moderately hard water but haven't had too many issues lathering just about any soaps I've tried. However, this thread peaked my curiosity about what distiller water would do. I got a gallon jug of the stuff for $1.50, used only a half cup of it to soak my brush and could not believe how much easier it was. I only had to load the brush half as long and the lather exploded. Now my soaps will never die

That's it... I'm getting some this weekend! I guess its a very small investment for what could be a great improvement! Thanks for sharing

 

[jbaca]

I would think that a Brita or other simple carbon filter would be of good use?

 

[Cerbul13]

I would think that a Brita or other simple carbon filter would be of good use?

I was thinking this for quite some time, as also my hair would benefit from this, my cloths washing machine, so ye.. Not sure what system I could get to be cheap and efficient/easy to maintain.

 

[vocalistbob]

According to the package, the Brita filter used in their water pitchers REDUCES copper, mercury, cadmium, chlorine and zinc. I doubt it would make as much of a difference as distilled water would.

 

[Reevers]

Just to give this thread a bump.

I grabbed some distilled water at weekend and shaved last night with MWF... great results, a really nice protective yet slick lather which was generate with reasonable ease. Considering the price of a bottle of this water I will be buying it again!

 

[jbaca]

According to the package, the Brita filter used in their water pitchers REDUCES copper, mercury, cadmium, chlorine and zinc. I doubt it would make as much of a difference as distilled water would.

Obviously distilled water would be effective but a brita or simple water filter would certainly help. My point was convenience lugging gallon bottles around....