# Did your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421 "2003-09-09T00:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DaToad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DaToad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaToad)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/41 "2003-09-09T19:51:33Z")
As often as I got the soap treatment, _Ivory_ soap was snack cake for me. I probably had the cleanest mouth in town. The _Fels Naptha_ was a different story though. I didn’t much care for that. But it was the mother of all mouth washings, the wet washcloth dipped in _Tide_ or _Cheer_ laundry detergent, that I really hated. The taste lingered for days. Of course that was saved as a reward for those special occasions when I spewed a truly creative phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/42 "2003-09-09T20:09:23Z")
Parents used laundry detergent? Isn’t THAT poisonous? I got it twice-both times at the age of four. The first time my cousin Marc and I had been dropping the F-bomb on the way home from somewhere-my cousin was two, I think. My dad took us home, marched us into the bathroom, and washed our mouths out. The second time was when I went with my dad to work and swore at his boss. Not nasty, I think I just said “Shit!” and “Suckapoo” (a word Marc and I had thought up-we used to babysit him while his parents were working-we got into all kinds of trouble). Anyhoo, Dad took me home and jammed a bar of dial in my mouth. Leaving teeth marks. After that, I didn’t swear until I was about nine-and then I was careful NOT to get caught. My mom still yells at me for swearing, though-and I’m 25 fucking years old! Dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/43 "2003-09-09T20:12:43Z")
Once, yeah. I can’t remember what I said, but I’ll never forget the cold, bubbly taste in my mouth afterward. Must have been something really bad…I can’t remember my mom ever really laying down the law as I was a good kid. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/44 "2003-09-09T21:51:02Z")
Man I cant believe some of your parents did that. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/45 "2003-09-09T22:14:47Z")
My mom didn’t. My brother put liquid hand soap on my toothbrush once and since it was clear ( and I was young) I didn’t realize it was there until too late. Nasty stuff. BLECH ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/46 "2003-09-09T22:53:13Z")
My mother did once. Seven or eight years later, I said “blow me” to her in front of company. I don’t think it stuck. ---
**Author:** ![theotherangel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@theotherangel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theotherangel)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/47 "2003-09-09T23:50:33Z")
Another Ralphie here! My favourite bad word, “sh\*t”. Guess where I picked it up? Good ole Mom!:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/48 "2003-09-09T23:58:48Z")
I guess I’m ready to join the Ralphie Club as well. My father used to wash my mouth out with soap all the time. It was terrible. I will _ **never** _ do that to my kid. Oh, and Dad, if you’re reading this: fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck! ---
**Author:** ![Judeluv3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@Judeluv3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judeluv3)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/49 "2003-09-10T00:15:11Z")
nope never. my parents are pretty much the gods of every swear word known to man. so i got rewarded for everytime they said a curse word…and i now have a very large bank account… besides i had a tendency to eat soap when i was younger so i doubt if they would’ve used it as a punishment… Lever 2000 is my favorite meal. ---
**Author:** ![MamaHen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@MamaHen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MamaHen)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/50 "2003-09-10T13:19:06Z")
My Mom did it once to me, I stopped saying dirty words in front of her too! My son one day heard my Aunt say the “F” word and kept repeating it. I tried talking to him and asking him not to say it. I tried standing him in a corner but all I heard was “F\*\*\* this!” so I went and got the liquid soap. I put some on my finger rubbed most of it onto my hand and just put a little bit on the roof of his mouth. He freaked and he’s never said any bad word since. I felt so guilty I wanted to die but it worked. My Mom was right. ---
**Author:** ![ReBusEniGma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@ReBusEniGma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReBusEniGma)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/51 "2003-09-10T13:51:26Z")
Yes, I remember once in particular. It was with dish soap and a tooth brush. I remember my head over the sink, and breathing out through my mouth, amused at how big I could make the bubbles. I discovered that, afterwards, if I breathed through my nose as little as possible, the aftertaste wasn’t as bad. I didn’t sass my mother that way again though. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421/52 "2003-09-12T00:35:46Z")
Never. My parents never encouraged or discouraged us to swear. I guess they figured that we will swear anyway, so why try to stop it. We did get a few talks on why we souldn’t say it in front of out grandparents and other family members, and not to say it in public. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-mother-ever-wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap/200421.md?page=2)