Did your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap?

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.

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!

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.

Man I cant believe some of your parents did that.

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

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.

Another Ralphie here!

My favourite bad word, “sh*t”.

Guess where I picked it up?

Good ole Mom!:rolleyes:

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.