# Soap box misunderstanding **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886 "2024-01-30T23:59:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/1 "2024-01-30T23:59:27Z")
In your opinion what do you think would happen if unbeknownst to yourself a basket of towels were washed? With one pod of Persil detergent (unscented), a cup of bleach(generic) and…listen to this…a bar of Dove soap. Half used, unscented from who the eff know which bathroom(I have my suspicions)? The load ran through the hot wash, cool rinse. Guess what happened? Just you give it a stab. Go ahead. I dare you. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/2 "2024-01-31T00:04:33Z")
A classic Brady Bunch episode soap cascade? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mE9-Ee83OFI/hqdefault.jpg "The Brady Bunch: Bobby Does Laundry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE9-Ee83OFI) ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/3 "2024-01-31T00:06:43Z")
^ Threadwinner for sure, but real guess: bar not completely dissolved, linens nasty and gummy, and remains of the bar smashed flat against the drainage holes of the drum, requiring you to scrape it off. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/4 "2024-01-31T00:26:24Z")
Yeah, I don’t think the bar of soap would suds that much unless it was shaved into strips like the old timers did. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/5 "2024-01-31T00:47:34Z")
Dove soap has a very sudsy factor. Very. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/6 "2024-01-31T02:02:38Z")
My guess is that the Rolling Stones came to your house and serenaded you. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JGaBlygm0UY/maxresdefault.jpg "The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It) - OFFICIAL PROMO") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGaBlygm0UY) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/7 "2024-01-31T02:04:54Z")
Alas, no Mick. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/8 "2024-01-31T02:24:02Z")
How hard or soft is your water? That might influence what happens. In any case, I’m going to guess that the towels were imbued with an oily residue and there were nasty little soap bits stuck here and there to towels and various parts of the washer. As a person with very oily skin, I hate Dove soap. It leaves me feeling greasy. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/9 "2024-01-31T04:33:02Z")
Some of the Dove soap would have dissolved, making a noticeable amount of suds, but probably not so much that the washer overflowed with it. The rinse cycle would just be another wash cycle since the soap would still be intact. You would end up with a washer full of clean but sudsy towels that have to go through another rinse cycle (maybe two). But if that’s all that happened I doubt you would have rushed here to post it. BT there is really no reason to use chlorine bleach in your towels unless you are running a hotel or a gym. I mean, if used properly towels are used only to dry things that just got clean. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/10 "2024-01-31T04:42:35Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I mean, if used properly towels are used only to dry things that just got clean. [![](https://i.imgur.com/W9XYX0f.gif) ](https://i.imgur.com/W9XYX0f.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/11 "2024-01-31T04:42:55Z")
Oh, I beg to disagree. Must use bleach. First: there are germy little boys and pets around here. Second, I have well water that is a bit rusty at times. And there’s possibly worm pee and poop in the water. Third, I’m a germaphobe. Diagnosed. Not to mention susceptible to every germ and pestilence known to science. Yep. Bleach is my friend. I swear it’s why I’m still alive after my _use-by date_ has passed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/12 "2024-01-31T07:29:17Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > …what do you think would happen if unbeknownst to yourself a basket of towels were washed? I’d wonder who the fuck came into my house to wash towels. Cause the Dachshunds can’t load the washer. Other side of the gate. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/13 "2024-01-31T08:33:09Z")
Without reading any of the other replies, I would guess that the laundry detergent would wash the clothes, and be rinsed away as usual. The bar soap would dissolve slightly in both the wash and rinse cycles and leave some residue on the clothes. It’s also possible that the bar got broken up by the mechanical action of the washer and there were lots of small bits of soap mixed in with the clothes at the end. This is like _Mythbusters_ when Adam used to try to predict the outcomes of their “experiments”. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/14 "2024-02-01T17:48:32Z")
It’s the cleanest your towels have ever been. Why else would it be noteworthy? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/15 "2024-02-01T18:07:41Z")
With zero regard to other replies, I’ll wager it was akin to my college roommate loading the dishwasher with liquid soap, pre-dishwasher pods. 18 years old, and had never even SEEN a dishwasher being run. Definitely a less-destructive experiment than others we ran. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/16 "2024-02-01T18:11:14Z")
IMHO: You’ve stumped the panel. Time to reveal the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/17 "2024-02-01T18:23:13Z")
Preferably with pictures! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/18 "2024-02-01T18:39:22Z")
Ok. It stopped the washer completely. No dramatic floods of soap bubbles that flowed outta the door. No dancing rock stars. (No very clean floor) We heard thump thump and a warning beeping. We go to the washer…as the door was locked and the warning light was on we couldn’t open it. There was a brief discussion as whether we smelled burning. But dismissed it. Got the children and all pets to a safe space (standing 10ft. away, staring, asking questions) We just looked at each other. This computer aided, overly verbal, using not enough water to rinse, piece of junk just kept beeping. Finally Mid-dau said we oughta do something. Hamza said, unplug it, as the only guy in the room he got the bitch stare from 4 women. I pushed the _cancel/pause_ button. One more beep and it was off. We called the tech help number. (Yes I have the manual). Had to apologize to Hamza. The first thing(after 13 minutes on hold) the tech said unplug it. It will reset itself. In the meantime remove the load and check for foreign objects or anything that appears broken. Removing the load I was kinda thankful it used less water. We looked thru the towels and found the bar of soap. I did get to mop the laundry room. Yeah it needed to be mopped. The towels were very soapy and had to be rewashed. The washer worked normally afterwards. All’s well that ends well. 🫡 ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soap-box-misunderstanding/996886/19 "2024-02-03T17:09:14Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I have well water that is a bit rusty at times. And there’s possibly worm pee and poop in the water. Worm poop? Bah! Up until I was in my mid twenties, my grandparents got their water from a pond that was uphill from their house in the middle of a _ **cow pasture** _. From there, the water went to two wells (cisterns, technically) in the yard by the house, with the first cistern being full of sand and maybe charcoal to act as a big filter for the second cistern. At the kitchen faucet, the water was still pale yellow and had a bit of a pond scum smell, but no one died from it. 🤢