# Stainless Steel "Soap"? Huh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013 "2003-03-29T13:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/1 "2003-03-29T13:06:01Z")
So the other day, I was in a store and they sold a little bit of metal, claiming claiming that it removes stinks from garlic, fish, shrimp ASF. just rub your fingers on it. Yeah right, me thinks. But then, yesterday, I saw a similar product: “Stainless steel soap” - "You never have to buy another soap again. Soap shaped, sort of, with a brush on one side and the steel on the other. How does this work? Does it work? Is it yet another “Amazing Product” as advertised on infomercials. I tried googling, but came up with gazillion hits for soap dishes and dispensers in stainless steel. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/2 "2003-03-29T13:11:24Z")
Believe it or not, [Cecil says, yes](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990618b.html). ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/3 "2003-03-29T13:13:18Z")
The Master: [Can stainless steel and running water remove the smell of garlic?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990618b.html) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/4 "2003-03-29T13:15:46Z")
But that’s not what he’s asking about. He’s asking about stainless steel SOAP, not the thing that gets garlic smell off your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/5 "2003-03-29T13:26:32Z")
Someone’s missing something, **Athena** , and I don’t think it’s me. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/6 "2003-03-29T13:29:50Z")
I found [this](http://www.kitchenmate.co.uk/itm00159.htm) using Google. It only claims to remove fish, garlic, onion and other odors, though. The same with [urlhttp://www.zwilling.com.ve/canada\_en/aktionen/content.html]this one. Nothing about one that claimed to be completely replace soap, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/7 "2003-03-29T13:38:09Z")
Well that’s the thing. It was shaped as a bar of soap. Presumably something to take to the shower and… well rub yourself… So maybe it’s just some marketing genius who think that “removes smell” = clean. I had forgotten about Cecil’s column, though. But he doesn’t say _why_ it removes smell. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/8 "2003-03-29T15:50:22Z")
Before you run out and pay too much money for a hunk of stainless steel take a look at your sink. If it’s stainless steel you can just rub your hands on it to remove the smells. Something a lot of cooks and homemakers figured out on their own a long time ago. Another good reason to have a stainless steel kitchen sink. ---
**Author:** ![siberia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/siberia/32/9129_2.png) [@siberia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siberia)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/9 "2003-03-29T15:59:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Before you run out and pay too much money for a hunk of stainless steel take a look at your sink. If it’s stainless steel you can just rub your hands on it to remove the smells. This is what I do and it does indeed work. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/10 "2003-03-29T21:52:45Z")
Well, yeah. It stillo doesn’t explain it. C’mon we’re fighting ignorance here. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/11 "2003-03-29T22:44:51Z")
Well, we really don’t know HOW electricity works but we know it works. That doesn’t keep us from talking about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/12 "2003-03-29T23:36:58Z")
Actually, electricity is very well understood. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/13 "2003-03-29T23:54:43Z")
I would assume that the metal soap bar works via mechanical abrasion instead of surfactant chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/14 "2003-03-30T01:09:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Actually, electricity is very well understood. 😛 \*\* I am not an electrical engineer but as I was told by an electrical engineer, “We know how electicity behaves, we know how to manipulate it, but we really don’t know what it is.” 😛 If that’s not the case, go ahead and flame me. ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/15 "2003-03-30T01:37:55Z")
who want’s to get rid of the garlic smell. i love the stuff!thank god i’m already married ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/16 "2003-03-30T01:38:02Z")
Flaming in GQ is a no-no. 😃 Seriously, if you’re interested, post a GQ asking what electricity is. No sense hijacking the thread any more. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/17 "2003-03-30T05:32:02Z")
Re the nature of “electricity” it’s really less an issue of true ignorance about electricity and and more one of technical semantics [What Is “Electricity”?](http://www.amasci.com/miscon/whatis.html) [sub] > [@](#): > > What is electricity? This question is impossible to answer because the word “Electricity” has several different meanings. These different meanings contradict each other, and the contradictions confuse everyone. If you don’t understand electricity, you’re not alone. Even teachers, engineers, and scientists have a hard time understanding it. > > Obviously “electricity” cannot be several different things at the same time. Unfortunately we have defined the word Electricity in a crazy way. Because of the contradictory meanings, we can never pin down the nature of electricity. In the end we are forced to declare that there’s no such stuff as “electricity” at all! > > Here’s a quick example to illustrate the problem. > > In household lamp cord, the charges sit in one place and wiggle back and forth (Alternating Current.) At the same time, the energy moves rapidly from the distant generators and into the light bulb. OK, now ask yourself this: does “electricity” sit inside the wires and vibrate, or does it flow forwards? It cannot do both! This little question exposes a great flaw in the way we talk about “electricity”. If we can repair this flaw, our explanations of “electricity” will finally start making sense. > Below are the most common meanings of the word Electricity. Which one do you think is right? Think about it carefully. If one of these meanings is correct, all the others must be wrong! After all, a “science term” should never have several conflicting definitions. Unfortunately dictionaries and encyclopedias contain all of these. (Click the links to find out more about each one.) > > - “Electricity” means electric charge. > Examples: CHARGES OF ELECTRICITY. COULOMBS OF ELECTRICITY. > - “Electricity” refers to the flowing motion of electric charge. > Examples: CURRENT ELECTRICITY. AMPERES OF ELECTRICITY. > - “Electricity” means electrical energy. > Examples: PRICE OF ELECTRICITY. KILOWATT-HOURS OF ELECTRICITY. > - “Electricity” refers to the amount of imbalance between quantities of electrons and protons. > Example: STATIC ELECTRICITY. > - “Electricity” is a class of phenomena involving electric charges. > Examples: BIOELECTRICITY, PIEZOELECTRICITY, TRIBOELECTRICITY, THERMOELECTRICITY, ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY …ETC. > - Other less common definitions: > “Electricity” refers to the flowing motion of electric energy (electric power, Watts of electricity) > “Electricity” means electric field (Volts of electricity) > “Electricity” means the nitrogen/oxygen plasma (sparks of electricity) > “Electricity” is a field of science (Basic Electricity, Advanced Electricity) [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/18 "2003-03-30T14:06:15Z")
The effect has been documented by Cecil and by Consumer Reports. You can use any piece of stainless steel. It’s not simple abrasion. You can’t get the same odor removal by rubbing your hands on a polyester scrub pad such as Scotchbrite™. It’s not a soap substitute, either. If your hands are greasy, or you’ve been working in the garden, and you rub your hands on stainless steel, they’ll still be dirty. They’ll smell better, though. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/19 "2003-03-30T15:18:57Z")
::Dons tinfoil hat:: Well Iron ions are pretty good at flipping the spin on oxygen, and thus reducing the activation energy of oxidation reactions. The ion’s large, soft electronegativity also catalyzes many free radical based mechanisms. [Allicin](http://www.allicin.com/), the primary source of garlic odor, is quite unstable chemically, and likely susceptible to degradation by either iron ions in solution, or iron bound as hydroxyls to the surface of the “stainless steel soap.” ::Removes tinfoil hat:: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013/20 "2003-03-30T19:56:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I am not an electrical engineer but as I was told by an electrical engineer, “We know how electicity behaves, we know how to manipulate it, but we really don’t know what it is.” All that tells you is that electrical engineers don’t know what it is. In particle physics, by contrast, it’s just about the only thing that we _do_ know what it is. (Actually, all the quote shows is that that particular EE doesn’t know. I’m sure there are others who do.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stainless-steel-soap-huh/165013.md?page=2)