Sea water soap

[airborne1]

In the late 60's when sailing on cargo ships with limited fresh water - no evaporators, we had Sea Water soap available. It lathered very well and made you feel fresh after a wash or shower unlike modern soaps.
I have never been able to find this kind of soap available in the modern shops. Indeed I get blank looks from assistants when I tell them that such a product used to exist.
So my question is, does anyone know of a modern soap which actually lathers in sea water. If not, what do live-aboards use for daily body washing and also what product do you use for your laundry.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Two things:
Baby Wipes for a daily rub down.
Dove Body Wash (the liquid soap in a white container with a blue lid) for days when it's calm enough to swim or hoist a bucket of sea water aboard.

EDIT: IIRC, Johnsons Baby Shampoo also lathers in seawater.

 

[captainslarty]

Most soaps available by the block in chandlers (trawler not yotty) in Spain are suitable for saline.

Reminds me of the old one...

can I hold your palm olive ?

NOT on yer life boy !!!!

seriously, most carbolic type, block soaps are great, its the modern perfumed crap that aint....

as for clothes, you DONT need lather, just a good washing action, we use the cheapest washing powder for machines and hand wash, leave to soak in a bucket for two hours, rinse, and stir occassionaly with a wooden spoon....
thats it.

we can buy an unamed soap block(s) for about a euro for 5 in Gadis, great in salt water...

J & J

 

[sarabande]

I have tried plain Tea Tree soap, made in Oz, and it seems to lather well and rinse off leaving none of the residual stickiness associated with all the modern technical soaps.

 

[wagenaar]

John Steinbeck in his "Travels with Charly" describes, how he put his laundry in a bucket with a tight lid in the morning and then started driving. At the end of the day his laundry was clean. I tried it on board, but it did not really work out that way.

 

[Oliveoyl]

Have heard of trailing laundry (and even plastic /metal pots'n pans) behind the boat in a net. Not tried it yet.
Econonic use of fresh water on board - shower with clothes on, others under feet. A good trample almost as good as washing machine. Best with lightweight clothes - not recommended for jeans or heavy jumpers.

 

[trouville]

carbolic and coaltar have been banned due to an idiot and totaly uninformed sweedish MEP that wanted to ban "something"

.The EEC always ban things 10 years ahead that when the public say WHY!!The EEC shrgs and say it was decided years ago

The unelected EEC say it was decided 10 years ago,even though the MEPs ate still there (what salaries!!! PLUS expenses & bribes from interest groupes)

The fool Sweedish MEP later said he was sorry he hadent looked at the facts and hed been wrong.The EEC said its to late we cant change the legislation its banned!

The EECs just unworkable and inflexable better retern to a loose confeceration of independant states with a commen currency but not more

 

[CelebrityScandel]

Wow, something related to littlely boats that I know alot about, keeping clean /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Not something we need to worry much about now with no shortage of water but over the years we found that every liquid body wash or liquid handwash we ever bought lathered in salt water just fine. Those are the ones you buy in pumps or as refills to fill up pumps. I assume they lather because they are detergents.

Handwash seems to generally run about half the price of body wash in most places but have a sniff before you buy that because some have strange smells. For example, if tempted by some of the earthy plant type ones you are likely to find yourself walking around smelling like a forest floor or compost heap. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If into fishing, some of the handwashes are quite effective at getting fish smells off hands as compared to hard soaps and we still use them for that.

For laundry, again we found that every liquid laundry soap we ever bought worked just as well in salt as fresh water.

 

[capnsensible]

We have found that in warmer climates, the best way to keep clothes clean is to not wear them!!

 

[reginaldon]

I wondered why I couldn't get any coaltar soap - it has been a favourite with some of our family for generations - Europe strikes again.
Heath started something - 666 will end it!!

 

[sarabande]

I believe you can still buy a coal tar shampoo for pets.
pet shampoo US

and at a better price here in UK

pet shampoo UK

 

[pyrojames]

Sounds about right. We used to just use detergents, or soap up in thunderstorms, but that was a bit on the chilly side.

 

[Swagman]

We use both shampoo and shower gel called 'Night and Day' sourced sadly from Oz. We bring back big bottles when we or pals visit. It is specifically designed for salt water washing, does lather up, but when rinsed off (even with salt water) leaves a film of coconut oil which feels good. Made by a mob in WA called Peter Gee. Maybe someone does import it to the UK?
Cheers
JOHN