If you’ve been in the shower and discovered that you still have soap residue left on your body, then there is a good chance that your soap is not rinsing off properly. Your soap might be made out of materials that leave more residue than others, or maybe your San Antonio water filtration is hard and not doing its job of rinsing quite properly, but either way, there are a few things you can try to fix this issue.
What is Soap Residue?
Soap residue is a thin layer of soap that builds up on your skin or on any surface that soap comes in contact with, such as in the shower. It’s not a good look, and it’s even worse if you don’t even realize that you have this soap residue on your skin or in the shower. The soap could be irritating your skin, causing problems like eczema or taking your body’s natural oils away. Just as bad as the residue is, you may be wasting time and money by repeating showers or washing clothes twice to get rid of the soapy feeling.
How Does Soap Residue Accumulate?
The easiest way to think about how soap residue builds up is to consider it is that soap residue occurs in layers. Layers of soap, oils, and additives that are in your soap that water does not break down build up one over another.
How does this happen? First, consider how water and soap molecules interact. Water molecules are not able to break the oils in your skin down on their own, so when you add soap to the mix of water and oil, the soap creates a lather by being mixed with the water. This is what works to break down those oils on your skin. When water is mixed with soap, it breaks down into the components that were used to make the soap. Those particles are what combine with magnesium and calcium ions in hard water thus making a soap scum (soap residue). The harder your water, the more ions that are available for soap to make soap residue with every time you wash. These are the particles that contribute to soap residue the most, building up on top of one another over time.
How Do You Remove Soap Residue?
Fortunately for all of us, the solution is simple. Soap residue and soap scum are easily removed from your shower with basic household cleaners. Apply a small amount of liquid dish detergent directly to the soap residue and scrub gently but firmly with a washcloth, sponge, or an old toothbrush. You can also apply baking soda or other household cleaners directly to the residue and scrub it with hot water, rinsing as you go and reapplying more cleaners until the soap residue is gone. Cleaning soap residue often is the best way to prevent long term build up that is even more difficult to get rid of.
How to Prevent Soap Residue in the Shower and on Your Body
You can reduce the amount of soap residue in your shower by taking a few simple steps. One of the best ways to reduce soap residue is to get a water softener for your home. A water softener works to remove the ions that contribute to soap residue the most. This also allows for the water to have more available molecules to combine with the molecules in your soap, meaning that the soap will do its job better. Since the soap can be broken down more thoroughly by water that has more available molecules, the substances in the soap that contribute to soap scum will be easier to rinse off at the end of the shower.
It can also be helpful to make sure that you are not using too much soap, that you are rinsing thoroughly, and that you are also choosing a soap that does not have a lot of additives. These are the things that contribute most to soap residue because they are what is left behind after the soap is done being used to wash.
San Antonio Water Filtration to Prevent Soap Residue
Don’t let this deter you from taking a shower, of course! The soap residue will not go away completely, but you’ll find that rinsing with hot water takes it away more quickly than repeated washing. If you are looking for professional and reliable water softener installation in San Antonio, here at San Antonio Water Solutions you’ll find a team of experts ready to help you with any soap residue issue and more. Contact us today!
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