• Question: Can soap ever get dirty?

    • Keywords:
      • Click on a keyword to find out more on the RSC site:
      Asked by ALOrona to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 13 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        The short answer to this is yes! Soap gets dirty all the time but you wash it away.

        The soap forms spheres called micelles which are negatively charged so they can dissolve in water. However, dirt is not charged and so sits in the middle of the micelle, which is within the water and then they get washed away.

        So soap keeps you clean by attaching itself to you dirt and letting it be washed away 🙂 Therefore making the soap dirty instead! ?

      • Photo: John Fossey

        John Fossey answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Yes

      • Photo: Robert Williams

        Robert Williams answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Yes,
        if you have really dirty hands you can get the soap dirty.
        It’s always best to leave the soap clean for the next person.

      • Photo: Ruth Patchett

        Ruth Patchett answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Like the others say yes. Soap is made up of two “ends” one is attracted to greasy/oily molecules and the other is attracted to water. This means one end will stick to the grease and the other end can dissolve it in water and you can wash it away (taking the grease with it). This is helpful as grease or oil do not dissolve in water on their own.

      • Photo: Luke Williams

        Luke Williams answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Could always get around this issue by using liquid soap from a dispenser?

    Comments