Enema Soap

Just to clarify a couple of things; Mom used the green Palmolive bar soap for a soapy enema and to wash my mouth out when I had a slip of the tongue. Ralphie would have likely gagged and puked like I did. I doubt my mom read the labels to discern what ingredients there were.

I recall Madge and her commercials for the dish soap. I suspect my mom assumed that if it was good enough to soak one's hands in, it was OK for a variety of uses. I reiterate however, mom usually used the bar soap for those intense soapy enemas and to wash my occasionally filthy mouth.

As far as the solidification of that castile soap, I have used up quite a few of the packets by scraping the solid soap into a container and adding hot water. I then add cool/cold water to bring it to an appropriate temp for an enema. It requires a bit of extra effort, but the quality isn't compromised.

During a period of extreme boredom, I actually cut the packages and scraped the semi-solid soap into a container that is closed until I desire some of the soap for some shits and giggles.

Personal sized ivory. Wash my already clean hands in warm water making it look like thin milk.

Isn't dish detergent a "detergent" versus being "a soap"?

I never tried Dove or Palmolive. When Mom used the syringe on me when I was little it was always Ivory soap, and that's what I still use today.

While 99.9% of the time I don't use soap, if I were, I would use something more mild or 'pure.' Ivory is just pure soap, right, without any additional creams or fragrances or additives? If soaps have ingredients listed, I would only use the ones with the least amount of 'stuff' in them. Although a good friend who needed enemas due to a health issue had used Neutrogena as her favorite all her life.

And Dr Bronner 's Pure Castile soap. That's been around for ages and frequently mentioned by every guru in the enema world.

So I wouldn't use dish soap or detergent or anything made for clothes washing. Be careful/gentle with your insides!

...anything made for clothes washing. Be careful/gentle with your insides!

I thought the same for a long time, but then I saw in several authoritative (but older) books a recommendation for laundry SOAP (not detergent) as long as it was low-free-alkali because it works better/faster/more thoroughly. I don't know where you'd get actual, good laundry soap now, but I have seen some directions for making it.

I imagine it would be similar to Kirks Castile.

A caution about using Kirk's Hard Water Castile Soap. If you don't have naturally hard water, be very careful how much you swish the bar around in your container. I accidentally made a VERY strong solution that I used and I got nauseated from it. Ivory, Baby Wash, or Dr. B's don't do that to me. 80% of the time I use tap water and it works fine.

I normally use Dove soap and try to get the water very slippery. Recently I acquired some packets of Castile enema soap. Since I was going to take a four quart enema I added four packets. The results were good but I was left with residual burning and cramps. Once again, my "some is good, more is better" getting me into trouble.

I have used Ivory, I like it a lot. I have used Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo and body wash, I like that a lot too! I, also, have used equate baby shampoo and body wash. I can not tell much difference from Johnson and Johnson except for the cost. I have also used Kirk's Castile soap and in the past I may have made it a bit strong, but lately when I use it, I have had no problems. Now, I do not use soap in all of my enemas. In fact, most of the time I only use water and salt. Never the less, I always enjoy my enemas!

I have a couple of comments to make here. The first one is about DOVE soap. I've had a nocturnal history of 'knee jerks', or the like. My Dr suggested that I place a DOVE bar near the foot of the bed for my feet to 'play with.' I was surprised when it worked.

--and to my friend Liquid Sky, those Castile Soap packets are intended for single use in the now-used hospital 1500cc bucket or bag. (The only larger enema equipment that I'm aware of is the Barium Enema bag that is 2500cc. So, using 4 packets would make a very strong mixture, explaining your burning discomfort.

I just love it when I talk like that!

Best to all.

the boxcar

Isn't dish detergent a "detergent" versus being "a soap"?

Yes!

@boxcar

...those Castile Soap packets are intended for single use in the now-used hospital 1500cc bucket or bag. ...So, using 4 packets would make a very strong mixture, explaining your burning discomfort.

Hmm. Glad I heard this before I tried those packets out. The "official enema directions" nowadays talk about giving only 500mL-1L generally, so I had thought it was one packet for that quantity. Owch.

Those packets are ~9mL of soap, right?

I guess I am old school and use Dr Bronners plain castile soap. When I was in college, I worked in the Central Supply section of the hospital. My job was to dispense requested kits and items to the floors. This included bedpans, urinals for both male an female, catheters, douche kits, enema cans (made of plastic), emesis basins, and a variety of other things.

I noticed in the enema can kits, that included was a packet of enema soap. Castile soap to be exact. We also stocked just the packets as the enema cans were used more than once, so they needed more soap.

They used to admit patients for overnight stays, to be given enemas to prep until clear for Barium Xrays the next morning. I had a friend that was THE tech who did ALL of the barium enemas. Back then the barium was a pink powder, and kind of sweet smelling. She would make up a whole bunch of bags for the next morning, at the end of her shift. I can recall seeing the bags of pink solution in a clear glass "warmer", keeping the barium bags warm prior to patient administration. She really liked to do BE's as she was really good at them.

I can still recall getting an order form asking for "Enema Soap". Takes me back to the good old days!

Makes me wish I was a patient in that hospital back then!!

I thought the same for a long time, but then I saw in several authoritative (but older) books a recommendation for laundry SOAP (not detergent) as long as it was low-free-alkali because it works better/faster/more thoroughly. I don't know where you'd get actual, good laundry soap now, but I have seen some directions for making it.

I imagine it would be similar to Kirks Castile.

Laundry soap was usually made from tallow (which makes perfectly good soap). I suspect the reasons it was recommended for enemas were (a) it was cheap, (b) every house would have some, and (c) it didn’t contain additives (colouring or perfume).

I remember when I was a child around the age of eight or nine, my Mother would often use one to two teaspoons of Ivory snow flakes in my enemas. I can only remember that the enemas did not cause me any undo cramping and I always had a good bowel movement. In addition, the smell of the Ivory snow flakes made the bathroom smell good.

Since the late 1960s ALL laundry soaps sold in local stores have been enzymatic detergents

Up until then women were taught to keep adding soap until they saw the suds, even in the early days of the automatic washer

Unfortunately by then the enzymatic detergents worked fine with so suds at all, so Many women ruined the clothes and didn't do the washer any good. As a result phosphate was added to make the stuff suds up so they would STOP over using it

A soapmaking book I read (never actually made soap yet, but it looked interesting) was talking about most soaps for the body being "superfatted" and having unreacted fats in them to make them nicer on the skin. Laundry soap had as little extra fat as possible.

Soap and some detergent is alkaline. The alkalinity is certain to cause cramping from the irritation. So baby shampoo would emulsify the colon contents (or some of them) with a minimum of irritation. If it's gentle to the eyes it should be gentle to the innards.

Soap and some detergent is alkaline. The alkalinity is certain to cause cramping from the irritation. So baby shampoo would emulsify the colon contents (or some of them) with a minimum of irritation. If it's gentle to the eyes it should be gentle to the innards.

Don't confuse alkalinity with pH (pH being the acid/base definition, although they are indirectly related). Sodium bicarbonate solutions tend to be quite alkaline but have minimal irritation for many who use them.

Don't confuse alkalinity with pH (pH being the acid/base definition, although they are indirectly related). Sodium bicarbonate solutions tend to be quite alkaline but have minimal irritation for many who use them.

Sodium bicarbonate is NOT very alkaline. the pH is only about 8.3.

We have local health food stores selling alkaline water at pH 9. Neither of those at their pH are very alkaline or irritating.

Don't confuse alkalinity with pH (pH being the acid/base definition, although they are indirectly related).

What? Presence/absence and degree of acidity or alkalinity is defined by pH.

Eric

What? Presence/absence and degree of acidity or alkalinity is defined by pH.

Eric

Let me restate more correctly what I was thinking and did not write correctly:

Don't confuse alkalinity with pH (pH being the acid/base definition, although they are indirectly related). Sodium bicarbonate solutions tend to be quite high in alkalinity, but have minimal irritation for many who use them because the pH is not much above the neutral value of 7.0.

pH is the measurement of the -log(10) of H+ ions and ranges from 1-14

pH of 7.0 is neutral. Anything below 7.0 is acidic, anything above that level is basic though there is the tendency to call it "alkaline."

Alkalinity is a specific water quality definition and is measured as ppm (mg/l) of selected ions such as -OH, CO3, HCO3, and a few other minor contributors. The pH and the definition of what is alkaline is different from alkalinity. A solution can have high alkalinity and be slightly or very mildly basic (say a pH of 7.5 - 8.4), though the term that gets tossed around is that it is mildly alkaline as noted above. And I fell victim to my own warning by being sloppy in my writing.

Mom used Ivory bar on me at 5-11 yo. I have used Ivory on myself and several “friends” with very positive results. Swishing a bar in warm water makes a milky fluid that smells good. Filling the bag and giving the enema hoes very well. The patient feels warmth and only slight urge to expel. The expulsion is pleasant the patient is odor free. It’s a nice treatment. Now it’s your turn.

I don't use soaps too often in my enemas....but If I do its sometimes Dr Bonners Almond soap which I find mild as Im not much into cramps. Also Ive used baby shampoo in my enemas....a good soap without all the cramps

I use soap in most of my enemas that I take though I usually use Dr Bonners peppermint or lavender depending on what I am in the mood for. Though it is hard to beat a nice ivory soap bar thats soaked in warm water.

Ivory or Dr Bronners usually

I prefer to use 3 Tblsp ( or 4 ) of Baby shampoo and 2 Tblsp baking soda to 2qts. Gives a very soothing, non iratating enema with lots of bubbles. 😄 Then 2 Tblsp baking soda to 2 qts rinse.

For a while I have been using Goat's milk enema soap (Frankincense and Myrrh). It has been doing a good job for me.

I put a bath size bar of Ivory in a qt plastic jug and allow it to sit for several days. The entire amount becomes a soupy gel which can be easily scooped out and added to warm water until the desired strength is achieved. It's easy to do, and I always start a new jug when the current one is down to about 1/4 full. For those who enjoy extreme enemas, the gel can be loaded into a bulb with the screw top on the end, and injected full strength. Be sure you are close to the toilet, and always do a couple of rinses, or a painful chemical burn may result. Even mild Ivory is irritating in full strength.

I ,too, have been using Goat's milk enema soap (Frankincense and Myrrh) for a change of pace. My go to soap is J&J's head to toe shampoo at least 5 to one over any of the others I use [Dr Bronner's Baby Castile, Ivory, glycerine, Dove].