How much soap?

I've wondered if the amount of soap used also depends on the volume of the enema. What I'm getting at is long ago in the heyday of home enemas wasn't more soap used with bulb syringes and weaker soapsuds or just tap water with 2 quart bags?

I not only like - but need - my enemas very soapy, using good old Ivory soap and using ALOT. I take the Ivory and shake it over and over in a pitcher of almost hot water. After I pour the mixture in my closed top enema bag, I attach the hose, clamp it shut and shake it again before I hang it up. This process makes the mixture very soapy, sudsy, thick and quite effective. It is a great irritant to a highly constipated colon thus producing a real good cleanout. It certainly helps the pain, bloating and discomfort of my IBS-C. (I take a rinse enema or two with a Tablespoon of Epsom salt in the bag after the soapy enema. I also take a good Probiotic after the enemas.)

I use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint, 1 tablespoon (no more) in about 2 1/2 quarts of warm water, for a good relaxing and cleansing enema. I've been buying it at Costco and when I put it in the cart always think about how many others are using it for enemas.

I do not use soap any more , far more comfortable with a couple warm Baking soda enemas and a plain rinse . Calms my IBS cramps down quickly , have been doing it this way for 40 or more years . Nurse put me on to baking soda for comfort . Have had the IBS all my 75 years !

I do not use soap any more , far more comfortable with a couple warm Baking soda enemas and a plain rinse . Calms my IBS cramps down quickly , have been doing it this way for 40 or more years . Nurse put me on to baking soda for comfort . Have had the IBS all my 75 years !

Depends on your specific IBS and what it's doing at the time. I have warm salt/soda enemas in the arsenal for when I need them, but most of the time the problem is my colon not pushing stuff through effectively. Salt/soda enemas too often merely join the gathering in my colon and mingle for a while. Sometimes I need a pretty strong kick from lots of soap or something else to knock everything out, sometimes a more mild kick works. Like I've said before you need to work things up for your own body (and what it needs/wants at that time).

I've also tried bisacodyl and would consider trying a Mayo sometime when things are really bad (M&M sounds like too much cleanup!) On the flip side when things are just slightly off tap water or light soapsuds does the job just fine.

I think IBS is one of those idiosyncratic things that has a life of its own. I sure there are docs that would say enemas in general just rile the colon up. One the other hand for the constipation form of IBS maybe soap is good but wouldn't for the diarrhea predominate version.

As I have said in a post 6 years ago, my radiated colon is very sensitive to soap. I regularly use tap water 90% of the time. On those few occasions when I get plugged up, I will use a SMALL amount of J&J Baby Wash. If I use the usual amount of Dr. B's, or Kirks Castile, I can get cramps very badly and sometimes even vomit. I even get discharge of lots of bowel mucous afterward.

I have used dissolved Dulcolax tabs and gotten a real good clean out, but I try to stay away from added stimulants. NaHCO3 is very gentle, but is very hard to get a full discharge, so tap water is just irritating enough to do the job..

Before colon cancer, I always used highly concentrated Ivory, or Dr. B's and it worked great. Not anymore.

I think IBS is one of those idiosyncratic things that has a life of its own. I sure there are docs that would say enemas in general just rile the colon up. One the other hand for the constipation form of IBS maybe soap is good but wouldn't for the diarrhea predominate version.

There are plenty of docs who would say "DON'T" in general. There's some truth behind this, as it is possible to cause significant damage with enemas (or anything inserted anally), but if you're smart and careful they can be pretty safe.

You're absolutely right about IBS, even day-to-day it can change. People need to work up their own protocol that works for them, and if it includes enemas they need to work up the enema protocol (when to give, what solution, how much, etc.) and, for me anyway, have options because it can be different sometimes.

Soda or saline rarely works for me, tap water is used fairly often, with very mild soap probably second. If things get bad I'll throw a strong soapsuds, glycerin, or bisacodyl enema at it to knock things loose. While it does sometimes leave residual bowel grumpiness it's worth it to get the poop out.

In short, if you have IBS and want to bring in enemas I'd recommend starting mild and slowly working up in both solution, quantity and frequency. Don't be afraid of enemas or any particular enema (as long as you're smart - you should always be afraid of stupid enemas), and use the one that works best for you at any given time (which sometimes can be no enema).

If I am mixing a Dr Bronner's solution, I use one ounce per gallon of water and take two-two quart enemas 20-30 minutes apart, then a rinse or three (!) depending on how much I want to play.

A teaspoon per quart if using Dr Bronners is relatively safe and pretty tame IMHO. I tried 2 teaspoons per quart today and couldn't hold it for more than a couple minutes. I couldn't even finish 2 quarts. I broke out in sweats and was pretty miserable until I rinsed. I won't be trying that again.

I let a bar of Ivory soap sit in a 2qt jug of water when I'm not taking an enema It's there all the time.

If I'm doing a system cleanse I shake it well the late afternoon, and again at bedtime the day before.

Even for an unplanned enema I shake it very well before use.

Recently I have been using 2 tsps. of Dr. Bronners plain for two quarts of warm (not too hot) water. This amount is effective without any severe cramps however sometimes there is still a lot of mucous the next day.

Since, as most everyone knows here, my anus/rectum/colon is excessively sensitive to many things like irritation and cramps, I never use anything that's not specifically measured so I (more or less) know what I'm getting into (or what's getting into me). I find it surprising that any number of people here use a method of soaking or shaking up a soap bar or shavings in water to make their enema solutions. It seems that could easily produce very concentrated soap solutions, probably far more concentrated than I would even want to attempt. Oh, well, I know what I like and what brings me joy as well as what to avoid after doing this for 50+ years and 2-3 years on Zity. I usually use 1 tsp of Castile soap, flavored or unflavored, per quart of water which gives me excellent cleaning with little or no cramping. The lavender version is the same except for the pleasant scent coming out, and the peppermint gives a pretty pleasant cool feeling which is not irritating. I'm getting somewhat interested these days in going up to 1.5 tsp per quart but I hope the irritation factor doesn't get too high. I tried 5% glycerin a while back and enjoyed it because it gave me a lot of grumbling and interesting motion sensations without cramping. However, going up to just 10% really was much too irritating to my rectal/colon wall, so I'd better stick to my benign and enjoyable 5%.

Eric

I just read a post about soap from 2015 from a member who used 2 oz of Bronners soap per 2 quarts. This works out to 6 tsps per quart using standard US fluid ounces (2 TBSP per oz). That recipe also included ~5-10% glycerin as well. I know I'm sensitive, but I'd need a steel colon transplant before using that much soap! Wow.

Eric

At some point I'd like to see by weight how much soap is in the various liquid castile soaps. I know for my "goo" how much is in there (1.8 grams per 15mL tablespoon), but I'm not sure about, say, Bronner's peppermint.

I don't have an accurate enough scale to do it yet, but it would be nice to get the mass of, say, 1 tsp (5mL) of the liquid dried out for the various soaps.

My Navy enlistment terminated in the late '60s and I finally had the long-awaited privacy needed to indulge in enema play since childhood days. Initially, I frequently overdid it with solution strengths using soap, salt, and other additives at dangerously high levels. I'd sometimes make a soapy mixture by dropping a full bar of soap into a food processor and use of Ivory dish detergent was most common. Use of the latter is a dangerous practice as I was to discover years later. I don't recall the medical term for the condition it causes, but eventually I acquired bleeding internal ulcers that required painful surgery to correct. Overuse of salt once put me close to death, but that is another story and whereupon I was hospitalized for a week. In those times, I was unaware that anyone else on the planet enjoyed enemas as I did.

Dr. Bronner's soap became a favorite for many years, but in the present day for my SSE solutions, I'll simply drop an Ivory soap bar in warm water for several minutes. I now rarely use soap, full-strength coffee being my current fav solution.

Northernguy,

Sounds like the coffee is a lot safer and maybe more enjoyable (?) than the super-concentrated soap solutions from your adventurous past! Glad you can still enjoy them. I tried coffee a few times last year, and it was fine but didn't feel or make me feel much different than plain water or saline. Maybe I need it stronger.

Eric

My favorite soap solution has evolved to one capful of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo per quart of water. Since this soap is soothing, I've relaxed that formula to an educated squirt or two for a three quart soapy enema. I may not take the whole three quarts on the initial go, but the solution is ready once I resume my series. I then go for clear rinses until clear.

Ericmacson, I use coffee made to full strength (as to drink). Caffeinated content is important. Caffeine ingested orally undergoes the digestive process by which it is chemically altered and becomes less than entirely beneficial in large quantity. Caffeine used in an enema solution bypasses the digestive chemical alteration and, as such and in its pure form, has no harmful effect and signals the liver to release collected toxins via the lymphatic system into the colon - thus having a doubly cleansing result that is usually noticeable as versus a "regular" cleansing enema. Opinions on this vary as on virtually any topic, just as some will yet argue the earth is flat.

I generally use 1 TBSP/qt of water of either Dr. Bronners unscented Castile soap, or J & J Baby Shampoo. This concentration is stout enough to give me a good enema cleanse, but not so much that it causes any significant cramping, which I personally don't enjoy, although the urge to expel is fairly strong after slowly taking in about 2 qts.

I only recall using a tsp of Castile soap per quart of water which does very well without much irritation or cramping. Tomorrow I'm probably going up to 1.5-2 tsp per quart to remind myself if I can take it. I'm looking forward to the trial. One TBSP per quart will probably give me much too much irritation and spoil the other pleasant enema sensations for me, but maybe I might try it someday in an exploratory mood.

Eric

I have used several soaps over the decades including vintage Ivory bar soap, Dr. Bronners Castile soap-Baby and Peppermint, and just recently Nutribiotic Coconut Oil Soap-Unscented.

I've always had a colon that would irritate easily if I overdid it on the soap. In my younger days I could take a heavy on the Ivory bar Soapy water enema by "swishing" it until it was bubbly. I've learned my lesson and have to be sensible about the proportioning. I usually stick to 1 tsp. per quart of warm water now. I actually haven't tried Ivory bar soap in a while, so I need to experiment to see how much it irritates my colon, using lesser amounts. Dr. Bronners Castile Baby, and especially Peppermint, would always irritate.

The Nutribiotic Coconut Oil Soap-Unscented was a perfect mix for cramping and cleaning, and did not irritate any part of my colon, even after a couple of days, using 1 tsp. per quart of warm water.

I recently used Ivory bar soap. I added 1/4 bar to a pint of water, let it dissolve for several days the added half of that to 5 qt. bag and finished filling bag with tap water. It was very mild, no problems, was easy to take 3 qts. Release was not totally complete but 90% came out. Much more than using tap water.

I have also tried castile soap, 3 tablespoons to 5 qt bag, again very mild with no problems. Had about the same effect as Ivory soap. Next time I will increase the concentration of the castile soap to 1 tablespoon per quart. I had no irritation with either of these. Both allowed evacuation more completely than plain tap water.

My most recent SSE was two Tbs per liter (qt) using Ivory soap. Since it's grated pretty finely, it dissolved nearly completely. The solution was pretty opaque and is about as strong as I've ever made it.

It did have a more immediate effect than my standard mixture about half that strength and I did perceive a mild burning sensation but no excessive reaction. Of course, a new retention nozzle may have also played a role. Haven't tried any of the liquid soaps yet.

Anyone try the Sunlight Pure Soap bar?

I've previously posted about my first rather overenthusiastic use of soap. I grated literally half a bar of imperial leather into really hot water to get it to dissolve and then mixed it up to a 3 litre enema. I thought the world was ending and barring a couple of M&M enemas I've taken since, I've never wanted anything to come out of me faster than that enema!

Since then I've been a little more sensible but I do still like to feel heavy cramps and tend to err on the stronger side of the solution mix.

My regular approach is to leave a bar of soap in a 1 litre just with hot water, swirling it about every few minutes. I do this as I'm setting up my enema gear and getting dressed appropriately (some will know I'm a real rub wrist and always have some form of rubber clothing on for an enema). By the time I'm ready the solution will be fairly strong and sometimes the bar has even begun to really dissolve. I mix this up with water to make the desired size enema. Whilst not a very scientific approach it seems to work for me.

I've use Dr Bronners peppermint before. I've also previously written about how tough I initially found this to even get into me, let alone retain. After some stirling words from Suzie (basically, man up!) I finally managed to start taking these enemas more regularly. With these I didn't really measure out the soap, instead just going by eye and feel with a couple of squirts of soap until I thought it looked like the right sort of amount. This is the same approach I take with J&J shampoo, but I can use much larger quantities of this.

The other posts below do make me wonder if I should be measuring out my soaps more accurately. I certainly don't want to do myself any permanent damage.

I've previously posted about my first rather overenthusiastic use of soap. I grated literally half a bar of imperial leather into really hot water to get it to dissolve and then mixed it up to a 3 litre enema. I thought the world was ending and barring a couple of M&M enemas I've taken since, I've never wanted anything to come out of me faster than that enema!

....

The other posts below do make me wonder if I should be measuring out my soaps more accurately. I certainly don't want to do myself any permanent damage.

Last night I took the strongest soapy enema I've ever taken. I should have weighed the amount of Ivory soap rather than by approximate volume. However, I dissolved 14 tablespoons of grated soap into one liter of very hot water (i checked this later and it comes out to be between 55-60 g, or about 2/3rds of the standard bar of Ivory Soap). Allowing it to sit about five minutes, it appeared to dissolve completely. I poured that solution into the enema bag to allow it to cool. This also allowed the solution to slowly drain down into the tubing and filling the tubing and the Higginson pump.

When I came back about 20 minutes later to finish mixing the solution (basically adding water) for a 4-liter soapy enema, the solution had cooled enough so that it was starting to congeal. Adding three liters of warm water and squeezing the bag to mix the solution got it to a less gelatinous state, but the solution in the tubing was very strong and viscous. For a little extra kick, I added some glycerin.

Although I have a new double balloon retention nozzle, I used one of my long colon tubes to inject the solution very high up into the transverse colon. The tube was locked into place by both the retention ball and the retention ring.

Because the soap solution in the tube was so strong and viscous, the initial flow was pretty slow. However, as it pushed that solution into the high colon, the flow rate substantially increased. I took more than 3.5 liters before closing the valve. Hold time was 15 minutes. I wouldn't rate what I felt as severe or even very strong cramps. But it was a more definitive set of contractions than I typically experience with Ivory soap. In addition, the area at the top of my rectum was more activated than I typically experience (pulsing/random quivering type contractions) as the urge to expel got more imperative.

As soon as I unseated the retention ring and ball, I didn't get a grasp on the tubing just beyond the retention ball and the pressure fired the entire length of the tube out of my colon in less than one second. The long set of discharge contractions were quite an experience and I didn't have any sense of urgency in refilling/rinsing in order to relieve an internal distress.

There are some castile soaps that I have used that produce a great sense of burning/distress at lower concentration than Ivory. Was the kick I felt due more to the stronger soap or the glycerin? I'm not sure, but it wasn't unpleasant. The concentration of glycerin was relatively low (just under 3%) so I tend to think it was a result of the higher soap concentration.

I have come to the conclusion that most recipes for soapsuds enemas are vague on the amount of soap because it doesn't really matter enough to have a specific amount - something reasonable usually works just fine. 14 tablespoons of grated soap sounds like about an entire Ivory bar, right? That would be about 25 grams of soap per liter - much stronger than what I use, about 1-4 grams per liter. Even the "medical" ones recommending up to 10mL of soap per 500mLof water don't specify how much soap is really in that quantity, and I haven't been able to find a "standard" for how many grams of soap are in a mL for liquid soap.

I don't think I'd go around taking 25gm/L soapsuds enemas weekly, but if you don't have any signs of chemical colitis it might not be too bad for you. Again, it seems from the literature that we don't really know what the long-term effects are. They know that there is irritation and inflammation short-term (with not only soap but also glycerin, phosphate and bisacodyl), but I have seen nothing showing dangers long-term. The danger case studies seemed to revolve around chemical colitis, mostly because of stupid additives (antibacterial soap, hydrogen peroxide and the like), but some people do have sensitive colons so you definitely shouldn't jump in with a full bar of Ivory dissolved in your bag.

About how much volume is one grated bar of Ivory?

On your castile question - yes, I find that castile soap causes more of a brouhaha in my butt than Ivory for the same amount. Not sure why.

@moliere

I've gone back and edited my post to give a few more details. It turns out that amount is approximately 2/3rd of the bar since a standard bar is 90 g. When I measured 14 tbs of grated Ivory, I got between 55 and 60 g. A fully grated bar fits in less than 300ml. I usually grate a bar at a time and keep it in a screw top container.

So, it was approximately 15 g/L. Glycerin was less than 3% by volume. But the soap strength was about twice as strong as anything I've tried and when I have experienced irritation, it has been at the lower strengths.

This is why I always do measurements of ingredients - my anus/rectum/colon is too bloody sensitive to accidentally overdose or over-concentrate soap or glycerin or other potential irritants. I'm glad the rest of you have less wimpy colons and are happy with mixing soap by eyeballing it!

Eric