General Chat

Soap rationing began on this day in 1942. Looking at my neighbours, I'm wondering if it's still being rationed... :-S

:-D :-D :-D

Hubby used to say how he noticed other guys grey underwear when he had to attend medicals .etc He said he always thought my wife is a better washer than theirs!! How do they get so grey looking .?? Told him I did as my mum and MIL did and the whites and pale coloureds go in one wash and the dark colours in another plus towels always have their own wash .

Think too these days some still use commercial washers and as the machines are so big they bung in all in to save money

don't recall soap rationing but remember very well sweet rationing!!! :-D

Hi Graham. :-) :-) :-).

Just a bit of added info which the oldies might remember.

Beetroots put the bloom on ladies lips.

Wednesday. February 18th 1942.
"Plimsoll lines" are beginning to appear on hotel and public baths as fuel shortage
hits Britain. Even the King, it is reported, has had such lines painted on baths in
Buckingham Palace. The population is urged to take fewer baths, and to use no
more than five inches of hot water when they do so. Shared baths are also encouraged.
The situation is not being helped by a soap ration of one tablet allowance every
month. The government has refused extra rations for districts like London where
water is exceptionally hard - although miners are able to obtain ration-free soap
at their pithead baths.
Shaving soap is unrationed but difficult to obtain; razor blades are in equally short
supply. Users are encouraged to re-sharpen their blades by running them around
the inside of glass tumblers - which are virtually unobtainable.
With an equal shortage of cosmetics, women are driven to use cooked beetroot
juice for lipstick and soot for eye makeup. Gravy browning "paint" is substituting
for silk stockings, with pencilled - in seams.


F.

Remember as a child only soap we had was carbolic soap and this thread reminded me of the smell :-(

Remember the smell of carbolic...I liked it...also like the smell of Coal tar soap. Still get this.
I had long hair in ringlets and mum always made sure we had derbac soap to wash hair so I didn't get nits.It was black...you can get today,but is white.
Didn't have washing up liquid for dishes,think we used soap powder,but pots would have to be rinsed well. :-)

Soap rationing. My dog and I move into the front room when Eastenders comes on tele. That's my soap rationing. :-)

Info for Ann......

Monday. 27th July. 1942. Sweet rationing begins,
Sunday. 24th April. 1949. Chocolate & Sweet rationing ends.

Thursday. 14th July. 1949. Sweet rationing returns. Shortage of sugar.
Thursday. 5th. February. 1953. Sweet rationing ends.


For info
10th July. 1950. Soap rationing ends.


F.

Brenda, I was telling someone the other day about the black soap mum used to wash my hair but I couldn't remember what it was called. I don't remember soap being rationed but I was quite young so probably more concerned with sweets rationing than soap rationing.

I did go to a fancy dress party in 1953 as "Miss Sweets-Off-Ration" in a dress made of white crepe paper, decorated with sweets wrappers and a hat made from a jellies box. What a sight I must have looked.

SuffolkVera, I loved reading about your party, brilliant :-D

Great replies. :-) Thanks for all the info <3

thanks Frederick - I was six years old and I remember it so well - such a\ blow :-S

Does anybody else keep soap for years to dry out before they use it or is that just another of my sad habits?

Was only thinking this morning that I thought I could remember there being two sorts of Brillo. There was the one with the soap in it that still comes in a red packet but I thought there was once a green version that came as wire wool with a bar of soap I think.

I keep soap in drawers to scent clothes - some of it's been in drawers for years