This web page contains soap facts for kids and is an excellent resource for anyone of any age looking to learn about soap. Our goal is to provide you with accurate, up to date facts about soap. In addition to facts about soap and soap products, we provide additional resources to help you with your research on this cleaning product.
The soap facts below will help you learn about when soap was invented, who invented soap, how we use soap, how soap changed society, the different types of soap and other soap related facts. We hope these soap facts are interesting and help you learn more about this life changing cleaning product.
If any of the below soap facts are inaccurate, please contact us and let us know.
26 Soap Facts for Kids
- Soap is a bathing, washing and cleaning product made from vegetable oils and/or fat oils.
- Based on archeological evidence, soap-like materials were being used in ancient Babylon around 2800 BCE.
- Soap made from animal fats can be made from beef or mutton fat.
- Soap made from vegetable oils can be made from canola, coconut, laurel, olive, palm and various other oils.
- Soap can be in a liquid or solid form.
- Soap in a solid form is called a bar of soap.
- Soap in a liquid form is called liquid soap or foam soap.
- Soap can be used to washing your hands, face, body and hair, it can also be used to clean surfaces.
- Soap that is used to clean dirty dishware, glassware and both eating and cooking utensils is called dish soap.
- Soap that is used to clean dirty clothes and other textiles is called laundry soap.
- Soap that can help kill bacteria is called antibacterial soap.
- Novelty soaps are designed for kids with shapes and colors to mimic real life things, like a duck or a cow.
- Soap that is used to wash your hands is called hand soap.
- Washing your hands with soap and water is good for personal hygiene and helps stop the spread of pathogens.
- The World Health Organization recommends you wash your hands before and after caring for someone who is sick, preparing food, prior to eating, after using the bathroom, handling garbage and handling animal waste.
- The World Health Organization recommends you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Soap that is used to wash your face is called face soap.
- Washing your face with soap and water will remove dirt, sweat, oil, dead skin cells and pathogens.
- Some face soaps, both over the counter and prescription, contain one or more of the following chemicals to help control acne, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and sodium sulfacetamide.
- Benzoyl peroxide is added to face soap because of its antibacterial effect on acne.
- Salicylic acid is added to face soap because it helps remove the outer layer of your skin.
- Sodium sulfacetamide is added to face soap because it can halt the growth of bacteria that causes acne.
- Soap that is used to wash your body is called body soap or body wash.
- Body wash will have fragrances added to it to enhance your smell throughout the day.
- A popular hobby is soapmaking and is practiced by people who want to make their own soap at home.
- A popular hobby is soap carving and is practiced by people who carve objects out of a bar of soap.
Additional Resources About Soap
- Soapmaking History – Discover the history behind soapmaking on the Open.edu website.
- Soaps and Detergents – Learn about the chemicals used in soap on the ASU website.
- How Soap is Made – Explore the Univeristy of Kansas website to learn how soap is made.
- Soap – Wikipedia – Read more about soap and its history on the Wikipedia website.