To Dip or Not to Dip; That is the Question

[bheiser1]

It's hard to imaging using soap directly in a fresh water supply. But I believe it happens . Wandering Daisy, that's a great point about residual soap in our clothes. I guess the best bet would be to slosh the clothes around Ina plastic bag away from the water supply, eh?

[Wandering Daisy]

The people I have seen using soap in streams are using "biodegradable" soaps, however, it still causes suds and taste, and certainly does not biodegrade in time for the next person that comes along. As for residual soap in clothing, just wash your stuff twice - once with soap, and then once without. If you still see suds in the washing machine, do it even three times. Once the soap is out it is fine to wash clothes in streams. Two years I ran across ago two men who were actually brushing their teeth directly in the stream on Darwin Bench! How hard is it to brush in a cup and spit away from streams? I am not sure if these people are ignorant, stuipd or just lazy.

I am actually allergic to laundry soaps so have to be very careful with residual soap or I get a horrible rash. I use half the recommended laundry soap and then rinse 2-3 times. I do not think I would have realized how much soap stays in clothing if I did not have to deal with daily at home.

[Ska-T]

As far as the laundry detergent concerns of Wandering Daisy, I've had great results with Atsko Sport Wash.
http://www.atsko.com/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=106" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I use it for all my outdoor/performance clothing. For delicate clothing I use it in a front loading washing machine or the sink for hand washing. Disclaimer: I have no relationship with the company except as a customer. [Note: I use it back home, not in the mountains.]

Here are a few quotes from their web site:
"totally free of dyes, fragrance, phosphates, oxidizers, color, fluorescent whiteners, enzymes, and fillers"
"Wool, silk, cotton, and all delicate fabrics and colors can now be clean and odor free without damage."
"High-tech fibers with special wicking, breathing, or insulating properties can be maintained at peak performance"
"Sport-Wash eliminates the rash, redness, and irritation you've suffered through with other detergents."

It rinses out completely from clothing and leaves no residue, as shown by the experiment linked below. Repeated washing (8 times) in Sport Wash or water (control) resulted in no weight gain to the clothing showing that it rinsed off completely. By comparison, washing in a conventional laundry detergent, liquid Tide for this experiment, resulted in an increase in weight of the clothing after each wash, that is, the Tide left an accumulating residue.
http://www.atsko.com/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ska-T]

As far as to dip or not, I used to dip every now and then without much thought. Now I usually wash up with a bandana away from the water source. Especially if I'm going to dip after the "sponge" bath.

At least two things jolted my awareness. One time when getting a permit in SEKI NP the ranger who went over the regulations stated not to swim/bathe in the lakes. Another time I was at Little Five Lakes out of Mineral King and watched several backpackers stand way out in the lake (and one in the middle of the outlet) and soap themselves up. Then they proceeded to apply shaving cream and gave themselves a shave right in the lake. Their rationalization? "It's biodegradable!" Yeah, it degrades slightly faster than conventional soap evaporated on the ground in direct sunlight, not in the water.

Not to be gross, but I also wonder if dippers leave BEHIND residue best left out of potential drinking water that is not sunscreen or mosquito repellant. I advocate some spring cleaning, perhaps with a wet wipe, before dipping.