Octagon Soap Memories

This is an old wooden box that Chuck found in his Grandmother's House. 

The back side & it says:

Octagon Soap, Sales are increasing rapidly because:

First.--It is a high grade soap, simply perfect, made from sweet, pure stock unadulterated, sure to please.  Second.--It is well advertised by the immense list of premiums for the old folks, young people, and children.

Isn't that a hoot?  I love it!!

If you want to read a cute booklet about doing laundry
click picture below for an instruction booklet
From Octagon Soap 1901

Colgate & Company

credit

Hagley Digital Archives

I recently moved the old wooden box into the laundry room

You may not have ever heard of this soap but it has been around since about 1899.  I saw it in my grandparents home and even washed my hands as a child out on their back porch with their old fashioned hand pump for water.  That water was always so cold and tasted so good.  I can still remember my granddaddy priming that pump.  Well, guess I'd better get back to the soap.  Did I like it? Not particularly it stunk to me and was hard.

I also remember my daddy having that and Lava on the sink.  He worked hard was an auto body repairman and in his day was quite talented,( because he would essentially build the car parts not simply order and replace).  Mama would say now that is your daddy's soap don't bother it.  I would pass over it on the store shelf and not think twice about it.  That is my history with this soap.

The last few years I have been making my own laundry detergents/soaps and household cleaners.  Wouldn't you know that of course when I actually stop and buy the soap they quit making it.  I spoke with Colgate Palmolive in May of this year and they told me they stopped making it Summer 2012.  I was told there was not enough demand. I surely don't know how it existed all of those years in between and now that so many are making their own products and were using it then it would go out of business.  They also told me that at this time Colgate Palmolive does not have any other soap to replace this soap.

There are a few bars left out there and they sell for quite a lot:
Ebay: from $9.49 a bar to $640.00 for a case of 60...
Amazon sells it with only 6 bars left there for $23.50 a bar...

We still have Fels Naptha, Castile, Ivory,White Dial and Zote to use for our homemade laundry.

Happy memories and happy cleaning,