ABOUT SOAP.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 219, 15 September 1924, Page 8

ABOUT SOAP.

■ . ] EFFECT OF THE SEASONS. i LESS WASHING IX WINTER. ' A statement made the other day by ( an Auckland business man closely identi- j fied with the soap-manufacturing indue- , try occasioned a "Star" reporter some ) surprise. In discussing the quantities of soap sold in wholesale consignments every ye.ar he said that it was common knowledge in the industry that ] soap was in much greater demand in 1 the summer than ityivas during the 1 other three seasons. February was the \ record month for sales, and expectations t of trig business at this period had -i never during his long association with i the trade failed to materialise. The j winter months of June, and July usually , found the sales accounts shrunken to mere ghosts of their summer eelves. ( Asked if he had any explanation, the < reporter's informant said he was of 1 opinion that washing was a much more , popular pastime during the warmer ] months. "Spring cleaning" meant the ,1 consumption of tons of soap, and it ] appeared that the good housewife had , to use more soap during- the dusty i months than she did when muddied , boots made havoc with th& floors. , Personal cleanliness also comes into 1 the question, for it is a well-known i fact that numerous people enjoy a tub : every morning during the warm seasons, : whereas they are inclined to indulge less men tell one thut the "Saturday night : often once the mercury has dropped to shivering point. The old adage about cleanliness being next to godliness is still true enough, even though medical bath" is a regular institution in many homes where the value of more frequent ablutions is not fully appreciated. Some retailers were spoken to with regard to the same question, and it was generally stated that they found it expedient to carry fairly heavy supplies of soap during the warm weather. Men, said one shopkeeper, seemed to be more particular about their toilet sotip than women. A man usually had <mc i pet brand, which he used one year's « end to the oth<ir. Anything new he Tβ- i garded with deep suspicion, and would '. depart in a huff should the retailer I I endeavour to pass off any other but the i 'brand with which he had daily lathered i his body for years. On the other hand, i most women were forever experiment- '. ing. They Hried every new variety— i more especially the' soaps that were : heavily scented. The manufacturer who '. could discover some strange new per- . fume usually found a ready sale for ; his product. < A chemist told the "Star"' man that < boxes of soap were favourite presents. • Scores of young men, he said, presented their lady loves with expensive soaps . in fancy boxes, some of which were as elaborate as boxes of chocolates.