I don't know how many of you are familiar with Lava Hand Soap but we always had it around when I was younger. Anytime Daddy, my brother and I came in from working in the field, mechanic'ing, or blacksmithing we would always grab that rough green bar and scrub our hands and forearms outside at the faucet. It brings back a lot of memories and I miss that distinctive smell. Lately I've been doing a lot of outside work and have been in need of a good ol' bar of Lava to clean up with when I come in for supper. The problem is, I can't seem to find anyone that carries it! Does anyone here know where I could stock up on some? Wal-Mart is absolutely useless these days and the dollar stores don't seem to stock it. I guess if it comes down to it, I could order online but it really saddens me to think that this stuff may not be widely available anymore. I do miss it.
We had Lava around before waterless hand cleaner replaced the Lava. Perhaps you might try a hardware store or auto parts shop? Maybe a local mechanic garage has a vendor that he could get some from??? How about a janitorial supply place?
Yep, that's going to be my next stop. My local store down the road in Laurel doesn't have it. I even went and looked in the automotive section. I get so frustrated in that place. Besides poor selections, it can be 9 o'clock on a Friday night and they'll only have two registers open. Grr... Anyways, before I hijack my own thread with my Wal-Mart woes, I will say that I'm glad ya'll seem to know what I'm talking about. I was scared it was something no one had heard of.
Hey wait! Make your own Lava type soap! Boil up some bacon fat, add in some lye and pumice, dry, cure, cut into bars and scrub them dirty paws! Or something like that. I remember watching my Grandparents make soap some 30 years ago and the process was something similar to my abbreviated process, minus the pumice.
I some 2-3 (maybe 4) Years ago at a Dollar Tree. I picked up as many as I had dollars in my pocket at the time. The Lava liquid is much more readily available, but I've never had it work quite as well as lava bars but still better then the rest. I'd love to hear where there are bars still. C. S. Budzi
I had no idea they had a liquid version. I just looked it up and what do you know? Lava has a website at...wait for it.... lavasoap.com. Who'd a thought it? By the way, I had no idea I sounded so country in my first post. I guess you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy.
Lava soap hasn't been in our Wal-Mart for a long time, either, but I do recall seeing it very recently, and darn near grabbed a few bars, but now I can't remember where I saw it at That said, I'd be surprised if automotive or hardware stores don't have it, but it does seem more and more places have switched over to the liquid versions of grime cleaners, like Gojo. I'm with you, though, there's just something about that abrasive feeling that makes you know you're scrubbing the gunk off Now, where the heckes did I see that stuff.... Also, I'm recalling a hand cleaner that was like the GermX stuff, but was more a lotion and had crushed walnut shells in it, that seemed to work pretty good for some things, but I'd be surprised if it would take of paint or axle grease BTW, I've been through Laurel quite a few times, taking 84 to Evergreen, AL, on the trips we went to see my maternal grandparents first, instead of Mobile
I like the orange hand cleaner. You can get it at home depot, lowes, harbor freight, any auto parts stores.
+1 = I just checked the DG near my work and found 6 bars there for $1.25 each. Looks like there are a few near you.
As an engineer, I don't find myself need extra-scrubby hand cleaner nearly as often as I used to. I've just taken to gabbing whatever reasonably effective product I come across (currently GoJo). I do recall how much better the LAVA bars work. Sad to see they're becoming harder to find.
Guess who keeps humming KISS songs now... I'm actually in school studying aerospace engineering. What field are you in? By your name, I'd say I wasn't too far off the mark to guess chemical? And yeah, I've used GoJo a lot before. It works really well as long as you DON'T wet your hands before scrubbing with it. Still, though, that sandpaper-esque bar of Lava stripping your hands of fingerprints is calling to me.
I remember that, when I was 4 years old, we always had Lava soap and I used it after playing outside. It was a gray bar then, if I remember correctly. We presently have a bar of Lava (but now it's green) near the basement sink. I also have a plastic bottle of liquid Lava, but I prefer the bar. I haven't purchased any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open to see if I can identify a source. I think I may have seen Lava bars in an Ace Hardware store--don't know if you have that chain in your area. --Vance
The house I grew up in had a bar of Lava soap at every sink. I followed my Daddy around everywhere, whether it was tarring the roof, slopping the hogs, or doing yard work. Nothing takes your skin off like that bar. Now ... I work indoors, most of the time with gloves on in a laboratory setting ... not much chance to get the hands dirty anymore ... MUST find a way to work Lava soap back in my life ..
Wal Mart around here has Lava soap. I have a bar by the kitchen sink rat now. Maybe you should check the Wal Mart in Hattiesburg. You ever hear of the Soso boys?
