Is soft soap acidic or alkaline?

A common question, and the simple answer is that soap is alkaline. You could say that alkaline is the opposite of acidic.

What pH value does soap have?

However, different soaps have different pH values. You can often find the product’s pH value on the packaging or in its safety data sheet.

What does alkaline mean?

In “chemistry terms,” bases are a group of chemical compounds that can accept hydrogen ions. When dissolved in ordinary water, they should produce a pH value above 7 or, more generally, donate electron pairs. Such a solution is called basic or alkaline. Alkaline is another word for basic.

Why use alkaline soap?

• The advantage of alkaline soap—soap with a high pH value—is that it easily removes all dirt originating from plants or animals. It may sound strange?! But if you think about it, most of the dirt in our homes comes from plants or animals. Dirt brought in on shoes and outerwear, or on dirty animal paws, most likely comes from nature. The dirt we want to remove in the kitchen often comes from plants or animals—in other words, from the food we have prepared. All of this is easily and naturally removed with alkaline soap.
• Another major advantage of alkaline soap is that it removes and prevents the regrowth of, for example, mold. Mold is a type of fungus, and fungi do not thrive in an alkaline environment. Have you ever found a pink, reddish, or brown coating on the grout between your bathroom tiles? Then it is probably fungus. Scrub with soap that has a high pH value. It is a good idea to leave a little soap on the affected areas to work, and the mold infestation will recede.
• The same applies to algae and lichen. Algae often attack things found outdoors, such as garden furniture, window sills, flowerpots, greenhouses, and boats. Algae also do not thrive in an alkaline environment and will stay away longer if you use soap with a high pH value.