Why the oval shape?

Basically, the shape is the same as what a soap bar becomes as it degrades and becomes a “sliver.”

Should the SoapStandle device be bigger?

It’s just about the right size. It works on large bars of soap, too – even a MacBook Air balances pretty well. And, for smaller bars, there's the "mini" -- the diameter of a US half-dollar.

Won’t the teeth hurt when the bar gets thin?

The answer is really "no." The teeth are only 5mm high (that’s shorter than ¼”) so when the bar gets to “sliver” proportion just push it off and either (a) fuse it with the next bar of soap, or (b) since you’re already ‘ahead’ by at least 20% (the extra amount of soap that hasn’t gone down the drain) you can just toss the remainder and still be ‘ahead’ because you’ve avoided soap goo for the entire life of that bar of soap. You may detect the teeth are there, but they don’t hurt.

My soap bar is curved – will the SoapStandle work on it?

Whether your bar is concave or convex it should work. As long as about 2/3rds of the teeth are in contact with the bar, the SoapStandle should stay in contact… and a little water assisting the teeth to ‘seat’ into the bar will help. So, you can get a flat one and it will probably work in your curved bar. BUT, as of July 2016 there are two additions to the lineup - one for concave bars and one for convex. See the "PRODUCT / PURCHASE" tab at the top of the page.

How do I attach when soap is very hard?

In this case, water is your friend. Rinse the bar briefly, place the SoapStandle on the bar and rock it back and forth. That should ‘seat’ the teeth into the bar. But don't be reluctant to push hard.

Does the soap really last 20% longer?

Yes, it does-- most people report 'a lot longer'. Obviously, not sitting in water helps, but it’s also that your hand isn’t needlessly causing friction on one side of the bar and wearing away soap. See the tab "The 3 (and 5) Bar Test" above for studies where 20%, 30%, almost 50% of the bar on a SoapStandle was left when the 'naked' bar was gone.

Is this the same as soap sitting on a soap pad with raised points?

No. An ‘unattached’ bar of soap is degrading all over (a result of water and friction) so it develops more ‘goo’ than the SoapStandle bar that has a side protected from friction. So, more ‘goo’ is descending into the pad, and it becomes messy itself. Even though the soap on the mat does dry somewhat, it still degrades faster than a bar affixed to a SoapStandle, and almost as quickly as if it’s just sitting on a counter – and you still have a goopy pad to clean.

Do any celebrities use the SoapStandle?

Apparently Jennifer Aniston is a big Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar fan – and the SoapStandle is fantastic with it since glycerin soap wears away fairly quickly. We're ready for Jennifer's call.