Super Soft - NYC soft water. Whirlpool. A better explanation. On your laundry tub, where the perforated holes are - that is where most of the water sits during a wash cycle. If you start looking past that, where the wall of that inner tub starts to form leading all the way to the edge of it - that is the area where you will get water just strictly by nature of agitation and overspray, but not as much as it doesn't really *sit in water* during a wash cycle, Too many variables, as different makes have different tub designs, etc. For me, that is the scum ring - but it's also due to how my wash cycles are.. I do suspect that while most people are looking at their gasket, how many of ya'll go to great lenghts to check out the cavity I'm referring to.... I'm a OCD clean freak deep down. I have a commercial grade steam cleaner that not only produces steam but allows me to shoot boiling water through the nozzle - I will put the nozzle in that tight cavity and steam clean/send high pressure boiling water through that cavity (after seeing how this a problem prone area) around the entire perimeter of that area. While this cleans the area , nothing beats a sanitize cycle with the overloaded water dosage to really clean it.

I don't use pump lotion. My favorite lotion doesn't come in a pump. However my soap dispenser is always white in both the bathroom and kitchen. If I were to keep both I would make some of those beaded glass identifiers that they use for wine glasses, with a big bead in the center that I could write either an L for lotion or a s for soap. They have gold or silver pens that would work for that, just make sure the bead is not too glossy or it won't take the ink. They could even match the rooms decor. Anyway that's my idea. If you like it then go for it

OJ, if you put your soap there, there could be quite a combination of aromas! I won't go into detail! :) "Bar at sink ... bar on tub." Typical OJ.... always hanging out at the "bars". Wildchild, yes I know about the thoughts about potential bacteria and I use several containers. When one is done it's washed out and dried, then refilled. An occasional bleach rinse in there to sanitize it. (Yeah, I'll risk the world imploding and my house flooding from using bleach! ;)) One point, the value of it, watch your bar soap too. Many suggest opening them up and let them dry out to last longer. Not sure if it's a moisture in there or what but they claim the bars will last longer if you do. Can't confirm or deny since the last bar of soap I bought was Fels Naptha to try out on laundry stains. And there's controversy out there about antibacterial soaps. Some think we're killing off too many germs and bacteria. I used to think that was paranoia, but I'm starting to think there could be some truth to that. Looking at how Norway has essentially obliterated MRSA and how many times I see the "pristine" homes have sick people in them where someone who isn't afraid of a little dust does fine, it makes me wonder if there isn't some truth to that theory. I guess I aim to keep my home clean enough to be healthy, and not try to be sterile, unless I'm doing surgery!

Thanks for all the answers, folks: I'm glad to hear from other bakers! Of all the breads I hear about here, plllog's are the ones that speak to me most. But, although, if I really set about it with determination and a decent financial investment, I might be able to get the tools and supplies necessary to make bread as I see described here, I'm not willing to do that. I live in the country in Italy, and 98% of my groceries come from our small local supermarket. There is no Costco. No Whole Foods. I have no store that offers rye flour, grain berries, molasses, bran, wheat germ, reasonably priced oatmeal, or a host of other ingredients for baking standard in the U.S. I don't like to drive, I don't like to run around, I'm reluctant to add to our terrible air pollution, and gas costs about $7 a gallon. Add to this the absolutely horrible dis-service offered by our post office-affiliated package delivery company, which, after my last traumatic experience, caused me to swear that I would never again order by mail anything that would have to be delivered through them (there are other couriers, if one has a choice). So I work with what I have. This suits me, from a philosophical and practical standpoint, and while it's likely possible to make better bread, mine makes me happy. I've gotten used to the fresh yeast, which is reliable, and I have a fair variety of recipes I've worked out. The last one was potato and buckwheat (I was able to find buckwheat flour again, thank goodness!) and it turned out really tasty. That one was majority whole grain, simply because I had run out of white, and that improved it. Plllog's comments make me think, again, about how much I could learn about bread baking. The "soaker" is new to me. Who knows, this may stimulate me to some modest experimentation. Like Annie, if I want substantial nourishing bread, I have to make it myself. The Italian bread is good with a bowl of beans and broth but it just doesn't work as standalone food. Add to this that Italians don't really eat breakfast, so there's not much of an offering of sturdy food for the start of the day. I think my tolerance of grain-based foods has diminished as I've grown older, and it may be that baking with a sponge, and adding a variety of ingredients improves the digestibility of my breads. My diet is relatively low in cereals--I eat them regularly, but in much smaller amounts than when I was younger--and I mostly eat bread as the centerpiece of breakfast. It powers me up! in the most satisfactory way. Today is the potato and buckwheat bread--we're on our last loaf; I'll have to make more. There's a non-sweet almond bread in the freezer, made with milk, olive oil, and lots of almonds. If it gets cold enough I might even want to try a sweet bread. I made one last year with raisins, fennel, and orange juice and peel that I remember as being good. The basic dough of that one was similar to that of the almond bread, made with milk and oil. The loaves made with fats don't need butter. All my breads are part whole-grain, usually one third, though I may try upping that in some cases.