Reply #10: 1) At least in this area,

[Heywood J]

we have to wash off the outer layer of the soap before using it because the water is hard enough to form a coating. The minerals seem to react enough that the soap really doesn't clean well until this outer layer is removed - those with softer water probably don't have to do this. After it sits on the slats of the shower caddy, it tends to develop hard spots where it picks up sharp remnants of the last soap. The soap doesn't become "dirty", just less usable.

2) Unless you have long nails or the hair is curly/sticking off the bar, most of us can't grab the hair to pull it off (at least not without forcing chunks of soap under the ends of our fingernails) and have to resort to using the water. Soap is slippery when wet.