I've now discovered why people put hekhshers on soap. These guys eat it!

By the way, I've now discovered why people put hekhshers on soap. These guys eat it!

R' Yaakov M. Eisenbach prefers lemon soap because it's good in salads.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVddVIpTH6M&t=1m11s

Also, watch out for making your romaine too soapy or you'll be blowing all day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVddVIpTH6M&t=2m45s

In response to 'why don't you just wash it?' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVddVIpTH6M&t=3m53s 'just a little suds in here'. and rinse off the soap at the end, if you prefer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVddVIpTH6M&t=9m35s

For cleaning tile, tubs, and stucco: CLR is certified by the Orthodox Union

It does say it can be used on glassware, tea pots, and coffee pots, in addition to toilets, brick, and chrome. Does this mean the alternative is not fit for use? According to the manufacturer's MSDS Data Sheet, CLR is not safe for consumption.

About the blog of unnecessary hekhshers (hechshers)

A hekhsher (hechsher הכשר), generally speaking, is a statement that something is fit for use. The term is usually used to refer to supervision over the kashrut (kashrus כשרות) of food, as evidenced by a symbol or document (teudah תעודה). This blog will explore items inexplicably marked with a hekhsher, poke fun at them, and perhaps attempt to reason out what use case there might be for the hekhsher.

Let's begin the supervised product that was the seed for creating this blog: Murphy Oil Soap Wood Floor Cleaner. It's not food and not used with food vessels.



I tried looking up any reasoning on the OU site, but finding none, tried tweeting @OUKosher What does it mean when you certify a non-food product? Why does my floor cleaner have a hekhsher? #kashrut

though I have received no response.

For consideration, I am posting two articles for thought:

1) An articule on the OU site about the kashrut of soaps. The article begins with this quote:

Food companies recognizing the profitability of the kosher market have pursued kosher certification in an effort to increase marketability and sales of their products. What has been especially remarkable is that the pursuit of kosher certification has not stopped with food. It is not unusual to find nowadays a hechsher on non-food items. Are there really any viable kashrus concerns with something that is inedible? This article will focus on dishwashing soap.

but never actually addresses the broader question and doesn't answer why the OU chooses to supervise soaps (and our above wood cleaner).
2) I did find a blog post about the Hardei (ultra-Orthodox) Bada"tz in Israel admitting to supervising things that don't need it.

which provides this translated section:

"It comes from the public" says, Harav Avraham Joseph who is in charge of "Products that are inedible" in the בד"ץ Badatz. "The factories hear the demand" of the public and ask us to give a Hechsher. Bleach of example, is a product which is inedible and poisonus, and to begin with has no fear of being Hametz. It really "Doesn't need a Hechsher", explaind Joseph, "That is also how we answer people who ask us directly."...
The Rav from the Badatz sees nothing wrong with unnecessary and expensive supervision of the Badatz "Ultimately the Badatz has a purpose - to serve the public. If there is a public demand, we are here to give the public the service that it needs and is interested in."

As I am sure you can guess, this blog has no hekhsher of any rabbinical authority. If you ask if it's okay to read it*, you'd likely receive a response of "it's not recommended". Which means "it's probably okay, but, you know, politics".

* And why are you asking a Rabbi if you can read a blog post? Just use the kosher internet he certifies. If you have any questions, you can call on your kosher cell phone.