Why having a washcloth and soap if one can do with one object? Valery Soloviev patented a washcloth-soap (Russian patent 2171833). What is it like? Stretched elastic rods are pressed in a bar of soap. The rods protrude a little bit from the bar surface and play the role of a washcloth.

Advantages of the washcloth-soap:
1. It is convenient for tourists – one thing instead of two.
2. It saves time – you need not spend time on soaping.
3. One can wash oneself with one hand, and the other hand is free to hold a showerhead.
4. Such a washcloth-soap does not slip out of one's wet hands, so there are less chances to drop it.

Similar solution: The Turkish bath has a “soap sack” – a web sack where they put a bar of soap, wet it and shake for a long time. Then a rubber rubs a client with such a sack.

The inventive principle “Merging” is used here – two functions of two objects are performed by one object that is slightly changed for that purpose.

Information source: the magazine “Technics for young people” (Russia), 2/2002 .