Thread: Don't eat the alum.

Yesterday as I was finishing the shave routine and applying the alum the missus decided she would sneak up behind me and give me a surprise. The only surprise I got was the alum block right in the mouth. For those of you who have never chowed down on alum I have some sage advice for you, don't do it. The taste is indescribable and the effect even worse. It reminded me of a 3 stooges routine where they are cooking and one of them adds alum to the recipe by mistake and the result is a very funny sight routine.

This wasn't funny and you can't just rinse the taste out of your mouth. Not only that the taste leaves you with psychological memory of the experience and every time I see the stuff the taste comes back.

Now I know what you are all thinking, good thing I wasn't holding the razor but she knows well enough not to do that...I hope.

I never "ate" one like you did, but did get some on the lips and most certainly avoid getting a taste of it if at all possible....YUCK!!!!!!

When I bought some, my girlfriend wanted to know how it tasted.... She licked the block and had a funny face (to me anyway) for over an hour.

This thread is already bringing back nightmares. When I was a kid, I would get pretty bad canker sores inside my mouth from being anemic. To heal them up, my doctor suggested using alum. Horrible taste and sting but worked wonders on the sores.

Originally Posted by Theseus

This thread is already bringing back nightmares. When I was a kid, I would get pretty bad canker sores inside my mouth from being anemic. To heal them up, my doctor suggested using alum. Horrible taste and sting but worked wonders on the sores.

Yuck. But I think the Silver Nitrate sticks we use these days for Oral Aphthae might be worse.

Well I had to be the one, after shaving last night I saw my alum block sitting there and was reminded of this thread, now when i get a little on my lips and accidently lick them it's not so bad (not something I look forward to) but just straight living the block not so much tastes bad but the way it makes my mouth feel is just bad. But just had to try lol
-dan-

When cutting myself I use alum. If using alum proportional I think the taste that gets in your mouth is not so bad at all. It gives me a hygienic feeling.

I am by the way stunned by the impact of alum on cuts. It has an enormous healing effect and cuts seam to disappear like snow for the sun. Never imagined that.

Made me chortle reading this!
She wanted to know what it tasted like? Why? Pmsl!

For overpowering hot sauce the best thing to do is sprinkle salt on your tongue. It takes the sting away better than drinking cold water, at least for me. Maybe that might work for accidental alum ingestion.

For me hot sauce usually responds to a teaspoon of sugar. Did you ever bite into an unripe persimmon? You'll pucker for an hour. I wonder if it's due to the same chemical?