Tips On Using Laundry Detergent Bars

PSA to all those folks obsessed with using old school laundry bars like Zote, Fels Naphtha, Hispano, et: PLEASE USE HOT WATER. Otherwise you run the risk of not having these products dissolve fully which can lead to short and long term headaches.

Keep in mind these products are meant to be used by hand application and lots of rubbing and scrubbing on a wash board. They are not designed to go in your machine as flakes, especially not with cold water. I have had very good luck with these bars when I rub them into stains before washing, but I’ll never ever use them as my laundry detergent.

While they are cheap and a nice alternative to ‘big laundry’ products they often lack a lot of the cleaning ingredients included in modern detergents.

Hope this little demo helps!

For more laundry tips and tricks follow me on TikTok and Instagram at @jeeves_ny. Otherwise throw me a sub here! Would mean a lot to me, long format content is on the wayyyy

[helenharmouch]

I use Zote to hand wash my baby’s heavily soiled clothes. It really works miracles at getting rid of stains

[TheSwilliams]

Dissolve in hot water before cold water use

[rosalindhendricks]

I had food grease spots on a pair of slacks that wouldn’t come out. I cut chunks of Zote off the bar and soaked them in a cup of water until it became a soft slime. Rubbed that on the spots and put them through the was again and the grease spots disappeared. I now keep that melted Zote in a plastic jar to treat new spots.

[angelinawhatsherface]

Zote is great for spot cleaning. We used it at the bridal shop i worked at in the alterations room. Cleans well but is also gentle. Just wet the corner of the bar and gently rub, then rinse.

[teebee]

Zote is amazing on makeup sponges, brushes, and stains!

[LMCorvinus]

the fels naphtha bar DOES dissolve in cold water, but still has to be used by hand for best results. i use it in cold to dissolve blood and berry stains out of fabric

[seanceknowles]

That’s why I have an old school concrete Mexican wash board. I grew up with them and then when I adults got my own for my backyard to hand wash things I don’t want to wash in my machines.

[seajelly]

My grandmother called this type of soap "brown soap" (even though the one we used was bright yellow in colour). And she used it almost like a 'cure-all, ' for laundry, people, and pets. Some examples: stain removal, blood/period cleaning jobs, skunk spray on dogs, and acne.

[norainnoflowers]

I love my zote bar for stains. but they are also AMAZING at getting makeup brushes and cosmetic sponges clean! they thoroughly clean without drying out and ruining😊 the fibers of even my cheapest makeup brushes.

[glendaanderson]

Sals suds is amazing. Gets blood out easily. I'm recently switching to cold washes because my electric bill has quadrupled, so these vids have been interesting!

[traceylafontaine]

La Parisienne,
Biovert,
Unscented company,
Attitude,
All phosphate free and biodegradable. Works in any temperature and soaking

[umopepisdn.]

I was confused at first then i heard you were talking about using it in the washing machine.

Well... Of course! Bar soap is meant for hand washing. Here i was thinking i was wrong for hand washing in cold water

[sumayaaden-txok]

I did not even know you could shred those bars into a washing machine cheese style🧀
I assumed they would just immediately clump together X-<

[hairfab]

You can pre-disolve these bars, shred and boil in 1 quart of water till smooth. Add as needed to wash or remove staining.

[KiMoKo]

I use shaved fels all the time for animal laundry and super dirty stuff. I mix it with half/half fels and concentrated powder laundry detergent it it's never has a problem disolving as long as the cycle is at least an hour or more for the agitation to break it down. I used in old top loading washers and our HE front loader thats newer.

[MonicaRubio]

well i doubt they’re shoving zote in the laundry machine.

[kayleahrogers]

I told you a laundromat to do my laundry because my apartment does not have laundry facilities. I don’t know if all systems do this, but the laundromat I use even if I use a cold wash cycle extremely hot water is used to flush the soap into the system. Should also point out. It is a front loader probably couldn’t do it with the top loader

[patpatontheback]

Zote is the best for stains in my book, but yea for sure have to put some elbow grease into it. The results are so much better when you work it in by hand

[onar_]

So that’s what that was in my grandma’s bathroom. I thought it was just hand soap.

[andreahl]

Guys, you hcan handwash without a board.
1. Water up those clothes.
2. Lather up the cloth with your soap. You can alternatively lather up just a portion at a time.
3. Make a fist holding one end of the cloth, and do the same with your other hand.
4. Rub both ends with each other.

Once you get the hang of it, it makes this sound from water being squeezed everytime you rub.

Just be careful though if you've got sensitive skin. With one basketful of clothes my knuckles and wrists get abrasions. It's best for small batches only.

Without a dryer, you can also do the following.
1. Wring it dry.
2. Unfold the cloth then flick away as much water as you can.
3. Use a hanger and hand than somewhere it can be sun-dried. Alternatively, you can hang the clothes on the clothesline, secured with clamps so the wind won't blow it away.